Press Release
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Zambeef Products Chief Executive Francis Grogan has been nominated for two prestigious regional business leadership awards.
Mr Grogan has been put forward as Business Leader of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year in the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) 2013 for the Southern Africa region, sponsored by CNBC Africa.
The All Africa Business Leaders Awards recognises and pays tribute to captains of industry across the continent that have made a vast difference to the companies, industries and communities they serve.
“It is the first time in the history of the All Africa Business Leaders Awards that Zambia has had finalists for the accolade,” said CNBC Africa Business Development Manager for Africa Debbie Baillie. “Francis is an inspiration to businessmen and women across Africa, and he and his team have grown Zambeef from humble beginnings into a household name that touches the lives of everyone in the country.”
Mr Grogan faces competition from other nominees across the region for the award, which will be announced in October in Johannesburg.
“It is indeed an honour to be among those nominated for this prominent award. I am humbled,” said Mr Grogan. “Zambeef is about teamwork and the efforts of all our managers and 5,500 employees who have worked to build Zambeef into the company it is today. It is nice to have that effort recognised by this nomination.”
Zambeef has its origins in 1991 when Mr Grogan and Zambian accountant Carl Irwin began building the company from a small butchery business into a ZMW 1.6 billion food processing and agribusiness conglomerate that is now listed on the London and Lusaka stock exchanges.
The farm’s total assets have grown more than six-fold from ZMW 266 million in 2008 to ZMW 1,616 million in 2012.
The company has a market capitalisation of ZMW 328 million on LuSE and US$71 million on the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market (AIM) as of September 30, 2012.
Zambeef’s vision is to be the most accessible and affordable quality protein provider in the region. Its vertically integrated operation produces, processes and sells beef, chicken, pork, milk, dairy products, eggs, edible oils, stock feed, flour and bread. It has 90 shops and three wholesale outlets across Zambia.
The company grows approximately 8,350 hectares of maize, soya beans and wheat under irrigiation, with a further 8,650 hectares of rain-fed/dry-land crops available for planting each year.
It is also rolling out its West Africa expansion in Nigeria and Ghana, as well as developing a palm project in Zambia.