Nicholas Ouma, a Kisii University graduate, is one of the entrepreneurs reaping fortune in the timber business.
The Bachelor of Commerce graduate revealed he used a whooping Sh200,000 to start his Timber Yard in Rongo town, Migori county, a venture that has been earning him over Sh100,000 in profit for every project completed.
He explains that each project entails buying trees, splitting them with a power saw, and assembling all the split timber for sale in his yard.
“The Timber business is very lucrative. My case is that of opportunity meeting preparedness,” he said.
Ouma says that his skills in operating a power saw have helped him stay ahead of his competitors, adding that he has never lost money in his business despite starting it in 2020 when the Coronavirus struck.
The businessman sells eucalyptus (blue gum) timber, which is a hardwood that, he says, most people prefer for construction works.
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He sources mature blue gum trees from farmers for between sh10,000 and sh100,000, depending on their size. He buys younger ones (round poles) for between sh50 and sh250.
According to him, he gained skills in the timber industry after nearly ten years of working in the sector as a casual laborer earning Sh500 a day.
This happened from 2010 to 2014 when he finally bought his own power saw at sh64,000, then.”I have been a lumberer since 2010 although I only ventured into it fully in 2014 when I saved money and purchased my own machine,” Ouma said.
Using his newly acquired machine, he would be hired to cut trees and split timber for people in the villages, but this did not pay him much.
This prompted him to start buying his own trees, split and then supply to timber yards in Oyugis town, Homa Bay county generating about sh50,000 in profits.
While the business seemed profitable, Ouma revealed he struggled with the challenge of late payments from clients after delivery.
However, he persevered and can now smile because his hard work has finally paid off. He advised young people to follow their passion and not hate any “dirty work” so long as it has the potential to generate money in the end.
“My peers should identify what they are passionate about, no matter how degrading it might seem. What counts is whether you have money or not. No one will come to fix your problems,” he said.