Italian industrial gases company Cavagna Group (Cavagna) has expanded its presence in Africa with the opening of a new company in Abidjan, the economic capital of the Ivory Coast.
Named Cavagna Group West Africa, the expansion represents a continuation of the Group’s investments in the continent and will act as a hub for expansion into markets within West and Central African nations.
Located in Abidjan, the company will serve a region comprising of several key nations populated by hundreds of millions of inhabitants.
According to Cavagna, the Abidjan office and warehouse facilities began operations in August under the leadership of experienced marine oil and gas professional, Basile Katche, who was appointed Managing Director.
Cavagna Group West Africa will also promote the Group’s other lines of business including technologies for industrial gases, medical gases and the control and metering of natural gas.
“Africa is very important for our Group, and it is fundamental for us to have a direct local presence in strategic geopolitical and economic areas,” sayd Rino Cavagna, Executive Vice President of Sales and the Cavagna Group.
He added that the new company will highlight how its strategy is based on an awareness that African is ‘certain’ to see significant growth in the gas market over the next 20 years.
“This development will be driven by population growth, urbanisation, and the emergence of a middle class with greater economic resources.”
The move into West and Central Africa follows the company’s expansion into South Africa last year, when it established a subsidiary to service countries of the South African Development Community (SADC) regions.
Located in Johannesburg, Cavagna Group South Africa aims to take advantage of trade opportunities within South Africa and the wider SADC region.
