Kwabena Adjare Dankwah is the Executive Chairman and CEO of Metalex Company Limited, the pioneering subsidiary of Metalex Group, a manufacturing giant and a leading provider of metal roofing sheets, metal and clay roofing tiles, plastic T&G and several other products with dominant presence in Ghana and West Africa. He is also the owner of Obuoba Group, a cluster of companies which include a hotel, a roofing company, alcohol distillery, a radio and television stations.
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Mr. Adjare assents to the affluent lifestyle and privileges he enjoyed as a young boy, his father being illiterate, notwithstanding. As a lad, he had his own set of wheels, gifted him by his father, which was intermittently changed when it malfunctioned or got faulty during his secondary school days. Unlike the wayward characteristic feature of most snooty children born in rich homes, young Kwabena upheld high moral standards growing up– a virtue which largely influenced his life in business.
After having his initial hopes dashed to become a medical doctor as a result of not meeting the required grades, Mr. Dankwah exchanged the scalpel for business by nestling the latent desire to be great. His father, not being a believer in having his children work with him, but rather chart their own path and independently decide their fate, pecked him out of the nest to find his own wind and fly after working with him for a while.
The exodus to Accra in the ‘80s by the determined Kwabena to start his own business was funded by his father with a loan facility of US$5,000. Upon his arrival, young Kwabena rented a shop which served the dual purposes of a home and an office. He then entered into the sale of steel trunks used mostly by boarding house students. Providentially, he made more than 200% of the capital from the sale of the steel trunks as first year students had resumed school and the product was in high demand.
Following the impressive sale, he went back to Asakan Metal Works, where he made the initial purchases, for more of the products. However, because he wasn’t a registered retailer, he was turned down by the manufacturers. Capitalising on the virtue of determination innately presiding in bona fide businessmen, he rerouted his handling of the matter by liaising with the Production Manager who apparently, had a small workshop at home. After some negotiations, Mr. Dankwah decided to invest into the productions with subsequent deposits by other interested parties. By getting more retailers to commit deposits for the production of the steel trunks, he invested the entire sum into raw materials to produce more of the steel trunks.
Eventually, being prodded by an advice given by his father to not continuously rent but build when the opportunity availed itself, Mr. Dankwah purchase a land at a strategic location in New Achimota where he expanded the business. He further purchased some parcels of lands at Spintex to gain more coverage for his businesses.
Starting out with the initial name as AllDanquah, it transitioned to Metalex Company Limited, which was established in 1986 in a rather turbulent political period rife with sporadic coups. That notwithstanding, the passionate industrialist commenced production with one machine that produced 50tonnes of the regular length corrugated roofing sheet in its initial days.
Currently, the company produces 650tonnes of different types of roofing sheets, tiles and other products from 12 machines. Having started small, Mr. Adjare Danquah has now turned the company into the largest producers of all forms of roofing sheets and accompanying products in Ghana and the sub region as well as the continent as a whole.
For all intents and purposes, with no prior knowledge and education in the manufacturing field, the fiery businessman had to rely on enhancing his knowledge in technical activities to run the company. Mr Dankwah predicated his abilities on his proficiency in Mathematics and Physics during his school days coupled with practical experience he gained from working in numerous manufacturing firms with hands-on understudy in how the machines and equipment operated. One of the companies he relays which helped him understand the market was Development Consortium, which was also involved in the manufacturing of roofing sheets. He credits the knowledge he amassed to them although he had to leave.
He later joined Ghana Aluminium products as a stockist afterwards. There, the conducive and hospitable environment made him a fast learner in the roofing sheet business.
In 2004, Metalex entered the South African market and consequently took over a brick manufacturing company from the Bank of Ghana and introduced the manufacturing of roofing tiles and plastic T&G. Today, Clay and Metal Company is the largest manufacturer of bricks in the country.
Also, in 2018, Mr. Dankwah introduced Metalex Institute of Technology and Tourism to equip and certify skilled labour such as carpenters, steel benders, masons, tillers, etc. with various intensive short courses. Currently, the institute has introduced a one-to-five-day intensive courses for such people including block layers, electricians, steel benders, plumbers and others.
The growth of the business has made Mr. Dankwah win numerous awards such as “Aluworks Award for Innovation and Overall Best Customer Award” in 2000.
As a way of giving back to society, Mr. Dankwah catered to the needs of the TUDU MTTU Police Station by reroofing the unit and the Mpreaso Presby School to protect them from the vagaries of the weather. In similar vein, he roofed the Atibie Methodist Church. Also, the 37 Military Hospital and the Korlebu Teaching Hospital were also provided with some installators. While he remained passionate about giving back to society, he equally provided a pavilion for the Atibie government hospital and Free health insurance for the people of Mpreaso. Education remains paramount to Mr. Dankwah as such he has funded the education of some students through schools particularly universities to the tune of GHc 500,000. This is to help bridge the educational gap of the needy to enable them acquire skills to work and earn a decent living.
