JMG has been in Nigeria’s power sector for over two decades. The firm is in the process of transforming into a solutions provider to meet the ever-changing needs of its customers. In this interview, RABI JAMMAL, Group General Manager of JMG Limited reviews the company’s performance and its ambitious plans with BusinessDay’s Teliat Sule.
Kindly give us a brief insight into the activities of JMG Limited.
JMG is a prime distributor of diesel and gas engines, solar-battery inverters, cooling systems, electrical products, elevators, escalators, and air compressors.
It is much more than just a generator company. We represent some of the world’s leading brands in electromechanical solutions like FG Wilson, Mitsubishi, Trane, Legrand, TK Elevator, and Kaeser compressors amongst other brands.
For over 22 years, now we have been helping customers fit better infrastructures into their homes and businesses which are enabling them to have a higher standard of living and excellent reliability using our products. The applications of our products are used to power structures, help cool environments, transport people within buildings, and improve industrial operations. So, it is quite a wide range of services.
JMG solutions provide customers with a range of electromechanical solutions from power to plug. Our generators provide reliable and uninterrupted power to all types of buildings. We can join them with solar-battery systems to cut fuel costs and reduce pollution. We also have a range of electrical technologies which can control and protect electrical infrastructure. JMG’s strategy is focused on creating a comfortable environment for its customers. Apart from power, our TKE elevators help move people within buildings while Trane air conditioning systems create comfortable indoor settings for residential and commercial applications. Most importantly, all our products are supported with extended warranty coverage and after-sales services.
Who are your target clients?
We cater to the residential, commercial, and industrial segments because as I said, our generators can be used in all types of buildings and when you complement our other products then we can join our generators with solar battery systems to cut fuel costs and reduce pollution which is a drive we are heavily investing in today. In other words, JMG solutions will help you cut fuel costs and reduce environmental pollution.
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We also have electric technologies that can protect and automate power, as well as control power within a building. This caters to, again, a wide range of segments. In a nutshell, we aim to create a comfortable environment for all our customers.
You have been here for over 22 years, and I understand that you are familiar with the Nigerian power space. Kindly appraise the power sector in Nigeria and the role that you know, companies like yours can play.
I am not in a position to appraise the power sector in Nigeria because it faces many challenges and there are certain reasons for that- economical, technical, and a lot of reasons. But we do acknowledge that there are challenges in Nigeria’s power supply system and the system faces continuous power cuts and transmission losses.
So, this is why people tend to use generators to bridge that gap. And this is not only in Nigeria but all over the world. These generators have always been used to bridge such gaps. Because one main characteristic of this generator is that it can withstand very high use for an extended period of time. Plus, you are able to transfer the source of power from the grid to the generator very quickly.
They are ideal for applications that require emergency powers in places like hospitals, and data centers, and that is why they have been used not only here but across the world. So, when it comes to JMG, we are the leading distributor of these generators in the country and we strive to make sure basically that these products are made available to our customers so they can power basic infrastructure and have access to electricity, and water and improve their quality of life. Our major role is to continue our commitment to meeting the power needs of our customers.
JMG provide customers a range of electromechanical solutions from power to plug
Every firm has a wide range of products but there are some that are of premium quality. Could you please tell us the premium products you have at JMG?
JMG has always associated itself with only premium brands. If you look at our portfolio, they are all global leaders across the world, and I will mention. When it comes to generators, we represent FG WILSON which is a caterpillar-owned brand. It has one of the highest qualities of diesel generators worldwide and they supply generators to over 180 countries. So, we are talking about the creme-de-la-creme of diesel generators.
If we are talking about gas generators, we represent MITSUBISHI which is also known for high-capacity generators that promise exceptional performance and the highest fuel efficiency for commercial and industrial applications.
We have also added a new brand of engines, ELETROMAK, which are more ‘budget-friendly’. Eletromak engines come with extended warranty options for additional comfort to customers.
However, what we are most excited about is the launch of our hybrid solutions aimed at reducing fuel costs and are better for the environment. This technology integrates diesel generators with battery backup systems that guarantee reasonable fuel savings and lower emissions. Customers can now inquire about this solution through any of our sales channels.
When it comes to cooling, we represent TRANE, which is an American brand. TRANE is one of the top leading brands in air conditioning systems and chillers. LEGRAND when it comes to electrical. Again, one of the top European brands worldwide for power automation and control. KAESER COMPRESSORS is also one of the top brands in air compressors across the world.
JMG has always associated itself with the top global brands worldwide and we aim to bring this technology, quality, and reliability to all our customers in Nigeria.
You have three ISO certifications. We know that getting one is not easy for some companies, yet you have three. So, what does that mean for your company and for your clients?
It means a lot. We have put a lot of effort to obtain our ISO certificates. We have certificates in quality, health & safety, and environment. Basically, what it means is that these certifications gave us an opportunity to do what is right for our customers, our staff, and our community because to us, it means to continue providing exceptional quality products and services while maintaining the highest safety standards with the least damage to our environment.
So where do you see JMG in the next five years?
In the next five years, we will continue concentrating on our customer needs; we will keep on expanding our portfolio in electromechanical infrastructure because we are transforming from a generator company to a solution provider.
We aspire to add more brands that can bring more innovation and technology into our products and services so that our customers can have more options in other to improve their standard of living. In the area of power, what I can assure you is that there will be a lot more investments in renewable energy and hybrid technologies which provide more cost-effective and cleaner methods to generate electricity.
So many countries are making a push into solar, and renewable energy and you just mentioned it now. So, could you please elaborate more on that? In the renewable energy segment, what does JMG offer?
Renewable energy has been around the world for years and even in Nigeria, there has been a lot of effort to increase the energy needs of the country and to put more solar and battery backup systems.
Now, JMG has been for the past few years investing in solar inverters and batteries. We have a big distribution network pushing our products into the market mainly for residential applications that can be combined with generators or as a standalone basis that provide battery backup and can be charged either by solar or through grid or through these generators or other sources of power.
These systems obviously reduce diesel consumption since you can power your houses or offices using these hybrid systems and they are clean because you will reduce emissions.
Do you have an estimate of how much you have invested in renewable energy in Nigeria? And how much do you foresee your company investing in the next few years?
What I can say is that our investments in renewable energy run into millions of dollars. We are distributing battery backup systems to resellers across Nigeria. We have distributors across Nigeria reselling our brands of battery and inverter backup systems and what we aim to do is to invest more in these technologies to offer direct support to our customers and give them basically the technologies that can give them more room to power more applications.
