Kwabena Adjei is the founder and Executive Chairman of Kasapreko Company Ltd. He first established the company in his garage in 1989 at Nungua and it has progressively morphed into a multinational company with its state-of-the-art automated factory. Kasapreko Company Limited is inarguably one of the principal and successful alcoholic and non- alcoholic beverage producers in Ghana.
Living the stark and revelatory meaning of a ‘self-made’ man, he was born over sixty years ago and was raised by a single parent. Despite some palpable challenges he had to go through early in life, with his highest education level being elementary Form 4 at the time, he inadvertently built grits necessary to overcome. Being quite an avid learner, passionate Kwabena Adjei defiantly progressed to pursue some courses at the GCE O’ Levels, after which he progressed to the Institute of Adult Education, a pursuit he juggled along with engaging in a one-on-one study at Workers’ College in Accra and work– his first job being at the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO).
Evidently not satisfied, Dr Kwabena Adjei commenced his business, although he still felt bereft of requisite skills and capabilities to shrewdly manage and run the company. Decidedly, he upgraded his education status by taking on three different courses in a year, with another course being a three-year course at Harvard Business School on Owner, President, Management (OPM) programme.
Growing up, although he was on tenterhooks on what his aspirations were, he intuitively knew he wasn’t an ordinary boy. That didn’t end as a thought as he practically took steps to nurture the continuing budding ‘tree’ and its ‘fruits’ we are witnessing today. Dr Kwabena Adjei during the initial stage of his business acknowledged that it was pure experimentation for him by merchandizing a wide range of products in the country including alcoholic beverages.
The rules of engagement in owning a business and riding it out for decades is to enjoy it as much as you invest time and effort into it. Not as one noted for being easily worn out, Dr Adjei traded for the first five years in business as a hobby with basic equipment until he received a life changing news for the fledgling company after its first sale of 25 cartons of beverage– a momentous day it was for him as a start-up. This news, has galvanized and morphed the company to producing millions of cartons currently.
The journey for Dr Kwabena Adjei took the bold step of courage before the stairway of elevation illuminated the climb. Like all other business folks then, he jumped on the bandwagon of alcohol craze by cashing in on it. As growing an empire wasn’t initially part of his plan, even though he evidentially saw the potential in the beverage industry, he abandoned all other things and focused on its prospects.
Dr Kwabena Adjei and Kasapreko’s first love child, Alomo Bitters, has currently become a household beverage particularly in Ghana. The feeling of being stuck in a rut and being defined by the general rule of thumb smoked Dr Adjei out of his burrows of ordinariness into a whole new league of innovation. Fundamentally, he had to change the packaging of his products which was deemed unhygienic and also step out of the monochromatic mill of producing same flavoured beverage like all else. Originality led him to Germany where he had his customized bottles made and transited to London to acquire some additional flavourings.
Having experienced a lot of turbulence in the business, some of which were accessing funds and market penetration, today the company has weathered the storm. As the company didn’t start out with phenomenal capital base, loan acquisition became a conundrum as close to three banks turned him down. Not being one to easily cave in, he attended a course organized by EMPRETEC, a United Nations programme established by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development where he encountered Hon. Alan Kyerematen, who advised him to refrain from securing loans from foreign banks but rather indigenous banks. Another hurdle was how to manoeuvre his ways around market penetration. With this, he walked the streets of Accra with samples of his product to retail shops but were rejected. This, empowered him to strategize on how to penetrate the market.
Coming from a background that is premised on key foundations such as Quality Materials, Quality Manpower and Quality Machinery, the company buys its machines from Germany and it’s credited to being one of the fastest alcoholic beverage manufacturing lines in Africa doing about 40,000 bottles per hour. Currently, the Kasapreko company has added more products to its product line spanning alcoholic beverages to soft drinks to mineral water. Innovation and continuous investment in technology keeps the brand ahead of its competitors.
Subsequently, Dr Kwabena Adjei has established the Royal Crown Packaging Company Ltd. and Capemay Properties Ghana.
Successfully, Dr Kwabena Adjei is recognized as the first and sole Ghanaian business tycoon to have been inducted into the ‘Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs Hall of fame’, a recognition in all candour he describes as a truly humbling experience. Likewise, he won the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2017 at Ghana Manufacturing Awards, with Kasapreko picking up the Brand of the Year. Also, Dr Kwabena Adjei, was adjudged the overall ‘Best industrialist’ at the 2019 Made-in-Ghana Awards.
Perseverance, focus and flair for success are even more telling in his impact on society. Employing over two thousand workers, Dr Kwabena Adjei has donated an ultra-modern polyclinic built at a cost of GH¢2 million to the Municipal Health Directorate in the Wassa Amenfi Central municipality and a fire station worth GH¢400,000 to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).
Dr. Kwabena Adjei’s current status isn’t about money but empowering the youth. This, he believes, will show them that what they intend to do can be done.
