Blackwood Hodge

FG Wilson Keeping Kenya Connected

Kenya has seen a very positive economic environment in recent years, with growing investment in infrastructure, construction and telecommunications. Growth in all things digital has played a major part in this strong economic undercurrent. The communications industry in Kenya say that almost 38.5 million accounts were active towards the end of 2016. People in Kenya are regularly using a mobile phone and just over 25.6 million people are online. It’s a country of well-educated, tech-savvy people.

FG Wilson distributor Blackwood Hodge have been part of the Kenyan economic landscape since 1949, almost 70 years, with a pitch-side view of how the country has developed in that time. Since 1993, Blackwood Hodge have been an official distributor of FG Wilson branded generator sets, in a working relationship which dates back even further.

James Rowe from Blackwood Hodge says, “If you go back 10 or 12 years, our customers were almost entirely buying for commercial buildings, shops, offices, hotels and hospitals, and the generator sets were running for standby power and sometimes prime.”

The same customers are there today but the scope of their needs has increased. James puts it down to the digital mindset which we all have today. He says, “In the past, if electric power was lost, many businesses could still function offline, at least for a short time. Now it’s almost impossible. Businesses are just not prepared to take the risk of even short interruptions of electric power and that means much greater scrutiny of the generator set and how it’s supported.”

For telecoms and internet service operators, it’s even more critical. These brands win and lose based on service uptime and their customers demand 100%. In May, James was with Blackwood Hodge at East Africa Com showcasing generator sets from FG Wilson specifically developed for telecoms operators.

Speaking of the FG Wilson telecoms range, James says, “The FG Wilson design team really got to grips with what telecoms operators need in a generator set. So they focused on operating costs and have been able to achieve extended running periods of up to 6 months between service and fuel replenishment intervals. The generator sets have 600, 1,000, or 2,000 litre fuel tanks and an extended service interval option. Plus they bring in market-leading control modules, including built-in mains sensing and changeover systems. The range can be tailored to meet all technical requirements, from configurable alarms and protections, to remote monitoring, control and preventative maintenance. There’s also a new range of acoustic enclosures at different sound attenuation levels which means you choose the enclosure you really need.”

Support comes via Blackwood Hodge’s experienced service team. James says, “We have the complete backing of the FG Wilson global parts organisation and our team has all the tools to carry out on-site diagnostics and maintenance so we make as few visits to sites as possible. And to make service simpler, we offer comprehensive service agreements which include four annual service visits, and these can be tailored for any support needs.”

Blackwood Hodge are the authorised FG Wilson distributor for Kenya and Uganda, with offices in Nairobi and Kampala. To find out more about Blackwood Hodge and the FG Wilson range of generator sets, visit: