Two previous overviews - Scierie Glory – Begin the journey & Women are Powerful, recapped on the successes of the highly successful Rashidi family’s Glory Business Group.
Scierie Gloire à Dieu, the third operating division of the group, run by the Rashidi family’s matriarch, 73-year-old Mama Elizabeth, is no different.
The sawmill, in tandem with the business group’s three other sawmills, supplies significant sawn timber volumes with their Wood-Mizer sawmill fleet to their customer base in Kolwezi.
Scierie Gloire à Dieu, originally based in Kinshasa, relocated to Kolwezi when Glory’s Director, Asewani Rashidi, asked Mama Elizabeth, his mother-in-law to move her sawmill to Kolwezi to strengthen the company’s output.
Mama Elizabeth is the founder of the Glory Business Group, the company starting off when her daughter Florance Rashidi asked Elizabeth’s for guidance on whether to start a sawmill following an opportunity to supply sawn timber to Kolwezi’s rapidly expanding construction sector.
Mama Elizabeth gave Florance the thumbs-up based on her experience running her own sawmill in Kinshasa.
“I’ve always been a businesswoman, says the 73-year-old. While she managed her sawmill in Kinshasa, she also ran a tavern to generate more cash for the family.
You must use the opportunities that come your way,” says Mama Elizabeth.
Her instinctive business sense has also rubbed off on her daughter. This also fuels Florance resolve to be successful in sawmilling despite the challenges of working in a male dominated industry.
“With Wood-Mizer it’s easy to run a successful sawmilling business whether you’re a lady or a man.
“Wood-Mizer is the Mercedes-Benz of sawmills,” Mama Elizabeth continues.
“The quality of the machine and the end-product that it delivers makes it easy to supply products that the customers want, and that they are willing to pay a premium for.”
Scierie Gloire à Dieu’s products are used across Kolwezi in once-off home renovations, sawn timber supplies go to hardware stores, mining and construction companies, carpenters use it for furniture, or privateers buy timber for ad hoc projects.
Asked whether being a female sawmill business owner is tough, Mama Elizabeth smiles when she says, “No, not at all. Everything runs smoothly, so why would I want to sit at home and do nothing the whole day?
“It’s also nice to be part of a family business. We share the responsibility, we learn from one another, and when we use these lessons and support to be more profitable, everyone wins,” Mama Elizabeth ends.
