Duo takes Masvingo vehicle industry by storm
Two youthful Masvingo brothers have taken full advantage of President Mnangagwa’s youth empowerment drive by founding a one-stop shop that specialises in fitting tyres and repairing vehicles with the venture having taken the ancient city and surrounding urban settlements by storm.
The company, Crown Duo Pvt Ltd, which trades as Crownmech Automobile, has been growing in leaps and bounds and is looking at diversifying into supplying tyres for the sugar cane farming industry in Chiredzi.
Founded barely two years ago, Crownmech Automobile, now has more than 10 branches countrywide with the firm’s directors hailing President Mnangagwa’s administration for opening business opportunities to the youth in line with Vision 2030.
According to the firm’s co-director Kudakwashe Shaba, Crownmech was looking at spreading its tentacles in each and every urban settlement in Zimbabwe.
”We are geared for challenges that lie ahead in the future and we have managed to maintain a foothold across towns such as Masvingo, Chiredzi, Chivhu, Jerera, Chegutu and Harare among others and
today we boast of 10 fully operational branches having started from scratch barely two years ago,” said Shaba.
”Our plan is to have a presence in each and every town in Zimbabwe so that we play our part as youths in the nation’s development agenda. We are grateful to the Second Republic for opening up opportunities for young people to participate fully in the mainstream economy.” Shaba (30) says after starting with only three workers, Crownmech’s workforce has since swelled to 18 permanent employees.
His elder brother and co-director Tarirai Shaba (32) says the sky is the limit for their fledgling company.
”We have benefited from the new dispensation by getting contracts to supply tyres and vehicle accessories to parastatals and other public companies because the economy was opened by President Mnangagwa’s government to everyone. We import our tyres from China and South Africa and we are very happy with the response that we are getting from the market, ”he said.
At Crownmech outlets, the lowest priced tyre retails for US$32 with the most expensive going for around US$400.
”We are looking at exploiting growing opportunities in the Lowveld sugar cane industry by moving to supply tyres for tractors, earth-moving equipment and other heavy duty machinery. We are
optimistic that in the near future everything will fall in place for us to announce our presence in the Lowveld,”said Shaba.
Crownmech’s partnership with Taps Auto Zimbabwe to set up a one-stop shop supplying tyres and repairing vehicles seems to be a match made in heaven.
He disclosed that their business model has enabled Crownmech to grow in leaps and bounds with the firm having facilities for bulky tyre buyers and individual customers. Crownmech also offers customers a
credit facility to purchase its tyres while the firm also accepted payment in all currencies.
”Our business is inspired by President Mnangagwa’s “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’mantra where as graduates we move to be job creators instead of being job seekers. We see ourselves being a big
international brand in the next few years,” said Shaba.-ebusinessweekly
