Vitafoam completes new factory

By Claire Wanja

Vitafoam Products Limited has completed a replacement factory after a disastrous fire which totally destroyed the Company’s original plant in 2015.

Rakesh Shah the CEO of Vitafoam Products, said, “The building to house a new factory was a secondary task compared with sourcing equipment.”

“The machinery needed for the production of polyurethane foam is not available “off the shelf”, but is made against specific orders to suit each factory’s needs. There are only limited numbers of companies in this trade and the best have long waiting lists.”

“A year passed before our machines started arriving for placing in the buildings. The installation, testing and commissioning took several months. At last we are back in action. At this stage we are yet to reach full output, but this will be achieved soon.”

Explaining the manufacture of polyurethane foam, Rakesh Shah said, “The process starts with mixing 11 chemicals in varying quantities to produce foam of different densities. When the mixture is exposed to the air, it is transformed into blocks of the required size.”

“These are trimmed and cut into the slices needed for mattresses of different types. Strong fabrics of varying grades and coloursare used for the covers of the mattresses made by Vitafoam.”

“Next the finished mattresses are wrapped in polythene in readiness for delivery to customers, supermarkets and other outlets. Our Sleep Centres in Muthithi Road, Westlands and Mombasa Road have displays of our range of mattresses and bedding giving customers a wide choice,” concluded Rakesh Shah.

The new unit is located in the vicinity of the container depot on ICDC Road (Maasai Road) off the Mombasa Road.