BY Tom Jackson
There was a time when even the clearest of blue swimming pools came at a hefty cost in chemicals, health and the environment. But not today, with 4/5 of all the new swimming pools going into Kenyan homes and institutions now being saltwater pools with lower running costs and none of the same side risks.
Saltwater systems are not chlorine-free: the difference is that they use chlorine generators to make the chlorine from salt, rather than adding concentrated chemicals. It’s a shift that has enjoyed galloping technology in recent years, with 80 percent of all new installations now using a chlorine generator”, according to Moses Kitheka, Sales Engineer at Davis & Shirtliff. The company, which is the leading supplier of swimming pool equipment in East Africa, has seen a boom in people turning to salt as an alternative to traditional chlorine.
Chlorine pools are now firmly associated with sore, irritated eyes and itchy skin, switching to saltwater creates a more natural, comfortable swimming experience. It is not the same as swimming in the ocean, where salt content is around 35,000 parts per million (ppm). The optimal salt content for a saltwater pool is actually less than a tenth of that, at approximately the same salt content as the human body. But the production of chlorine through a generator prevents the production of the chloramines that result in irritated eyes and itchy skin.
The electrolysis process producing the chlorine burns off these chloramines, meaning the swim is no less sanitary, but more comfortable and natural.
Environmentally Safe
The lowered use of chemicals, as saltwater pools virtually clean themselves, also makes the pool more environmentally safe and relieves the owner of the burden of consistently checking chemical levels. The salt systems also naturally inhibit the growth of algae. This natural process saves on both time and money when it comes to maintaining the pool, usually the most difficult and costly aspect of owning a swimming pool.
However , the initial spend on a salt water pool is greater, with a 200,000 litre pool requiring a generator costing Sh190,000 and a small 100 cubic meters pool requiring a generator worth Sh100, 000, which also come with additional costs for installation. Yet the technology makes financial sense in the long-term, with pool owners covering the cost of the initial investment within a few years through savings on chemicals and maintenance staff. In general, the cost of maintaining a salt water pool is less than half that of looking after the chlorine equivalent.
“Salt is 10 times cheaper than chlorine, “said Kitheka. “ Handling salt also requires a lot less care than handling chlorine”. With the generator producing chlorine whenever the pump is running, there is no for purchase, storing or handling of chemicals. There are also health benefits to the saltwater option. Pure chlorine pools create organochlorines with the ability to mimic human hormones. These can caused reduced fertility, abnormalities in the immune system and various cancers.
The same chloramines that cause discomfort to the eyes and skin have also been found to cause or worsen emphysema and asthma, meaning the saltwater option is more beneficial to those suffering from either illness. Moreover, where organochlorines and chloramines are a standard feature of chlorinated swimming of chlorinated swimming pools, in a salt water pool levels of chlorine never drop low enough for them to form.
As long as the pump is running, the generator will produce enough chlorine to keep a pool clean and comfortable without the hassle and negative repercussions of purchasing concentrates and swimming in heavy chlorine. It’s a cocktail of bonuses that have now seen salt water move to market dominance, and look set to mark the fading out of the old, blue pools of chemical concentrates.
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With a wide range of backup generators, Davis & Shirtliff can help saving businesses or ensuring modern comfort when electricity grid is failing.
In this modern era a stable and reliable electricity supply has been taken for granted in the developed world, though in Africa many countries still fail to deliver this service to their citizens that affects private individuals as well as companies, big or small, and can have seriously damaging consequences on a business. Production machines cannot work, communication lines are broken and electronic equipment can be destroyed by sudden and frequent electricity breakages.
In aggregate it can seriously affect a whole country unnecessarily slowing down its development. For David Wanjohi Kagera, the factory manager of Highlands Coffee near Thika, a reliable backup was a simple necessity when he started designing the coffee factory late last year. Without it, the factory would have been unable to work during power blackouts. Planning would have been impossible and coffee beans would have gone to a waste being a loss to the thousands of small coffee farmers supplying coffee beans to the factory.
