*Best Waste Management Company
*The Peoples’ Verdict
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness”, is an axiom that has come to stay with us. But it could not be less apt to depict the corporate services of Standard Purity Enterprise; a Lagos based waste management company.
For vision that was berthed 15 years ago when Gen, Buba Marwa, the then Military Administrator of Lagos State licensed private waste management companies under public sector partnership (PSP) to help rid Lagos State of tonnes of waste that dotted streets of Lagos, not many of the licensed firms survived the trials and trauma associated with the business. They could not have survived, off course, because there was no standard of operation not even from the government. But Standard Purity Enterprise set a standard for itself.
The usual syndrome of paucity of fund associated with small scale enterprises plagued it, however, it overcame it and grew in bounds beyond imagination, all because of the quality of service rendered.
It is not surprising therefore that standard Purity Enterprise is bagging award as the Best Waste Management Company in Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, in recognition of its consistency in spite of challenges.
Sharing his fears and courage at the early stage, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Standard Purity Enterprise, which is a subsidiary company of Solochus Group of Companies, Mr. Solomon Chukwu said
:”it came at a time that it was not like a business in Nigeria. We were among the pioneers in the business. I saw the advert on TV, on Newspapers and it came to my mind that this could be a good business, after all, in my house I pay for refuse collection and if I can package myself in a way that can convince them to pay money after I must have serviced them, I will be making money out of it. That was how I decided to go to Alausa and get licensed to do the job. I was among the few that started the business in 1999”
He continued, “Then we went to houses, we canvassed them like the normal marketing. We market them, appeal to them that we are not asking for money upfront. We render services to your satisfaction and then you pay us”.
There was no law backing us like today. Today, in the Lagos State Environmental law you must use certain kind of waste collector. Then, we were competing with cart pushers. It was out of the zeal and determination that you had to go out there and market yourself’, Chukwu emphasized.
“As at that time, it was not really encouraging but what kept people like me going was that every month, I kept getting more clients. We were not breaking even but there was hope because our clients kept increasing. While the cart pushers collected waste from houses and went to a nearby drainage and disposed them, the PSP operator licensed and monitored by the government used vehicles” he affirmed.
Standard Purity, soon will embrace management of waste at the level of recycling as noted by its CEO. “We intend to go into recycling but we have to wait for when the environment is ripe and better to launch out”.
Today, Standard Purity has seven waste disposal trucks, known for their rapid response waste management need and consistency in service delivery. These attributes expectedly led to the establishment of other business interests, with the accompanying Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a factor that has unveiled Solomon Chukwu, the visioner behind Standard Purity Enterprise and his group of businesses to the public.
It is therefore not a mistake that while his company will be honoured on September 18th, 2014 as the Best Waste Management Company he will be personally honoured with a Personal Merit Award for Youth Empowerment in Orile-Agege LCDA.
Standard Purity Enterprise has a healthy collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). Collectively, they serve the people, some of who have shared their experiences:
Oloyede Tolulope: Branch Manager, God is Good Motors, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos: We have been with them
(Standard Purity) for over three years now and so far there were no complaints because if there were, you guys would have been getting the report over there. Once they are supposed to come and they are not here, I call them and they will come. I will score them 80 percent over 100 percent on the scale of performance.
Mrs Marise Bawo, a resident of No 32, Oyewole Road, Agege:
I have been using Standard Purity Enterprise for over two years now and so far I would say that they are good. They have been punctual. They come to this area at least once or twice a week to pick waste. Their price is friendly and considerate. At times we even owe them and they still pick our waste. I will score them 75 percent, they are trying.
Ruth Opeyemi, an occupant of No 225 Agege, Ipaja Road, Lagos:
They normally come on Saturdays and Thursdays to pick our waste. They spend hours to gather waste around the area, they are trying.
“The taste of the food is in its eating”, so said a popular saying. These people have tasted Standard Purity Enterprise and have given testimonial statements. This is a simple secret to success in business. Good Customer relations is key in business and Standard Purity Enterprise is demonstrating it.
