TruStory 

Camino Ruiz

The company

Camino Ruiz Agencies Ltd.(2018) are among the first companies in Kenya to control the entire value chain, from production of fingerlings to fish feeds to distribution and finally selling of tilapia fish directly to the consumer. This allows them to have full traceability of the entire value chain and offer fresh tilapia fish from farm to fork.

In 2022, they transitioned from a B2B to a B2C model and signed a contract with the largest supermarket chain in Kenya with close to 100 stores nationwide. They sell tilapia fish under the name Global Tilapia. This B2C strategy allows them to ensure great market stability and higher gross margins. It also reduces their risk due to the perishability of the product, as they can control their planning based on retail demand.

They have introduced different value-added products in the market, including frozen ready-to-eat tilapia fish, frozen fish filet, and fried tilapia fish. These products offer convenience to the end consumer and have significantly increased their market share.

Camino is committed to providing its customers with the highest quality tilapia fish at a competitive price. They are also committed to sustainable aquaculture practices that protect the environment.

The entrepreneur

Joseph Mureithi is an entrepreneur with a passion for creating impact. He first expressed his desire to make a difference in his academic career, when he switched from pursuing finance to nursing to serve others. After six years in the United States, he returned to Kenya with the goal of transferring his knowledge and skills to his home country.

Joseph’s first businesses were in semi-logistics and manufacturing, but he soon realized that the margins in these industries were low. He then switched to aquaculture, recognizing the great demand for fish in Kenya and the high volumes of low-quality imported fish. This was a “sheer luck” transition, but it allowed Joseph to rediscover his love for community and his desire to make a positive impact.

In aquaculture, Joseph saw an opportunity to create jobs and empower workers in Kenya. In partnership with two colleagues in the manufacturing industry Global Tilapia Husbandry Kenya Limited was born to enable transfer of knowledge and expertise to the aquaculture industry. Today, Camino Ruiz and GTH are expressions of Joseph’s personal desires for impact and empowerment.

“I am glad to have Truvalu for the direction, corporate oversight and advice that money cannot buy.”Joseph Mureithi – The entrepreneur

Impact

People: Camino employs 155 employees (SDG 8) in its facilities (professional kitchen, fileting center and distribution center) as well as in-store sales agents in the supermarkets and support staff in the head office. 61% of the employees are female (SDG 5). In addition, GTH provides employment to 185 workers who are engaged in the production, sorting, cleaning and distribution of the fish.

Camino Ruiz aims to create a greater impact across different income groups. They do this by offering tiered price differentiation across 3 different weights of fish – small, medium and large sizes. This enables low income earners to add the nutritious health benefits and improved dietary choices by offering affordable fish prices to the disadvantaged through large retailers. It also aids in reducing waste of fish products as Camino is able to maintain its quality standards whilst bringing more fish to market (SDG 12).

Planet: Camino Ruiz is committed to operating in a sustainable way that protects the planet. Tilapia is a more environmentally friendly source of protein compared to other options such as beef. Tilapia has a lower feed conversion ratio, meaning that it takes less feed to produce a unit of protein.

With many food sources becoming more at risk due to unpredictable drought patterns and seasonal changes, Camino prides its fish offering to deliver its nutritional benefits by being fresh, locally sourced and delivered as an affordable source of nutrients. This contributes to the substitution of imports and hence reduces the emission of greenhouse gasses.
Camino also developed waste management practices that turn fish waste into a valuable resource. The waste is used as an input for the animal feed industry, which helps to reduce food waste.

Profit: Camino Ruiz is diversifying its product offerings to reach a wider consumer market. They are offering a variety of tilapia products, including ready-to-eat, frozen, fresh, and fried fish. They are also offering different sizes of fish to meet the needs of different customers. This diversification is helping Camino Ruiz to grow its profits.

I have been impressed by Joseph’s great vision and his capabilities to turn this vision into reality. His entrepreneurial skills are impressive and Camino Ruiz is a wonderful example of how commercial success and impact go hand in hand. Camino Ruiz offers customers in Kenya a high-quality and locally produced alternative source of protein at a very affordable price. This is a valuable service that is making a real difference in the lives of many people. I am proud that Truvalu is a long-term partner to Joseph and his company. I’m confident that they will continue to be successful in the years to come. Maarten Hasselman – Truvalu Kenya

Co-entrepreneurship

The challenges Camino is faced with are related to:

  • Expanding its cold chain and improving its storage capacity to meet the demand for fresh fish.
  • Introducing new products, such filet fish at an affordable price
  • Meeting the rapid demand growth for its products in an economically sustainable manner

The solution provided by Truvalu: 

  • Truvalu’s flexible solutions provided a credit facility in a timely manner as the business first realized its strategic turnaround and attracted its first retail clients. Camino accessed capital quickly as the consultative solution reached was based on a revenue share agreement.
  • Truvalu has invested patient capital into Camino Ruiz towards realizing an increase in product differentiation, capital investments in processing facilities, cold rooms and trucks.
  • A purchase orders dashboard that helped Camion track fish demand in multiple outlets which was used in regular meetings between Truvalu and Camino to make informed decisions. A strong emphasis on break-even analysis was prominent in the customized dashboard.
  • A financial performance dashboard too helped Camino visualize its financial performance during the rapid growth period of the business.
  • Financial modeling was done alongside the entrepreneur to forecast growth prospects and inform capital budgeting decisions, sales growth targets, production targets and other key performance indicators.