In reality, Highlands Coffee is unable to deliver and survive without having a reliable generator backup so they turned to Davis & Shirtliff for the supply of a 350kVA Dayliff Yanan generator which can run the whole production machinery with a capacity of 6 tonnes of coffee beans per hour. In addition, a 42kVA Dayliff Yanan generator is used as a backup for office facilities, security lights etc Mr Wanjohi is very satisfied and says “Seen over a whole year we expect mains electricity supply to be down at least 15% of the production time. Our backup generators from Davis & Shirtliff have been working perfectly well so far and they are crucial for our business. We have chosen Davis & Shirtliff for the job, because they are well known for their professionalism and reliability in their services.”
At the other end of the scale, smaller generators can also make a world of difference in business execution. Bridge International Academies is a network of high-quality, low-cost primary schools, supported by a strong central headquarters. Their “school-in-a-box” system is based on extensive use of technology to drive down school operation and support costs, thus enabling school staff to focus on their core job of ensuring student learning. At their central warehouse in Nairobi, they have installed a portable 4.6kVA Dayliff DG 6000S generator to ensure a constant reliable electricity supply to their offices from which the logistics for distributing inventory, school books etc is managed.
Warehouse officer Patrick Mussumba explains, “Our main electricity supply is erratic, when it fails, we have 30 people here who cannot work at full capacity. Our 84 academies may not get the supplies they need on time. In the end, the pupils suffer due to the lack of electricity in the warehouse. Since we got the backup generator from Davis & Shirtliff, we have been operating at a hundred percent, so it means a lot to us and the academies we serve”.
Davis & Shirtliff offers a wide selection of generators suitable for applications ranging from small domestic and commercial to large institutional and industrial use. They are sourced from world renowned manufacturers including Lister Petter, Yanan, Cooper & Elemax. In addition, the company’s own range of Dayliff DG generators offer excellent quality and unbeatable value for money.
Whether the client needs a small portable standby generator or a larger and more powerful solution, Davis & Shirtliff can supply. Most large generators above 15kVA are skid mounted on anti-vibration mounts and come with a specially designed canopy for whether protection and noise reduction. Most also include an integral fuel tank with contents gauge and fully automatic mains failure operation is available as an option. In addition the range includes a wide selection of high speed units specially designed for standby use as they combine higher operating efficiencies with lower initial costs to provide more cost effective solutions.
Like the company’s well known water pumps, all power products from Davis & Shirtliff are fully supported with technical selection advice and service backup with clients enjoy the same benefits of well established network of dealers and service centres all over East Africa.
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Q&A Water Equipment People by Kenya Farmer Magazine
Interview with Davis & Shirtliff Group Chief Executive, Alec Davis
Q. Davis & Shirtliff started when and for what reason?
A. The company was founded in 1946 by my father who had worked as a water engineer for the military in Kenya. The company’s primary business then was water supply, though today we have diversified into other product segments including boreholes, swimming pools, water treatment, solar and power generation.
Q. Describe the company and its scope?
A. Water Pumps have traditionally been our core business and we have developed from a project oriented organisation to one focusing on wholesale and distribution within East & central Africa. The strategy has been supported by the development of a branch network and Davis& Shirtliff today has 25 branches across the region. As well as developing business established markets we are now also focusing on new emerging markets such as Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Q. You are best known for what?
A. Our brand – Davis & Shirtliff is well known in our markets and is synonymous with professionalism and technical expertise. However, I would say that our core competence is distribution. Our approach to logistics is scientifically driven towards efficiency and we are well resourced with an extensive warehousing facility and a fleet of delivery vehicles. Our supply chain management expertise is a great strength that enables the group to sell a wide range of products throughout the network with low stockholding and at low cost.
Q. What’s the size of your company and what can be attributed to its growth?
A. With a workforce of over 340 employees at 25 sites, our primary focus has been to improve on our technical capacity. We have doubled our size over a period of 3 to 4 years and have managed our growth to a sustainable 30 % per annum. The principal growth drivers have been the expansion of our product lines, the increase in the number of branches, the growth of the market in general and our disciplined and focused approach. The trade environment in East and Central Africa is ever more competitive and we attribute our success to our company values of quality, integrity and continuous innovation and improvement.
Q. How strong is the company brand name?
A. Put it this way, we are known by our slogan- ‘The Professionals.’ Besides, the company has invested a substantial amount in building the brand which is now a household name within our markets.
Q. Describe the latest product and how the market has responded to it?
A. New products are the life line of any business. Market research has suggested that there are opportunities in waste water management so we have developed a water recycling plant that has been an instant success due to its user friendliness and flexibility.
