September is always a busy time for the D&S Group as we settle after the holiday period and prepare for the year-end and new year. The key event is the annual Company Conference, a tradition that was established over 30 years ago and is now largely a virtual event to include the widely dispersed managers. The key speaker was Carol Kariuki, the KEPSA CEO who was very inspiring talking about the regional business opportunities.

The conference is also when annual management awards are presented and I must appreciate the winners, Managers of the Year Jonathan Mainga, MD of D&S Zambia and David Gacheru, the Group HR GM and Commended Managers Reuben Masoo, the Senior Design Engineer Brenda Muhati, Supply Operations Manager and Mercy Njeri International Business Manager. They all do an excellent job and their contributions are greatly appreciated.

As detailed elsewhere in this Newsletter as usual there has been much other activity at D&S and I want to comment on several of them. Firstly is the opening of Leopard Hill branch in Lusaka, D&S Zambia's tenth branch which is already making a contribution. D&S Zambia is performing extremely well this year and is now the country's leading industry player, the Dayliff brand being particularly well established. I'm most grateful for the team under MD Jonathan Mainga for their excellent efforts.

The next important development has been the partnership agreement with Flowserve. This is a large international pump manufacturer that has grown through the acquisition of many established brands, the oldest of which dates back over 200 years. They are world leaders in pumps for specialized industrial applications and will add a great deal to D&S's pump portfolio. We look forward to growing the partnership.

Another notable event has been launch of the 2025 Product Manual, the comprehensive reference for the entire D&S product range. Details are given elsewhere, though I mention two key initiatives for this year; the increase in the range of variable speed Smart pumps and the introduction of several new chemical products, both of which are particular focuses for the year. The Smart pumps are especially important given their energy saving potential and we expect these products to become increasingly popular.

Finally, to emphasise our environmental concern we have launched an ESG Report that highlights the various initiatives we are taking in this important area. Given the water and energy focus of our activities, we are particularly well positioned to make a positive impact to our environment and are proud of the contributions we make.