Celebrating Our Ghanaian Heroes

His hobbies are soccer and farming; he reads a lot and does a lot of research. He is married with 3 daughters and two sons. He developed his competitive nature from childhood: He was in the same class with his cousin and always wanted to beat his cousin in class, so when his cousin was asleep, he was up studying. He did not have too much of formal education. 

His subordinates describe him as a simple man of wisdom, creativity, a risk taker, full of confidence and energy, a straight forward and strict person, passionate about his job, hardworking and a people’s person. However, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, CEO of Kasapreko Company Limited, describes himself simply as humble.

                                                 

He had more to share when HR Focus met with him in his office.

HRF: Please tell us a little bit about yourself

KA: I was born on May 24, 1954 at Bonuama in the Wassa Amenfi District of the Western Region of Ghana. I had my elementary education in Bonuama in 1972 and left for the city of Accra to start life. In Accra, I secured a job with VALCO as a factory hand.

In 1987, I ventured into the alcoholic beverage industry and registered the Kasapreko Company limited to produce Kasapreko brands of alcoholic and non alcoholic products.

HRF: What personal philosophy do you live by? How has this helped to shape who you are today?

KA: I have two priorities in life; God and the people I work with. I believe two heads are better than one so I love to bring people closer. I believe success is also a part of me and because I want the company to outlive me, I travel a lot and attend a lot of seminars. I share whatever I learn with staff. This has broadened my mind.

HRF: What motivates you?

KA: Motivation is in-built and I have the zeal to succeed. Seeing people grow is what motivates me, I always want to push people to reach the top. Nothing succeeds better than success.

HRF: How did Kasapreko Company start?

KA: Where I lived in Nungua, there were a lot of distilleries and the imported drinks which were too expensive to buy. So I decided to start a distillery that would give Ghanaians alcohol from a reputable source, thus the birth of Kasapreko. The company was first set up in my garage in 1989. Kasapreko was named after a paramount chief in my village, Nana Kwame Kasapreko: He came into my life with advice and it saved me a lot. The company started with five people including myself and we did manual labeling, inconsistent bottling. There was the issue of getting manual labour and I faced stiff competition from competitors. For me, I did not find them as challenges but hurdles that needed to be crossed. Always have contingency plans.

HRF: How will you describe your relationship with your staff?

KA: I have a cordial relationship with staff. I am down to earth and I have an open door policy. I am a father to all, we are a family. Almost everyone here has my phone number and I am always ready to communicate.

HRF: What are Kasapreko Company’s core values and how do you and other leaders in your organization communicate them?

KA: We are

·         HONEST: We act with high sense of integrity and work in an ethical manner. At work, the company’s interest is our prime motivation.

·         RESPECTFUL: We value our customers, partners and value the contribution of each person, including our shareholders. We also value the diversity that makes our company more capable.

·         COMMITTED: We approach everything with a strong sense of duty, giving a personal guarantee for everything we do and also take responsibility for what needs to be done.

·         UNITED: We work together to achieve great things and also develop a chain with strong individual links by doing things that build each other up.

·         ACHIEVERS: As a team, we strive for excellence, we endeavor to be different through competence in the performance of duty and also gain a reputation as highly skilled experts.

It is leadership by example, and the fact that opportunity comes but once so you need to take every opportunity.

HRF: How have you developed Kasapreko Company in recent years and what is your overall vision?

KA: Outmost quality and authenticity are key things that we use to sell the brand. We started in a garage, expanded into the Spintex site, which was phase two; phase 3 was an ultra-modern plant, having a capacity of 70 thousand bottles per hour, three million water reservoirs; reverse osmosis plant, where the water we get is treated before it goes into the production.

HRF: How do you ensure that you have the best talent who deliver results?

KA: We have a rigorous recruitment process; pre-interview by external agencies, interview by internal managers and then myself before an employee is hired.

HRF: If you say you are “a step beyond excellence,” how do you mean and how have you worked to achieve this?

KA: We always aspire to go beyond excellence. We want Kasapreko to be an oasis in a hostile desert, beyond the borders of Ghana. We export to the West African sub region. Our products, especially Alomo Bitters, have been readily accepted in the West African sub region and beyond. We are officially in Nigeria, South Africa with strategic distributors located across the Eastern and Southern African markets. Outside the borders of Africa, we have the Kasapreko products, especially in the Ghanaian communities in Europe and America. We want to be an example for others to follow.

HRF: From 1989 till now, how have you impacted the Ghanaian economy?

KA: We have created jobs for over 400 people, we pay taxes, returns on export are returned to the country. Alomo has health benefits and we engage farmers.

HRF: What can be done to instill into the Ghanaian the need to purchase locally manufactured products?

KA: Companies must produce high quality products. We need to build trust for Ghanaians to want to patronize our products, packaging must be attractive and quality must be consistent.

HRF: What are some of Kasapreko’s corporate social responsibilities?

KA: As a responsible corporate citizen, we strive to create a sustainable and socially responsible business model that serves the interest of the communities we operate in. Our commitments are focused on strategic programmes and partnerships that support KCL’s corporate values aimed at promoting social change. Some of our social engagements include donations to

·         Various traditional councils in support of developmental projects

·         Supporting traditional councils to celebrate annual festivals

·         University of Ghana

·         Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

·         Ghana Health Foundation

·         National Cardiothoracic Centre

·         Matthew 25 to support people living with HIV

·         Ministry of Food and Agriculture in support of the Farmers Day celebrations

HRF: What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

KA: 1. Flare or desire to succeed 2. Means to succeed  3. Discipline 

Also you need to believe in yourself, have a can-do spirit and the ability to work with people

HRF: What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?

KA: I had to forgo pleasure and focus on business. I worked for 10 years continuous without leave.

HRF: What other projects are you involved in currently and which ones should we look out for in future. KA: I am investing in new plants, launching new products; bar man, VIP Irish cream, margarita, filtered water and soft drinks. I am also putting up a research center to research on the herbs instead of depending on CSIR. 

HRF: What advice do you have for readers who aspire to be like you?

KA: Work hard, be self-motivated, and try to be honest

Achievements from 2010

2010 –Best Entrepreneurial Food & Beverage Company

2011 – 6^th of Ghana’s Top 100 Companies

2011  – Best Manufacturing Company

2011 – 3^rd Most Respected CEO

2012 – Super Brands Awards, Alomo bitters

2012  – Super Brands Awards, Kasapreko Dry Gin.

2012 – No. 6 on Ghana Club 100, awarded by GIPC

2012 – Manufacturing Company of The Year, awarded by GIPC

2012 – Innovative Company of The Year, awarded by GIPC

2012 – Exporter of the year, awarded by GEPA

2012– Life Time Product of The Year (Alomo Bitters), awarded by West Africa Magazine

2013 – Nobles International Awards (GC), awarded by Nobles Forum

2013 – Tourism Awards – Promoting Traditional Festivals (Corporate Support Services), Ghana Tourism Authority

2013 – Leading Entrepreneur Icon (GC), awarded by African Leadership Magazine

2013 – Leading Indigenous Alcoholic Drinks Manufacturer in West Africa, awarded by West Africa Magazine