Car & General is involved in the sales and service of power equipment, household goods, agricultural tractors and implements, marine engines, motor cycles and vehicles, brake linings and friction materials, welding alloys, day old chicks and a whole long list of other goods and services through their many subsidiary companies.

As of 30^th September 2011, the firm had a total number of 909 shareholders (the Government of Kenya being none of them) and had a profit increase of 21.18%, similar to the 20.33% profit increase the company made in the 2009-2010 period. This was on the backdrop of a 7.85% drop in profits in 2008-2009 following the Post-Election Violence after the 2007 general elections and the global financial crisis. The company gave a 55 cent per share dividend in 2011, down from the previous financial year’s 80 cent per share dividend, which was invested in achieving "budgeted growth levels and to develop into a great organisation" as the chairman said in his 2011 Chairman's Report.

[caption id="attachment_7175" align="alignleft" width="619" caption="Source: Bloomberg.com"][/caption]

The firm is chaired by one N. Ng’ang’a and has V.V. Gidoomal as its managing director. The firm has its registered offices at New Cargen House on Lusaka Road and is anticipating a turnover of KES 8 billion in 2012, about KES 2 billion more than the turnover in 2011. In its 2011 financial report, the chairman mentioned staying ahead of the competition as its primary concern in all its key markets.

The share had a difficult 2011, pretty much like most Kenyans, the price falling as inflation rose to level out in mid December 2011-mid January 2012 and has since picked up steam. The share looks to be on the rise, closing at KES 28.75 with slightly over 21,000 shares exchanging -hands in today's trading. The 52-week high is KES 35, and from a look at the firm's net book value, the share has potential for massive gains in the mid-to long term. The share price will be supported by increased sales owing to the opening-up of South Sudan as a new market for its goods and services and improving economic fortunes for the East African region as a whole. The company however will face stiff competition from cheap imports of motorcycles and other motorized goods mainly from China and other eastern economies. By and large, the share looks good for growth.