SMI has opened a new branch in Nairobi, Kenya, establishing SMI Machinery East Africa Limited to strengthen its presence in the region and provide closer support to customers in the African market. The branch will serve as a local point of contact for sales and after-sales services for existing and future customers using SMI bottling and packaging technologies.
In recent years, Kenya and the wider East African region have experienced economic growth linked to expanding international trade. This development has contributed to rising demand for beverage bottling and packaging line solutions, particularly systems designed to improve production efficiency and operational reliability for beverage producers across the region.
The new subsidiary will initially operate with a small team responsible for supporting regional operations. Vishal Gupta has been appointed Managing Director, while Giorgio Bonafede will serve as Operations Director. A service technician will also be part of the team providing technical support to customers installing or operating SMI systems.
According to the company, the local workforce is expected to expand as demand grows, with additional personnel planned in sales, spare parts supply, and technical assistance roles to support customers across East Africa.
The office is located in Nairobi’s Parklands area, a central district with good connectivity to industrial and commercial zones in the city. The branch will also maintain a spare parts inventory intended to provide initial service support to customers across African markets using SMI bottling and packaging equipment.
The company stated that the branch will act as a regional coordination point for customer assistance and technical services in the region.