Bolton International to revolutionalize Uganda’s agricultural sector

Bolton International is a Uganda based company that is set to revolutionize the agricultural sector on addition to the ICT, Electro Mechanical and Public Health Services in the Country. The CEO Magazine`s Patrick Kagenda talked to the Bolton International Chairman Mr. Zeev Shiff on what Bolton International has on offer for the Ugandan people .

What is Bolton International?

Bolton International Limited is a multi services company that provides agro technical, ICT, Electro Mechanical Works and public health solutions. Our company was founded on one core principal  to deliver to the people and businesses of Uganda only the best in terms of products and solutions with a specific focus on quality and professional after sales support.

Having a strong local team in Uganda will ensure we can deliver on our vision. At Bolton International we don’t believe in remote controlled business. Our vision is to emerge as a leading brand in developing and delivering innovative solutions for social development challenges in East Africa. In so doing, we pledge to remain dependable, Quality focused, committed and trustworthy.

Specifically, what services do you offer?

 We offer a range of products and services with a special focus on the agro technical; ict; electro mechanical works and public health areas. Our extensive product portfolio and ability allows us to offer to our clientele varying solutions from the supply of chemicals and fertilizers to providing turnkey projects and services.

Our Agro Technical Services division among other services, offers, irrigation systems feasibility studies, design, equipment supply, installation, training, management/ maintenance and related inputs, agricultural equipment/machinery, water and waste treatment and management, water reservoirs, filtration systems, agricultural chemicals and fertilizers, greenhouses supply, installations, management and related inputs.

The ICT division provides; in-building control systems e.g fire detection and building management, security solutions such as integrated access control and CCTV security systems, physical security systems, network monitoring and control solutions, structured cabling projects and wireless network and system integration. The electro mechanical works division offers, air conditioning and ventilation systems, power solutions such as generators, stabilizers, transformers and UPS backup systems as well as solar systems i.e water heating and photovoltaic (PV) systems. In public health, we offer, integrated pest management, vector control and fumigation services.

Who is your target market?

 All our services are available to anyone in the market. It does not matter if you are a small scale farmer; residential owner or a corporate entity, our solutions and services are geared to a broad spectrum of clientele and can be tailored to fit any need.

What is the difference between Bolton International and Balton Uganda?

They are two separate companies.

Who are the people at Bolton International and what is their experience in the fields of services offered?

 Bolton probably has one of the best people in the country in their respective categories. Our people have a mix of skills acquired both from Uganda and the rest of the world, which when combined with our knowledge of Uganda, allows us to deliver a unique service. I, the Chairman, have over 20 years in this business and our Managing Director, Shirly Shiff, has 10 years. Mr Peter Okwera, our Executive Director, boasts of 47 years and Steven Nicoll, the GM ICT projects has over 12 years in the business. Mr Menachem Pomoshchnick, Mr John Ssemakula and Mr Michael Musyoka, our General Managers for E&M, Agro Technical and Public Health, each have 20, 15 and 9 years respectively in their trade. You will not get this experience in these specialized fields in many companies in Uganda.

What interested Bolton International to open shop in Uganda?

 We are united in our view that our customers deserve more than just the basic supply of product. Our focus is to ensure our customers always benefit from the quality of the products we supply to the support received thereafter. We don’t want to be seen as another general supplier, but instead want to be partners with all our customers for the long term and be close to the people of Uganda.

What new thing is Bolton International bringing on the Uganda market? 

What you will find different at Bolton, is our unique ability to  custom design our services to any need and any size of business and then scale up as the business of level of need grows. We do not just provide products, but rather take time to study the current and future needs of our customer and advise accordingly and then proceed to design sometimes from scratch the appropriate solution. This is not a service you will easily find.

One of our unique offerings is our ability to provide a one stop shop for integrated solutions. For example if you are into agriculture we are probably the only company in Uganda that can design and deliver green houses and the appropriate irrigation, water and waste treatment solutions. We will do pest control, design you cold storage units as well as provide you with a mix of solar and generator power solutions. This will save you both time and money and make you competitive, from the very moment you walk right through our door.

What challenges has Bolton International so far encountered since opening shop in Uganda?

 As myself and my team have been in Uganda for some time, we understand the general business challenges faced; however I’m proud to say we have experienced very few issues, but instead have received overwhelming support from customers and supporters since we started.

Who are your working partners locally and internationally? 

Operational efficacy is a key mandate within our business. We work closely with local project contractors on a variety of works, but also have numerous international suppliers with whom we work for each of our business areas.

How are your products priced?

Our pricing is very competitive. We understand that a key customer benefit is the saving our customers get in terms of product purchase or service utilization. With this in mind; we have a number of alternate solutions we can offer to our customers if limited due to budget constraints. With the professional team we have we can design any solution that fits our customers’ demands.

What is your view of the Ugandan future? 

Positive and exciting! There is no doubt in my mind that Uganda will grow from strength to strength over the coming years. Besides the discovery of oil and the infrastructure development to happen in the coming years, it is the tenacity; ambition and pride of the Ugandan people that is going to take this country forward.

What message do you have for the people of Uganda who are your potential clients?

The people and businesses of Uganda deserve to work with an organization that has their interest in mind at all times. We are more than just a business; we are your partners. At Bolton International we are prepared to serve and to design any product for our customers bearing in mind the high level of expertise we have in the fields we offer services in.

Do you have plans of opening upcountry offices or you will remain Kampala based?

 Part of our business strategy is to develop our presence throughout the country.

What advantages come along using Bolton International products? 

Quite simple  Price; quality; professionalism; support with a key focus in mind ensure our customers always benefit.