Subsequently, the company says it has began a 1,000 hectare rubber plantation to serve as raw material for the factory.

The chairman of the group, Mr Nazem Karroum, who disclosed this to the media at a seminar by the Samir Group in Accra, observed that the processing plant would export its products to tyre manufacturing factories.

“We are planning to setup a rubber processing plant in the Eastern Region with the hope of sourcing its raw materials from our new rubber plantation,” he said.

Asked whether the group would consider setting up a tyre factory in the country, Mr Karroum responded in the negative, saying the volumes of usage does not support such an idea.

“The usage volume of tyres does not justify the idea of manufacturing tyres in Ghana. Most international tyre factories produce between seven and eight million tyres per year and the consumption in the country is below that level,” he said.

Also, he stated that presently the rubber plantation, also located in the Eastern Region, employs more than 200 temporary workforce and about 70 permanent staff.
Mr Karroum said he was hopeful the company would be able to use its new industrialisation drive to help reduce the employment rate in the country.

Boliden battery

On its Boliden battery brand, the chairman indicated that the product had been received well in the country and for that reason had become the leading brand in the market.

“Our quality is very high, our prices are a little high but we are working to achieve a little more reasonable and competitive price to help increase our market share.”

According to him, the Ghanaian public prefers to buy premium product and that is what inspired the group in the Boliden battery brand business.

“But unfortunately due to economic reasons some people often prefer cheaper product and the best product is Boliden battery brand in the country,” he said.

He noted that although he was unable to quantify the battery imported into the country per year, Boliden battery brand was still the leading supplier of car batteries in the Ghanaian market in terms of sales.

According to him, the company presently controls about 25 per cent of the market share in sales of car batteries in the Ghanaian market.

Other companies

Other companies in the Samir Group apart from Boliden battery brand include Quantum Petroleum Limited; Platinum Motors Limited; Platinum Tours and Travel Limited; Samir Engineering and Trading Co. Limited; Civil & Structures and First Stockmovers Limited.

Mr Karroum indicated that the company presently employed more than 250 Ghanaians in the group.

“We are trying as much as possible to create employment opportunities for the Ghanaian public,” he said.

He added that the company also planned to undertake some loyalty programmes to help increase its market share in the Ghanaian market.