Boulos Enterprises is a

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

n distribution, assembly, and trading company for

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

s, power bikes,

tricycle A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a Human-powered transport, human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) Three-wheeler, three-wheeled vehicle. Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for pa ...

s, and

outboard motor An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom. They are the most common motorised method ...

s. It was established by brothers Anthony and Gabriel Boulos. The company houses several notable brands such as

Aprilia Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle and Scooter (motorcycle), scooter manufacturer in Noale, Italy, founded by Alberto Beggio. History Early days Aprilia, named after the Pre-war automobile, pre-war Lancia Aprilia, was founded after the Seco ...

Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi () is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its historic role in Italy's motorcyclin ...

, and Haojue. It is the sole importer and distributor of

Suzuki is a Japanese multinational mobility manufacturer headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka. It manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a va ...

in Nigeria.

History

The Boulos' history began in

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

, at a store that sold jewelry and other small articles to the upper-middle class. The jewelry business was managed by their father, George Boulos, a Lebanese goldsmith who emigrated to

in 1936. George developed good relationships with his clients which proved to benefit the business as it matured. In the mid-1950s, George's sons, Anthony and Gabriel, expanded the family business by importing

Miele Miele ( ; ) is a German manufacturer of high-end domestic appliances and commercial equipment, headquartered in Gütersloh, Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The company was founded in 1899 by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann, and has always been a family ...

, Durkopp, and Göricke motorcycles. The company's profile expanded from there, leading to the incorporation of the company in 1964. By the end of the 1960s the firm had established a factory in Oregun, Lagos, which assembled

motorcycles from

knock-down kit A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, and then exported to another country or r ...

s, thus becoming the first company in Nigeria to assemble motorcycles. Furthermore, the plant had the capacity to assemble 7,200 motorcycles per shift. In 1979, when the government of Nigeria placed a ban on the importation of completely built motorcycles, the Boulos' profile enhanced, causing the firm to become the leading motorcycle seller in the country. In 1975, the firm acquired land at the Ogba Industrial estate, beginning the process of manufacturing complete Suzuki motorcycles. The company also developed a distribution strategy which led to the creation of service centers across the country. These centers were capable of stocking spare parts as well as including a trained Suzuki mechanic at each location. In 1987, the company established Bel Impex Limited, a tissue paper manufacture which is no longer part of Boulos Enterprises. Between 2010 and 2016, Boulos Enterprises represented

Piaggio Piaggio Group () is an Italian motor vehicle manufacturer, which produces a range of two-wheeled motor vehicles and compact commercial vehicles under five brands: Piaggio, Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Derbi. Its corporate headquarters are ...

India while partially assembling tricycles in the country.

References

External links

* {{official, boulos.ng Motorcycle manufacturers of Nigeria Manufacturing companies based in Lagos