Text Book Centre Ltd

ESTABLISHED IN 1964, TEXT BOOK CENTRE is the brainchild of two dynamic businessmen, Mr. S.V. Shah and the late Mr. M.J. Rughani, descendants of Indian traders who settled in Kenya in early part of the last century.The families prospered in the up-country townships of Nyeri and Muranga, before merging their business interests at about the time Kenya gained Independence in 1963.Recognizing the insatiable demand for education among the growing Kenyan population, then increasing at over 4%, the two correctly anticipated the potential in marketing educational materials and books.TEXT BOOK CENTRE, or TBC as it is well known, opened business in Kijabe Street, Nairobi, in premises of 5000 sq. ft. Today TBC is transforming itself into a vibrant, modern professional Co. Two more retail outlets opened in Sarit Centre Shopping Mall, in the suburb of Westlands, taking the Retail area to approximate 40,000 sq. ft. These are;1. TBC Academic Department – creating the all new concept of professional books buying was conceived by Mr S V Shah2. TBC General Store – concentrating on General Trade Books. Later on new categories were added to our General Store like magazines, Computers – both hardware and software, and stationery – for school and office.TBC today is the major supplier of schoolbooks, stationery, computer supplies, office equipment and educational materials to both primary & secondary levels at schools, the tertiary level to colleges, universities and professional Institutes, international organizations, Government and Non-Government organizations countrywide, as well as to customers all over East Africa.To cater to the trade business, the wholesale Department has around 20,000-sq. ft. of floor space with an additional 35,000-sq. ft. of storageSales to upcountry outlets and schools have expanded the company’s market share, which has also led to a fully modernized computerized system of all accounts. Staff loyalty is tremendous, many having served the company for over 30 years. We have therefore developed a strategy for consolidation and growth, one of the result of which is the Pelikan launch today. Pelikan with its vast range of products in the Office lines, Writing Lines, Hobby & Crafts and Printer Consumables, as a strategic partner with TBC will help to augment our growth and consolidate our stationery line of business.We will also have a renewed focus on all our Customers and Customer Service will henceforth play an important part in all our transactions. Training of our staff will be an important factor in this direction.The Vision statement for the Company now is; - TO MAXIMIZE CUSTOMER AND SHAREHOLDER VALUE THROUGH WORLD CLASS PRACTICES IN TRADING & IN RETAIL: CONTINUALLY STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WE PROVIDE.Seeing the growth of Mobile/ tellkom business in our Retail Outlets, TBC spun this off into a separate subsidiary Co known as Citadel Cellular Communications in 2008 with Mr Mahesh Rughani as the CEO. Citadel Cellular is today a major player in the mobile business space and is a leading distributor for Safaricom, Kenya. Over the years TBC as played a vital role in the daily lives of the citizens of this country and parts of East Africa, shaping up young minds and developing them into responsible citizens. As part of our CSR programs we have been associated with Presidents Awards for over 20 years apart from others like Ministry of education, Ministry of tourism, Kenya Wildlife and many more.TBC has always adopted fair business practices, one of which is that we always pay our suppliers on the due date. Today we enjoy open credit lines with all our suppliers – both in Kenya and Overseas. This has built up our reputation over the years and business has shown a steady growth. For all the efforts made by TBC and our recognition as a major player in the market, we were declared as a “Super Brand” in 2008.Generations of Kenyans have benefited from the services provided by TBC and we can rightfully say that TBC is “the best base camp for the journeys of the mind”.The future looks bright, as TEXT BOOK CENTRE’S strategies --- reflected in the company’s motto “MORE THAN JUST A BOOKSHOP” --- keeps it ahead.