Bitzer is convinced of the growth opportunities in West Africa and, for the first time, will be represented directly in Lagos, Africa’s largest city.

An opening ceremony was held at the Renaissance Hotel in Lagos on 20 April. The new office reports to Bitzer Kuehlmaschinenbau (SA) (Pty) Ltd, the Johannesburg Branch in South Africa and will receive organisational support from there.

Managing director of Bitzer South Africa, Bernhard Blaeser, said: “With its significant population and favourable location, Nigeria represents the ideal starting point from which to strengthen Bitzer’s presence in the West African market. We at Bitzer are convinced that Nigeria will undoubtedly be one of the most important markets in Africa, which is why we would like to increase our activities there.”

The company reports that the middle class in Africa’s most populous country is constantly growing and the economic output is the largest on the continent, resulting in an increase in demand for refrigeration and air conditioning technology. As modern supermarkets have been opening up at full speed all over Nigeria for around five years now, there’s currently a high demand for reliable, efficient compressors for food refrigeration.

In the future, Bitzer will work more intensively with local representatives to improve the availability of its products. The company also wants to build a large warehouse in Lagos to further shorten delivery times from the South Africa site. In addition, it is working on building a certified service centre, so that users have access to its services, including spare parts and maintenance.