Coleman Technical Industries Limited, manufacturer of Coleman Wires and Cables, has expanded its office and factory facilities to provide more space and a more conducive working environment for its growing workforce.
The company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. George Onafowokan, said the expansion was driven largely by the need to accommodate the company’s growing workforce, which currently stands at more than 800 employees.
Onafowokan said the workforce would continue to grow as Coleman expands its factories in Sagamu and Arepo, Ogun State, adding that the company could soon become the largest private-sector employer of labour in Nigeria and West Africa.
Speaking on the construction of the new office edifice in a separate interview, he said the development was particularly significant because the company had historically focused more on building factories than offices.
“I’ve been on this journey too long. Not complaining. this is an idea that literally we’re known for opening factories,” he said.
According to him, the new office building was not primarily about constructing an impressive edifice, but about creating a better environment for the people working for the company.
He described offices as a cost centre, noting that his major focus over the years had been on building factories that generate revenue.
“I’m not an office opening guy. I think we’re sitting at a cost centre. My factories make money, so I know how to build factories; I don’t know how to build offices,” he said.
Onafowokan, however, said the new office was part of a God-ordained journey and a necessary investment in the company’s workforce and future growth.
He recalled that the company’s expansion journey began with the acquisition of a large parcel of land, as Coleman sought to move from a 2,000-square-metre factory to a much larger facility.
He said the company subsequently acquired additional portions of land over several years, eventually enabling it to establish and expand its operations.
Onafowokan said the continued expansion of Coleman’s factories and offices had created the need for more employees and better facilities to support them.
He added that the company’s growing workforce was an indication of its expansion and commitment to creating employment opportunities.
“With the expansion of offices and factories, Coleman will soon be the highest employer of labour in Nigeria and West Africa,” he said.
He said the company would continue to invest in its facilities and workforce as it expands its operations in Ogun State and beyond.
“This is dedicated to the staff and everyone who has made this possible—the Nigerians who have contributed to the industry, particularly the cable industry, and to making Nigeria a household name in the global cable industry,” he said.
George said the headquarters had been designed with the future in mind, noting that the company expected its workforce and operations to expand as its business grows.
He said: “The past 50 years are not the whole story. What matters is what happens in the next 50 years, and that is what this building signifies to us—the next 50 years and the positive outlook that Nigerians will continue to be employed by Coleman, by this family, and by generations to come.”
Also speaking, Coleman’s Executive Director, Michael Onafowokan, on human capital development, said Coleman had made significant investments in developing Nigerian talent through partnerships with technical schools and universities.
He disclosed that about 40 per cent of the company’s middle-level managers began their careers at Coleman as National Youth Service Corps members before being retained, trained and developed into management positions.
With the new headquarters now commissioned, Coleman Technical Industries Limited is positioning its next chapter around expansion, local manufacturing, talent development and the ambition of transforming its long-standing Nigerian and West African presence into a globally recognised cable manufacturing brand.
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