LaGray Chemical Company has received the Frost & Sullivan African Excellence Award for innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. The award ceremony, which was held at the Hilton Sandton in Johannesburg, South Africa, is an annual event that recognizes innovation and best practices in business and industry on the African continent. LaGray was one of 22 companies from a variety of sectors selected for this international recognition.

LaGray is the first vertically integrated pharmaceutical manufacturing company in West Africa. It produces both active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished dosage forms. It is the first manufacturer of APIs in West Africa.  The company was designed and built to be compliant with international standards in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Established in 2000, the company has a presence in Ghana and Nigeria and has products registered in four other West African countries.

Frost & Sullivan analyst Lizelle Wentzel said: “Innovation on the African continent is almost non-existent. The challenges that Africa faces daily has made the continent dependent on global import. With the majority of pharmaceuticals imported into the continent, Africa is dependent on global manufacturers to feed and sustain its healthcare needs. Apart from a limited number of companies manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in South Africa, LaGray Chemical Company is the only company outside the borders of South Africa that is set up to manufacture APIs - a true lead of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.”

During the award ceremony, Phil Howarth, Partner and Director of African Operations for Frost & Sullivan said: “The company's vertical strategy to operate in the complete value chain of pharmaceutical production, manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients for the production of the complete products, has proven its innovativeness to grow in the pharmaceutical industry, and to successfully expand in the remaining parts of West Africa. With the company only starting its endeavor, it is expected that it will continue to increase its market presence through the continuous production of quality pharmaceutical products that address the needs of the market”

On stage to receive the award were Dr. Paul Lartey and Dr. Alexandra Graham, Chief Executive and Chief Operating officers respectively of LaGray. In his remarks, Dr. Lartey thanked Frost & Sullivan for the prestigious international recognition. “Our sincerest gratitude goes to the people of LaGray, the LaGray family, for their hard work, dedication and loyalty that have made this award possible”. He also thanked God for guidance and making the impossible possible.

Accompanying Drs. Graham and Lartey to the award ceremony were Mr. John Allotey and Mr. Maxwell Twum-Boateng, Business Development manager and Senior Marketing Specialist respectively of LaGray.  “We face numerous challenges in our efforts to operate at the highest standards in the business and at the same time introduce new pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies in West Africa. It is extremely gratifying to be recognized for our efforts. This award is a tremendous encouragement to us” commented Dr. Lartey.

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievements and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

On stage to receive the award were Dr. Paul Lartey and Dr. Alexandra Graham, Chief Executive and Chief Operating officers respectively of LaGray. In his remarks, Dr. Lartey thanked Frost & Sullivan for the prestigious international recognition. “Our sincerest gratitude goes to the people of LaGray, the LaGray family, for their hard work, dedication and loyalty that have made this award possible”. He also thanked God for guidance and making the impossible possible.

Accompanying Drs. Graham and Lartey to the award ceremony were Mr. John Allotey and Mr. Maxwell Twum-Boateng, Business Development manager and Senior Marketing Specialist respectively of LaGray.  “We face numerous challenges in our efforts to operate at the highest standards in the business and at the same time introduce new pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies in West Africa. It is extremely gratifying to be recognized for our efforts. This award is a tremendous encouragement to us” commented Dr. Lartey.

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievements and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

Daimler Buses will deliver 460 Mercedes-Benz brand coaches to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. The vehicles were ordered by Autopax Passenger Service Ltd. based in Pretoria, the company is South Africa’s largest operator of regular-service long-distance coaches. Delivery of the Mercedes-Benz travel coaches is set to run from December 2009, with the last of the 460 vehicles to be delivered in late April 2010. Autopax transports almost four million passengers in South Africa each year. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

“We are delighted that we’ve landed such an important contract for the World Cup in South Africa,” says Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses. “It shows what a great reputation Mercedes-Benz buses have worldwide and how much confidence our customers have in them. At 460 vehicles, Daimler Buses is delivering by far the largest number of coaches for upcoming top-events in South Africa.”

Mercedes-Benz do Brasil will ship the chassis of the 460 type O 500 RSD coaches to Mercedes-Benz South Africa as CKD parts that will be assembled at the Mercedes-Benz plant in East London, South Africa. The coach bodies will be manufactured in Johannesburg, South Africa, by Daimler Buses’ close partner Marcopolo. The major order will help considerably to safeguard the future of the production location in South Africa.

Daimler Buses has invested around €1 million in the East London plant to increase its bus production capacity. Part of the investment was used to expand the workforce. Daimler Buses has around 50 employees in East London. The 460 Mercedes-Benz coaches will be financed by Daimler Financial Services South Africa.

“With this order we are not only expanding the sales volume of buses in South Africa, but also handling vehicle maintenance,” says Holger Suffel, Head of Sales at Daimler Buses. “This underlines our competency as professional service provider.”

