GLB Building Lubricants Partnerships at WAAS 2026
14 May 2026 This week, Thompson Longe, Akash Suhanda, led by Prakash Ramchandani – Managing Director of GLB Chemical Services Limited, Gapuma’s Nigerian subsidiary – attended the 2026 West Africa Automotive Show (WAAS), a three-day exhibition held in Lagos. Africa’s largest automotive aftermarket trade show, WAAS is organised by BtoB Events and held at the Landmark Centre. More than 350 exhibitors took part, with over 6,000 visitors expected from across West Africa. The show brought together importers, distributors and manufacturers showcasing products across auto parts, lubricants, tyres, batteries, heavy machinery, and mobility solutions. It has evolved into a strategic business platform for the region’s automotive sector, with networking opportunities described as unique – distributors, importers and suppliers all under one roof. Our team used the occasion to meet both overseas and local lubricants manufacturers, advancing conversations around Chevron Oronite and Chevron Base Oil business and strengthening existing relationships. Attendees included pre-vetted importers and distributors from across the region, spanning Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Senegal, Cameroon and beyond. Topics on the table included opportunities in local manufacturing, spare parts distribution, lubricants and mobility solutions across West Africa. A conference running alongside the exhibition featured over 50 experts sharing insights on technology, policy and strategy. Nigeria remains a market of enormous significance. It is Africa’s largest importer of automotive spare parts, bringing in over $5 billion each year. Events like WAAS are where relationships are built and business gets done. Great to be part of it. 🤝
Gapuma Returns to Coatings For Africa 2026
6th May 2026 Hot on the heels of our success at Coatings For Africa 2025, Gapuma will once again be exhibiting at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from 24-26 June 2026. Leading the delegation will be Group Managing Director Jack Baradjkian, alongside Henry Greef, Gary Hayes, Dave Steward and colleagues from our South Africa office. Want to guarantee time with the team? Contact Ash in advance to secure your slot: ash@gapuma.com 📍 Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg 📅 24-26 June 2026 We look forward to connecting, catching up and showing you what we’ve been working on.
Gapuma’s Raj Thakkar heads to Cologne for Chemspec Europe
5th May 2026 Gapuma Group’s Raj Thakkar will be at Chemspec Europe 2026 at Koelnmesse, Cologne, on 6-7 May – one of the chemical industry’s most valuable annual gatherings. The event serves as a cross-sector sourcing hub for fine and speciality chemicals, bringing together producers, buyers, and technical experts from across pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, speciality materials, coatings, personal care, electronics, energy, and many other industries. With over 400 global suppliers on the exhibition floor, it is precisely the kind of concentrated, high-quality environment where meaningful business relationships are forged, and supply chains are sharpened. During his visit, Raj will be strengthening ties with Gapuma’s existing partners whilst exploring new supplier opportunities – the twin pillars of any serious procurement strategy. Face-to-face engagement remains as valuable as ever in a sector navigating one of the fastest-changing markets the industry has known. If you would like to arrange a meeting with Raj at Chemspec or simply open a conversation about what Gapuma can offer, contact him directly at raj@gapuma.com.
Celebrating 27 Years of Excellence: The Gapuma Anniversary Milestone 🥂
26th April 2026 Huge congratulations to Jack Bardakjian and the entire global team at Gapuma Group Limited as we proudly celebrate our 27th Anniversary! Reaching this significant milestone is a testament to our resilience, vision, and the collective dedication of our incredible team. Over nearly three decades, Gapuma has evolved into a dynamic and forward-thinking organization. We pride ourselves on being an agile force in the industry—continually growing and innovating to stay ahead of the curve. Even amidst ever-changing economic landscapes and global challenges, our commitment to “keeping up with the times” ensures we remain a reliable partner in a fast-paced world. Our Success is Your Success This journey would not be possible without the unwavering support of our esteemed, loyal clients and trusted suppliers. Your partnership is the foundation of our longevity, and we are extremely grateful for the continued trust you place in us. Going Above & Beyond 🚀 At Gapuma, our philosophy remains unchanged: we strive to “Go Above & Beyond” in everything we do. Whether it’s navigating complex logistics or fostering global relationships, we are committed to delivering excellence without compromise. Here’s to the next chapter of growth, innovation, and shared success!
Final day of ChinaPlas 2026 in Shanghai — and what an exceptional week it’s been
24 April 2026 A hugely successful event for Gapuma Group Limited. Our team has made extensive new connections, strengthened existing relationships, and laid the foundations for long-term partnerships across the global plastics and rubber industry. Just as importantly, we’ve seen first-hand the innovation, expertise, and forward thinking shaping the future of our sector — a powerful reminder of the pace and potential of this market. Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet with Russell Brill, Mihael Nahmias and Kishor Ubrani (Gapuma, Ghana). We look forward to continuing the conversations.