Q. What makes the waste water treatment plant from your company unique?
A. Our waste water recycling plant conforms to international standards and gives the user the possibility of concealing the unit underground so as save on space and reduce the environmental impact while processing raw sewage into clean, safe water.
Q. What are prospects for the company?
A. The region is growing fast and the demand for water and solar related equipment seems to be on the rise. Increased development in infrastructure as well as general economic growth will drive the demand for the company’s wide range of products. Furthermore, i foresee Davis & Shirtliff retaining its competitive edge over other companies owing to the quality of its products and its competitive pricing.
Q. How does the company give back to the society?
A. The company has a well established corporate social responsibility plan. As part of its commitment, the company focuses on installing pumps that provide a sustainable water supply to under privilege schools and communities in the rural parts of Kenya. Last year Davis & Shirtliff completed 42 projects benefiting over 30,000 people.
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The provision of water of suitable quality for consumption is a vital requirement in all societies. Mostly this is the responsibility of the public water provider, but as municipal supply becomes increasingly scarce there is a greater responsibility on the consumer to ensure that the water available is fit for human consumption. The challenge is to identify suitable cost effective equipment for the treatment requirement, Davis & Shirtliff, the acknowledged industry leaders, being especially well qualified to advice on this. Davis & Shirtliff have been providing effective water treatment solutions for over fifty years and specialises in the supply of a wide range of water treatment equipment to treat most prevailing conditions including turbidity, salinity, hardness, mineralisation and bacterial contamination. Equipment ranges in size from small domestic units to plants from small communities and the company has a treatment solution for most prevailing water conditions.
Domestic purifiers are a particular strength with a range of equipment sourced principally from So-Safe being offered. The range includes sediment filters, Ultra violet purifiers, reverse osmosis purifiers for mineralised water and extra fine filters that are suitable bacteria removal. There is also a large range of cartridges available that can be combined in series to treat specific water conditions. On a larger scale Davis & Shirtliff manufactures a range of plants for community application’s (e.g. Schools, Hospitals, factories, Estates etc.) including equipment for filtration, sediment removal, sanitisation, pure water production, softening, conditioning etc. and is the leading supplier for this type of equipment in the region. A wide range of chemicals is also available.
A new product that Davis & Shirtliff has recently introduced is a solution for waste water treatment, which is becoming an increasingly important requirement both for ecological and legislation reasons. A unique solution has been developed that provides for an equipment and design package that can be incorporated into pre-constructed treatment chambers. The fully automatic process involves settlement, aeration filtration and chemical dosage and very satisfactory results are being achieved with effluent discharge fully meeting prevailing standards. With all the products either being directly imported or manufactured in house Davis & Shirtliff can offer effective and cost competitive equipment with full lifetime service support. This combined with its unmatched experience and expertise enables Davis & Shirtliff to provide optimal solutions to all water treatment requirements, to have ‘The water you want from the water you have’.
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Davis & Shirtliff Solar division was established in 2003 after being appointed the regional distributor for large multinational manufacturer of Photo Voltaic (PV) solar modules. The division has experienced tremendous growth and is now a well-established as the major regional player in the solar industry. Though great emphasis has been assigned to water pumping applications, D&S Solar is also involved in other facets of solar which include;
Solar Hot Water Heaters are increasingly becoming popular items in both residential houses and hotels as their considerable benefits become more widely recognised. Davis & Shirtliff, East Africa’s leading water equipment specialist identified this potential and set up a project to develop a unit particularly suited to the local market. The result is the Dayliff SWD range which was launched in 2007 and already sales have exceeded expectations. Tank sizes of 160 litres, 220 litres and 320 litres are available and all are fitted with 3kW heaters to boost temperature on cold days.
Standard tanks are of direct design with the option of indirect heating is also available for highly mineralised water. Both the tanks and collectors are mounted together on a frame and the units are also completely plumbed including pressure release valves and priming cocks so installation couldn’t be simpler requiring only inlet and outlet connections. The principal benefits are durable, efficient and economical power consumption as water heating is generally the largest element of domestic demand and with electricity’s ever rising cost, considerable savings can result.