The Mercedes-Benz O 500 RSD is equipped with a fully electronic management engine with 260 kW output of power. The vehicles will be fitted with a fully automatic transmission with integrated retarder, which has recently been introduced to the product range. The automatic transmission has a number of driving and safety benefits, as it allows the driver to concentrate on stress-free-driving, with the gearbox shifting automatically on demand, and is ideal for inter-city transportation.

Kosmos Energy has announced that the Odum-2 appraisal well has confirmed the company's Odum oil discovery made in early 2008 offshore the Republic of Ghana on the West Cape Three Points Block.  Kosmos Energy, the operator of the Odum-2 appraisal well offshore Ghana, in which Tullow Oil plc is a 22.896 per cent partner.

The results of drilling, wireline logs and reservoir fluid samples show the Odum-2 well penetrated net hydrocarbon-bearing pay of 20 meters (66 feet) in high-quality stacked sandstone reservoirs over a gross interval of 182 meters (597 feet). The well is about 4 kilometers (km) northeast of the Odum-1 well, which is approximately 18 km east of Kosmos' Mahogany-1 exploration well and the Jubilee oil field. Kosmos is operator of the West Cape Three Points Block.

"We are pleased that we have successfully confirmed the second of our four oil and gas discoveries to date offshore Ghana," said Brian F. Maxted, Kosmos Chief Operating Officer. "The Odum-2 well validates the upside potential of the Campanian play on the West Cape Three Points Block, which has been determined to be separate from the Jubilee Field play. We will continue to evaluate the well's results."

The Odum-2 well encountered 20 meters (66 feet) of net oil pay in two intervals that appear to be in static pressure communication with the Odum-1 well. The Odum-2 well encountered an oil-water contact 58 meters (190 feet) below the lowest-known oil in the Odum-1 well, extending the known oil column beyond the deepest oil seen in the Odum-1. Reservoir fluid samples recovered indicate an oil gravity of approximately 18-19 degrees API. The Odum-2 well was drilled by the "Atwood Hunter" semi-submersible rig to a total depth of 2,506 meters (8,222 feet) in a water depth of 816 meters (2,677 feet).

Kosmos has drilled nine consecutive successful exploration and appraisal wells offshore Ghana for a 100 percent success rate in the region.

Another 50 Inca-yellow Mercedes-Benz Actros 2031 S semitrailer trucks have been handed over to Nnabugwu Transport Ltd, a Nigerian beverage logistics company that is the main forwarding agent for Nigerian Breweries, which is part of the Heineken group.

The first Mercedes-Benz Actros vehicles joined the Nnabugwu Transport’s fleet in 2003. With its fleet of more than a hundred Mercedes-Benz trucks, it delivers beers such as Heineken, Star, Amstel and Gulden-Bräu to beverage wholesalers throughout Nigeria, and particularly to the capital Lagos, which is eight hours away by truck; the logistics firm is based in Enugu in the south-east of Nigeria.

Mr. Onuorah Ben Nnabugwu, CEO of Nnabugwu Transport Ltd says: “If you really want to save money, you have to use high-quality trucks like the Mercedes-Benz Actros. We already have a large Actros fleet that has never let us down, which is why we decided to order 50 more Actros semitrailer trucks.”

Nigeria Breweries does not have its own logistics company, but outsources the task to 147 forwarding agents and wholesalers. In 2009, Nnabugwu Transport Ltd won an award from the management of Nigeria Breweries for being the group’s best and safest beverage logistics company. The drivers regularly undergo driver training and must demonstrate what they have learnt in a test before receiving a certificate.

The Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Fiifi Kwetey, has inaugurated an eight member Board of Directors to oversee the affairs of the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC). The new Board is chaired by Mr. Tony Fofie, Chief Executive of COCOBOD. Other members are Nana-Oduro Owusu, Acting Managing Director, CMC, Mr. Eric Aning, Workers Representative, and Dr. H. A. Kofi Wampah, Representative of Bank of Ghana.

He asked the CMC to equip itself adequately deal with the pressures that would come with the one million metric tonne production envisaged by the year 2012.

“The company would not only be expected to sell all the one millions tonne of cocoa that is expected to be produced in 2012 but also to ensure optimum prices on the world market are achieved”, he added.

According to Mr. Kwetey would lead to increased remuneration for cocoa farmers whose toil has brought the industry this far and by necessary implication, increased revenue for the government and people of Ghana.

Other members on the board include Ms. Bertha Agnes Amenuvor, representative of the ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr. Tony Dzadzra, representative of the ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Nana Kwame Ntim I, Chief of Manfo, Ashanti Region, Farmers representative and Mr. J.K Boamah, representative of the ministry of Food and Agriculture who was not present at the ceremony is expected to be sworn in later by the chairman of the Board.

Mr. Fofie, assured stakeholders that the Board will dedicate itself towards the improvement of the existing systems for the attainment of the full potential of Ghana’s cocoa industry by reaping maximum benefit from the store of knowledge, expertise and professionalism of fellow board members.