…Marks 20 years anniversary
…Elumelu commends team’s resilience, entrepreneurial spirit
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Sundry Foods Limited, Ebele Enunwa, has attributed the success of the company to attention given to customer satisfaction, which he described as its “driving force.”
Enunwa made the disclosure Friday in Lagos at an event to celebrate 20 years of Sundry Foods.
“It has been an incredible journey. When we started 20 years ago, we didn’t know we would be here; everyday we were determined to keep our heads afloat of the water. In the earlier years, it was a lot more scary, daunting but overtime, we learned to have confidence in what we are doing. We learnt that customers enjoy what we are doing and that continues to motivate us, and we have continued to do our best at all times. We have focused on the customer, trying to make sure that our customers are happy and getting value and satisfied with our offerings. That has been our motivating force in doing what we do,” he said.
Explaining why he decided to go into food business, Enunwa said: “When I was much younger and in school, I learnt that there are there basic needs of man, and they are food, clothing and shelter. I have always had the entrepreneur spirit in me. I have always that I should be able to render service in the area of food as a result of the huge demand. Everybody needs food; so, it was easy for me to get into that space where you would not worry about availability of customers. Since we got into the business, it hasn’t given us any space to focus on other areas and that is why we are here.”
Advising anyone who may want to go into the food service business, he said: “The person must understand the market opportunity, what the customer wants and must also understand that there is a need that he/she is trying to fill. And when you get into it, you put in your best and make sure you are giving customers the best product and best service you can. You must stay focused on the customer because that is why you are there.”
The Chief Executive Officer also conveyed the company’s gratitude to Tony Elumelu, chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, for believing in the company 20 years ago to the point of making a huge financial commitment, which the CEO noted was the seed money for the business.
“Without that seed money from him, we would not have been here. Today, we are the second largest food service company in the country; we have employed over 400,000 people from that huge assistance he gave us,” Enunwa said.
He also expressed gratitude to the company’s workforce, without whom Sundry Foods would not have recorded the feat.
Enunwa thanked other stakeholders who have contributed in one way or the other toward the success being celebrated.
Speaking to journalists at the event, Elumelu congratulated the Sundry Foods team on their resilience and the great success they have made of the business.
He particularly commended the entrepreneurial spirit of the managing director and how he has been able to provide leadership that has positively impacted the business within two decades.
Adedotun Sulaiman, chairman, Sundry Foods Limited Board of Directors, described the company’s journey as “exciting.”
According to him, “I wasn’t part of the business from the beginning but I joined them seven years ago as chairman of the board and it has continued to make a lot of progress with lots of innovations. It has been a story of steady rise and the leadership of the founder has been very inspiring,” Sulaiman said.
On how the company is navigating the challenges in foreign exchange, power, and challenges arising from government policies, Sulaiman said: “We just cope. Like other businesses out there, you have to adapt; you have to be resilient, creative and everything that you need to do to succeed and that is what Sundry Foods has done and will continue to do. As a typical successful enterprise, you have to adapt. In the midst of high inflation rate, the foreign exchange, the negative impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other challenges, in the midst of them all, you must continue to move on.”
On the future of the company, he said: “Without any shadow of doubt, in the next five years, Sundry Foods will be the leading food outlet in Nigeria.”
