The Ghanaian Perspective: Opinion Articles on Current Issues
People and Places: Samreboi, home of the 'Timber Giants'
Samreboi is a town located in the Amenfi West District of the Western Region. It is predominantly a farming community and is noted for its cocoa and timber production.
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The town has a history of timber processing and is home to the second-largest timber processing company, Samertex Timber and Plywood Company, formerly African Timber and Plywood Company (AT&P).
The name Samreboi is made up of two words; ‘Samre’ which is the name of a river and ‘aboye’, a meeting point, in Akan. The story of Samreboi began in 1947 with the establishment of the AT&P under the UAC group of companies. Before its establishment, the management of the company contacted the then Chief of Asankragua, Nana Asare Kwame III, for a suitable location for their operations.
After some consultations, they finally settled on a place around the confluence (meeting point) of the Samre and Tano rivers. This area, where the people of Asankragua referred to as ‘Samre aboye’ (confluence of the Samre River), has been corrupted to Samreboi.
Today, Samreboi has developed into a town with a population of about 28,909 and about 20 villages surrounding it. The mention of Samreboi brings two things to mind; the Samartex Timber & Plywood Company Limited and the FC Samartex (FC SAX), established in 1996 as a recreational football club.
Since 1995, the Samartex Timber & Plywood Company Limited has transformed through a massive investment and rehabilitation programme to become a leading timber company in Ghana, after they took over from AT&P.
Like the mother company, FC Samartex, the Timber Giants as they are called, rose through the ranks in the lower divisions to join Ghana’s Premier League in the 2022/23 season. After just two seasons, the giants have risen from a mid-table club in their first attempt to become the champions of the just-ended 23/24 Premier League season.