Proton Bakers will not commit any new capital this year as it is still saddled with obligations from last year, the prominent bread maker says.
Last November, the firm spent over US$2,5 million on a new bakery plant with state-of-the-art machinery for its Marondera plant to increase production.
Proton Bakers chief operations officer Simba Bodzo spoke about the company’s plans for the year in a messaged response to Standardbusiness following a tour of the plant last Wednesday.
“This year there are no major capital projects, we still have obligations from the new plant we commissioned in November 2023,” Bodzo said.
“In 2023, we used just above US$2,5 million on the new bread plant.”
The baker is taking significant strides towards embracing sustainable practices in production, positioning itself firmly on the path to an eco-friendly future with a clear commitment to going green by adopting sustainable methods and technologies.
“In the near future, we are going to convert some of our ovens from diesel heated to gas,” Bodzo said.
“On top of that, we have converted our boilers. We procured a diesel-powered boiler. “Previously, we were coal-powered.
“So, I would say, we are in the right direction towards going green in many aspects of our production.”
Over the past years, the company had plans to increase its bread output and footprint across the country.
“The challenge is us not having the funding to get to the size to deliver countrywide,” Bodzo added.
“Like I mentioned earlier, we put in an investment, which is basically 50% of our previous capacity, but it was all absorbed in the current market.
“We couldn’t go any further. It was all taken up in Bulawayo and Harare.”
Bodzo said the company had plans to put a manufacturing plant in the southern part of the country.
“We are concerned that Matabeleland region really needs a manufacturing plant in Bulawayo, it is something that we have been looking at including via the government,” he said.
“Right now, I can’t give you timelines, but the plans are there to at least service the southern region from Bulawayo.”
Bodzo said the company employed more than 1 500 people between its three depots, which are Marondera, Harare, and Bulawayo.
He said they produced over 200 000 loaves per day from their three plants, with the biggest one doing 4 500 loaves an hour. The second and third plants produce 2 400 and 1 600 loaves per hour, respectively.
Bodzo said Proton uses 100% locally made flour from the three main millers, Mega Market, Victoria Foods, and Sunrise with Manyame milling, which is based in Marondera.
