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Please introduce yourself to us, as you give us an overview of B5 Plus Ghana.

I am Lalit Hemnani, the Director of Sales and Marketing at B5 Plus Ghana, a leading manufacturer and top supplier of quality steel products in Ghana and beyond. We are committed to supplying top-tier steel solutions for different industries, like mining, construction, manufacturing, road projects, and many more.

What are the key pillars of your competitive advantage?

Our brand is known for quality products, on-time delivery services, and a vast product range and stock availability, in Ghana and all over West Africa. We are especially known for maintaining timely contracts and ensuring that customer satisfaction meets the highest expectations.

What is your general assessment of the steel industry in Ghana?

There has been significant growth in the steel industry in the last decade, as seen by urbanisation acceptance in Ghana. There has been a drastic change in Accra and other regions in Ghana, inspired by many government-led projects focused on the construction of bridges and skyscrapers. That has really changed the complete requirement for steel, and now, people are more focused on the quality, rather than cheap steel.

The industry has also completely changed. Previously, Ghana was more dependent on importation, but now, there is more focus on the local industry, locally manufactured products.

With the company and the CEO being recipients of multiple awards, how competitive is the brand in the local market?

The company has won many certificates and awards. Not only because of our longevity in Ghana, but because we have been consistent and committed towards quality and competitive edge. The awards have solidified our brand reputation and product offerings.

Tell us about some of the new products you have launched in the market.

Recently, Ghana’s requirement has changed. Clients now ask for their own customised steel, depending on their requirements. As a result, we have recently done prefab engineering, which is giving a very durable and faster solution for them to finish their projects on time. We are doing prefab for industries like warehouses, factories, and residential buildings.

What approaches are you using to expand and manage sales channels effectively across the different markets?

We are currently exporting to many countries within ECOWAS: Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Ivory Coast, and Senegal. We are supplying to most of the West African countries and have employed digital marketing to enhance brand awareness. The company is recognised for delivering quality products at competitive prices across the region.

How has digital marketing transformed and reshaped your approach in reaching and engaging with these customers from different countries?

We always try to adapt to the local market that we are supplying. For instance, if we are supplying to Niger, we know the required products in Niger. We then use our big manufacturing line in Ghana to customise their products according to their requirements.

Digitisation through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn has really helped to inform them on what we are doing in Ghana. We consistently give updates on our products and what we are doing, like prefab for tankers and trailers. Recently, we finished one of the largest projects in the Ivory Coast, a cashew processing factory. The digital platforms informed them of our capabilities in Ghana, and that we can complete projects faster than contractors from China or the 博鱼体育娱乐平台 East.

Please outline more examples where your products are being utilised to complete important projects in the region.

Our products are used throughout West Africa, not only in the construction industry, but also in mining. We have mining contracts that can be serviced within 10 days using our vast stock in Ghana, chemical products like caustic soda, HCl, hydrogen peroxide, and steel balls. Furthermore, the construction industry knows that we have the capabilities to produce different kinds of grades of steel. We have a state-of-the-art facility in Ghana that can facilitate the entire region.

What notable projects have been completed using your products?

We supply 70 percent of the corporate market in Ghana. They trust the quality we provide, and have therefore been associated with us for many years and consistently only buy from us. Some completed projects include the Accra Mall, Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, Kwame Nkrumah Circle Bridge, as well as the President鈥檚 house.

When it comes to prefab, we are doing prefab projects in countries like Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, and many more ECOWAS countries. An example is the Orica project recently done in Burkina Faso, and in Ghana, we completed Melcom Shopping Mall and are working on projects for Letap Pharmaceuticals, M&G Pharmaceuticals, and the design, fabrication and installation of a helipad for one of the largest churches in Ghana.

We have many more ongoing projects in West Africa, and I believe that we are going to finish them on time, in line with our consistency. Our priority is on timely delivery and ensuring the client鈥檚 satisfaction as much as possible.

What CSR initiatives have you implemented?

CSR is not only a tool for marketing, but it is core to our brand and is our brand identity. We believe in giving back to society and have done many things, like blood donation camps and giving free oxygen to medical hospitals during the COVID pandemic, while other industry players tried to profit from the same. We also have community services, where we train the communities on money management, welding skills, among other skills. CSR is very close to our hearts. We make certain that it shows our identity, and it is our way of giving back to society.

Please enlighten us on the sustainability programs you have in place?

Sustainability is very important. The market is changing, and customers are aware about what companies are doing and how they are producing their products. There is no other facility in Africa, and in West Africa especially, that takes sustainability seriously. We have a solar plant at our manufacturing facility, and we are looking more at green energy, more green steel, and trying to leave less carbon footprint on the planet.

What do you hope to accomplish this year?

Our strategy this year is to reach more markets in West Africa and beyond. We plan on increasing our distribution channel, and increasing our B2C reach through a digital platform. We want to focus on e-commerce.

We have created a platform, an AI chatbox, where people can go online and ask questions. They can generate enquiries straightaway and get an immediate response from a manager. We generate more business through the digital platform, our engagement with government bodies, and trade/business expos. We have consistently participated in trade expos all over West Africa and beyond; for instance, the mining forum in Cape Town, one of the largest mining forums in the world.

We will continue reaching out to the end consumers to increase brand awareness and inform them of our product range and activities. There is no other company in West Africa carrying the product range we have; namely, various kinds of steel 鈥� mild, high tensile, galvanised, stainless, and aluminium. We also have a wide range of beams.

What other products does B5 Plus engage in?

We not only manufacture iron products, but we also specialise in other products that our clients may not be aware of, like prefab. Recently, we started fabricating tankers, trailers, and weighbridges right here in Ghana, and now, we have started manufacturing angles, channels, and beams. This is going to be more advantageous to ECOWAS countries, as these kinds of customised products are readily available, based on the desired length, thickness, or another requirement, and at a very competitive price.