For decades, Chris Kirubi was synonymous with Haco Industries

Haco industries has been, for decades, synonymous with the late business tycoon Chris Kirubi.

The company that manufactures home personal care, stationery, detergents and beauty products has been in operation for close to five decades.

The company has grown by leaps and bounds since its founding 47 years ago to a multinational with a distribution chain across the East Africa region.

Mr Kirubi founded Haco in Mombasa back in 1974, starting as a single product manufacturer.

Among the early products Haco produced included shavers, before diversifying to personal and home care products such as plastic pegs and subsequently beauty and hair gels.

Personal care products

Until 2019, the company had for over 40 years dealt as the official manufacturer and distributor of branded personal care products for French multinational, Société BIC, such as the BIC branded pens. When the French multinational decided to reclaim the manufacture and distribution of its brands in Kenya in 2018, Dr Kirubi made a deal that earned him about Sh2 billion.

Société BIC took over manufacturing facilities in Kenya and distribution of stationery, lighters, and shavers in East Africa, with Haco retaining ownership of the properties which it has leased to the French firm.

“Our vision is to be the most preferred company with a commanding presence in every household by 2030,” Mr Kirubi, who was the chairman of Haco Industries until his death, said in a past address to his staff.

Among Kenya’s richest

Growing from a one-product manufacturer to making own brands in the personal and home categories such as Miadi, Amara, Ace, So Soft, Sparkle and home products such as Haco Plastics, the progression of Haco Industries has always kept pace with its founder’s riches, who grew to become one of Kenya’s richest men.

Global companies Mattel Toys and E.T. Browne Drug Company have also appointed Haco Industries to be distributor and marketing agency for their brands Palmers and Barbie in the East African Market, while the company also manufacturers some of the Palmers products.

In 2008, Mr Kirubi had sold 51 per cent shares of the company to South Africa’s Tiger Brands at Sh363 million, only to buy them back in 2017.

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