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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
UNITED Refineries Limited (URL) has mounted a giant Roil Cooking Oil balloon at the Revenue Hall in Bulawayo to mark 86 years of existence.

The gold, red and green balloon with the shape of a roil cooking bottle was mounted on Saturday and is visible even from a distance.

URL yesterday said its survival story resonates with aspirations of most Zimbabweans who have been resilient in the face of challenges.

The company’s chief executive officer Mr Busisa Moyo said the company used its flagship product, Roil cooking oil to mark its resilience as it commits to serving its customers in Bulawayo, the entire country and also beyond the country’s borders.

The firm is one of the country’s leading and innovative producers of cooking oil and brands in personal care, hygiene and other value added agro-products.

It is also one of the major Bulawayo-based firms that survived the city’s de-industrialisation.

It has maintained its presence in Bulawayo even when others relocated to other cities ant towns such as Harare.

URL recently introduced mealie-meal production and now has most of its food products fortified with critical vitamins for consumer health benefits.

Over the years, the company has grown to be one of Zimbabwe’s leading brand manufacturers with an export focus as it looks forward to continued innovation.

The company was temporarily affected by Bulawayo’s water woes that forced it to scale down operations but has since found a solution.

Mr Moyo said the company connects with every day struggles of Zimbabweans.

“It’s a symbol of resilience, a company that has subsisted, survived through different seasons and eras in the country from the early 30s of the Federation (of Rhodesia and Nyasaland) through to the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI), through the First Republic and now.

It’s a company that is resilient and we are a symbol of resilience and also the resilience of the city, the resilience of Zimbabwe that our hopes can go through different seasons and still carry on and we are looking forward to the next 100 years, the Lord willing,” said Mr Moyo.

He said there was no better way to mark their resilience than by flying their flagship product.
Through Roil Cooking Oil, URL has been supporting the annual Bulawayo arts awards for the past four years.

“We are celebrating 86 years of existence this year so we decided to do it with our flagship brand. We are going through a series of activities. We support the Bulawayo Roil Arts Awards, exhibit at the forthcoming Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and also increase marketing activities as we celebrate our 86th year. The company was established in 1935 and as such we are just celebrating that,” said Mr Moyo.

He said innovation and product diversification has enabled the company to remain relevant when it started its operations in Rusape, Manicaland province in 1935 before relocating to Bulawayo 65 years ago.

“The organisation has been going through innovations since it began from groundnut oils in Rusape, to producing oil from sunflower, to vegetable oil blend, we have added stock feeds, we are adding value to our stock feeds now, we have a nutripro brand, we have also brought back our soaps repositioned them and we are now working closely with farmers,” he said.

“So, these are some of the value innovations, not just products where we combine different things, different competences and capacities to create a resilient company that will go into the future for the next 100 years.”
Mr Moyo said the company remains committed to partnering its various stakeholders in rebuilding Zimbabwe.

He commended individuals, corporates in Zimbabwe and countries such as Namibia, Botswana and South Africa for supporting their vision.

“To our valued customers, women, young ladies who are involved particularly in cooking, making food for our city, we want to say we are your partner; we are partners in nutrition, we are part of the city. We are a conscious company and we are conscious of our role as a corporate citizen,” he said.

“Let’s be resilient, let’s rediscover Bulawayo the things that were there before, the things we need to revive, the things that rebuild and the new things that we need to give birth to our city. So essentially the message is URL is here to stay, Bulawayo is here to stay and Zimbabwe is here to stay,” he said.

Bulawayo Deputy Mayor councillor Mlandu Ncube said companies such as URL have kept Bulawayo ticking.

“As a city we are really appreciate the role that has been played by these companies that have remained with us as a city despite facing challenges. Some of these companies need a lot of water but have remained in the city despite the water shortages we were experiencing in the past. We really appreciate their resilience and they deserve some token of appreciation,” said Clr Ncube. — @nqotshili.