Steel & Tube team at CHADA as platinum sponsorsIn 1985, Steel & Tube Industries Limited rolled out its first sheets of steel. Forty-one years later, its footprint spans 50 acres across Namanve, Kazinga and Nakawa, with reach into Kenya, South Sudan, DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.The company directly employs over 1,600 people and indirectly supports over 8,000 jobs, bringing its total economic impact to just over 10,000 jobs, making it one of the region’s most consequential industrial employers.But numbers alone don’t explain why Steel & Tube keeps winning the trust of Uganda’s biggest builders. Its mission is built around manufacturing better-quality steel products at competitive prices, driven by innovation, safety, ethics and sustainability.“Steel & Tube listens closely to the market. Through customer visits, expos, exhibitions, forums and workshops, we hear directly from the people who use and sell our products. We take that feedback seriously and use it to develop practical solutions,” Head of Marketing Oscar Kamukama told delegates at the Construction Hardware Dealers Association (CHADA) Convention 2026.That philosophy is reflected in its product range: TMX B500 rebars engineered for fatigue resistance; stainless steel water tanks with a 50-year service life; durable wheelbarrows, hoop iron, smart trolleys, expanded metal, pre-engineered buildings and custom-built flatbed, side-drop and box-body trailers made from high-grade S355 steel.“Quality matters, but service is what turns a good product into a lasting customer relationship. At Steel & Tube, we work to deliver both,” Kamukama said.Oscar Kamukama, Steel & Tube Industries Marketing managerThat combination is visible across Uganda’s built environment. Steel & Tube materials have been used in the restoration of Katonga Bridge, the expansion of Entebbe International Airport, NSSF Pension Towers, New Karuma Bridge, Kampala Flyover, UEDCL and IGG towers, Kabalega International Airport, Marriott Hotel, Arena Mall Nsambya and the Uganda Cancer Institute.Its collaboration with Roofings Group on the Hoima City National Stadium shows that even competitors can partner to deliver national projects.The company’s next ambition goes underground. To reduce reliance on costly imported steel inputs, Steel & Tube has secured a licence from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for mineral development activities in Kanungu. It is exploring a domestic iron ore value chain – from beneficiation to ironmaking, steelmaking and casting of steel billets, subject to technical and commercial feasibility.If successful, the project would extend its manufacturing further upstream and create more value from Uganda’s mineral resources.That ambition aligns with the message delivered by Minister of State for Trade, Gen. Wilson Mbadi, at the convention.“Every home, school, hospital, road, and factory begins with the materials provided by this sector,” Mbadi said, calling dealers and manufacturers guardians of national development.He warned that price-fixing under the Fair Competition Act carries penalties of up to 10 percent of annual turnover, urged dealers to reject substandard materials, and rallied support for locally manufactured products, citing Uganda’s housing deficit of 2.4 million units, which grows by 200,000 annually.For Steel & Tube, CHADA was more than an exhibition. It was part of a bigger conversation about strengthening local manufacturing, improving standards, and building industrial capacity for Uganda and the region.The company will carry the same message to the upcoming Uganda International Trade Fair (UGITF) – quality manufacturing, innovation, safety, sustainability and deeper regional reach.From the materials in individual buildings to the steel supporting the region’s biggest infrastructure, Steel & Tube’s story continues to be written one product, one project and one market at a time.The post Steel & Tube Champions Quality, Sustainability and Local Sourcing at CHADA Convention 2026 appeared first on Business Focus.