KENYA – Sky Foods Limited, the producer of the iconic Treetops juice brand, has been declared insolvent, seven years after reintroducing the product to the market.
A notice dated September 30, 2024, confirmed the appointment of an official receiver as the company’s administrator, effective from September 26.
The notice stated, “The affairs of the company as well as its assets are now vested with the Administrator. No action can be taken against the company without the Administrator’s consent.”
This means that Sky Foods’ operations and assets are now under the control of the official receiver, with all matters concerning the company directed to the administrator.
“Pursuant to this appointment, the affairs of the company as well as its assets are now vested with the Administrator. Take note that no action can be taken against the Company without the consent of the Administrator,” read the notice.
Sky Foods Limited, founded by Bernard Githuthu Njoroge, acquired the Treetops brand from Unilever in 2011.
He hoped that Kenyans still remembered the iconic brand and that the sense of nostalgia would push people to buy the product. In 2015, he successfully reintroduced Tree Top to the market.
The brand, once a household name, gained significant attention, and in 2017, Sky Foods set up a KES 500 million juice production plant in Juja.
The facility was projected to produce 12 million liters annually, with the support of a KSh 100 million investment from the state through the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC).
At the time, he said, “There is strong demand coming from the middle class. The product was popular with Kenyans for many years.”
Sky Foods employed over 600 people to produce the popular Treetops juice, which was available in five flavors: orange, mango, apple, tropical, and a mix of strawberry and banana.
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