Dayliff Solar Modules – a wide range of crystalline Photo Voltaic Solar Modules are available in various sizes from 15W to 150W. Modules are sourced from Solar World, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and Yingli, a globally certified manufacturer. All are quality products available at surprisingly competitive prices to provide reliable and economical solutions for all solar energy applications. The features include;
Dayliff Solar Lighting Systems are specially designed for both residential and institutional applications and comprise quality Sundaya DC light options together with efficient ‘Apple’ charge controllers, batteries, PV modules and cabling. Various sizes are available , the carefully matched quality components providing effective, reliable and economical solutions for all off-grid lighting requirements.
Power Pumps – Solar energy is a natural way to power pumps, the combination of Davis & Shirtliff’s vast pumping experience, its solar expertise and quality Grundfos and SHurflo pumps creating effective and economic solutions for all solar pumping requirements.
Dayliff Power Backup Systems are the ideal way to ensure continuous power as an alternative to noisy costly generators. The combination of efficient Tripplite Inverters available in sizes from 750W to 6000W and reliable Gaston sealed batteries ensure instant standby power when mains failure occurs to both home and office applications.
The endurance of a power backup system is determined by battery capacity, Dayliff systems being offered with a selection of capacities depending upon backup time required. Batteries supplied are of the deep-cycle long life type and the inverters provide automatic regulation to prevent over-charge and over-discharge. Systems are also provided complete with connecting cabling between the inverter and battery pack and expert selection advice is available to assist with sizing and installation.
The components of all Dayliff Backup Systems are carefully matched in terms of quality and performance and they provide a reliable, effective and economic solution to all small scale mains standby power requirements.
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Davis & Shirtliff (D&S) quality culture draws principally from the corporate guiding principle that says “One person working alone is limited in their endeavours but many people working together have no limit to their achievements”, by Poul du Jensen founder of Grundfos. This principle is known by employees and encompasses many aspects beyond teamwork. D&S has developed a culture of hard work, integrity and transparency where information is shared widely across the company. Employees feel empowered by management and because the overall strategic direction is frequently and clearly expressed, with constant feedback, there is less internal politics.
The integration of ISO 9001:2000 into the fabric of D&S’s daily operations has made a huge difference in improving the quality processes and products from the company. The ISO certification is a system of innovations that are constantly being introduced into the company. They already heavily customized enterprise resource planning software, Navision, is always being improved by a n in-house software programmer who receives suggestions for improvement from all departments.
D&S has involved its suppliers, customers and employees in its quality efforts. The company’s primary equipment suppliers are either ISO certified or have other international quality certifications. Through the routine “How do you Rate Us?” and service questionnaires, customer feedback is regularly sought and acted upon. The annual staff survey and performance appraisals provide further opportunity to improve management of the issues raised.
The Management - August 2008
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DAVIS & SHIRTLIFF CELEBRATES 7Oth ANNIVERSARY
Davis & Shirtliff, the region’s leading supplier of energy and water supply equipment is about to celebrate a major milestone, its 70th Anniversary. Various events are planned as follows:-
Customer ‘Open Day’ - Friday 13th May
The principal external celebrations will be an Open Day hosted at Davis & Shirtliff’s Dundori Rd, Industrial Area headquarters. The event will principally be an opportunity for the company to showcase its products and resources and visitors will be shown round the premises and also various products displays will be exhibited. The main formality at 12:30pm will be opening of the company’s new Administration and Canteen block by Guest of Honour Mr Abbas Gullet, Director General of the Kenya Red Cross Society who are one of the company’s largest customers. Various other VIP visitors from the company’s main suppliers including Grundfos, Pedrollo and Davey will also be present. The event will conclude with a lunch served in the new canteen.
Staff Walk - Saturday 14th May
To commemorate the Company’s original premises location in Westlands a walk is being arranged from this site to the present Dundori Rd, Industrial Area Headquarters. About 150 staff will participate and they will be accompanied by the Police Band. The event will start from the Nyota Petrol Station off Mpaka Rd at 9:30pm.
Staff Celebration - Saturday 14th May
As befits all Anniversaries a special celebration will be held for past and present staff members at the Dundori Rd Headquarters. The event will also feature service awards and various entertainments and the Guest of Honour will be Poul Mortensen, a long time business colleague of the company.
CSR Events
As part of the celebrations the company, with the kind assistance of various suppliers, will be carrying out several CSR projects for worthy institutions for deprived and poor children. Representatives of the recipients will attend the Customer Day when the projects will be handed over.
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