Gapuma at ChinaPlas 2026 – See You in Shanghai
16 April 2026 We are delighted to announce that Gapuma will be represented at ChinaPlas 2026 in Shanghai next week (21-24 April), where our Purchasing Director, Russell Brill, and Head of Polymers, Mihael Nahmias, will be in attendance. ChinaPlas is one of the most significant events in the global plastics and rubber industry calendar – a unique opportunity to connect with the brightest minds in the business, explore the latest innovations shaping our industry, and strengthen the relationships that drive it forward. For those of us who believe in the power of face-to-face dialogue, there is truly no substitute. Gapuma’s presence at events such as this reflects our enduring commitment to the industry we serve – a commitment to staying at the forefront of market developments, fostering long-term partnerships, and delivering the very best for our customers and suppliers across the globe. If you or your colleagues are also attending ChinaPlas this year, we would love to connect. Please do reach out to Russell or Mihael directly – we look forward to seeing you in Shanghai.
Welcome to Luka
7 April 2026 We are delighted to welcome Luka MacInnes-Bouffard to Gapuma as our new Junior Trader. Luka joins us from the UK Civil Service Fast Stream, where he was working as a Policy Analyst at the Home Office on Police Reform – a prestigious programme that many would be reluctant to leave. But Luka’s sights are firmly set on commodities, and we are very glad they are. As founder and president of the Oxford Commodities Society – the first of its kind at the university – and author of a Substack analysing global energy and commodity markets, he arrives with genuine passion for the sector as well as a sharp analytical mind. A first-class History graduate from Oxford, Luka will begin with a structured orientation period, shadowing our Operations, Finance and Trading divisions before taking up his core responsibilities: maintaining and developing our customer database and building relationships with our longstanding clients. He will be working under the guidance of our Purchasing Director, Russell Brill. In mid-May, Luka will also begin the Level 4 Diploma in International Trade with the Institute of Export and International Trade – a qualification that will provide a solid grounding in the practical disciplines that underpin everything we do at Gapuma. Please join us in wishing Luka every success. We think he is going to go far.
🐣 The Gapuma Spring Lunch – A Q1 Tradition Every year, as Easter approaches, the Gapuma London team pauses – just briefly – to come together, take stock of the quarter behind us, and look ahead to what’s coming. This year, that felt more important than ever. Q1 2026 has been, by any measure, one of the most turbulent quarters in recent memory. Shifting trade flows, geopolitical volatility, and markets that have kept all of us on our toes. There is plenty to reflect on – and plenty to plan for. But first, lunch – and this year, there was rather more to celebrate than usual. The table did not disappoint. Coronation chicken and smoked salmon finger sandwiches, brie & cranberry and mozzarella & pesto vegetarian platters, chicken pesto pasta salad, falafel with hummus, mixed wraps, a rather magnificent spread of patisserie, chocolate éclairs, cream puffs – and, of course, the Easter eggs that have become something of a Gapuma institution. Raised glasses went to Neha Sampat, Head of Operations, marking a remarkable 15 years with Gapuma – a tenure that speaks for itself. To Stephen Harris, Operations Director, on his birthday. And to Mike Short and Saju Mullumangalam, who both celebrated birthdays on 1st April – a happy coincidence that made the occasion all the more festive. We were also delighted to welcome Luka Bouffard-Innes, our newly recruited Junior Trader, to his first Gapuma Spring Lunch – a proper rite of passage. And there was a very welcome surprise when Group Managing Director Jack Bardakjian made a flying visit, which lifted the room considerably. At Gapuma, we believe that a team which eats together, thinks together. Here’s to Q2.
Is comprehensive globalism over?
What the Iran War means for physical commodity traders 24 March 2026 The Financial Times has been asking hard questions about the structural shift now under way in global business – and the conclusions demand attention from anyone in physical commodities. FT chief economics commentator Martin Wolf is unambiguous: “The worst case is that this will be one of the biggest shocks in the postwar period.” Meanwhile, FT columnist Tej Parikh cuts to a deeper vulnerability: “Investors have committed trillions of dollars to the technology, one of the most power-hungry inventions ever, on the assumption of ample energy supplies and a slick chip production line that can cross more than 70 borders before reaching the final consumer. But the Iran war is exposing the fragilities in the AI supply chain.” If that assumption of frictionless global logistics is now in doubt for the digital economy, it raises an equally sharp question for physical commodity traders: is the model of seamless, borderless trade still viable? The honest answer is: not unconditionally. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has demonstrated that a single chokepoint can simultaneously disrupt energy, fertiliser, industrial gases and shipping insurance markets. Supply chains engineered for efficiency rather than resilience are being exposed for what they are. Three conclusions stand out. Hyper-globalised sourcing is a liability without redundancy built in. Global trade is not over, but it is being repriced around risk. And those with established local distribution networks are navigating this crisis measurably better than those dependent on long, centralised chains. Jack Bardakjian, Group Managing Director of Gapuma Group, is direct on this point: “Every experienced commodity trader understands that price is only half the equation – the other half is access. When the architecture of global trade is under this kind of stress, access becomes everything. Local presence, local relationships, local knowledge – these are not peripheral considerations. They are the hard infrastructure of the business.” The world will trade again. But the terms on which it does so are being rewritten. Primary source: Financial Times, 12 March 2026, and related FT reporting
Appointment Announcement | Rafael Fraletti as Head of Biofuels
19 March 2026 We are delighted to announce the appointment of Rafael Fraletti as Head of Biofuels, and Head of our Nyon Branch Office. Based in Geneva for the past three years, Rafael brings nearly a decade of experience in global biofuels trading. Before joining Gapuma, he spent seven years at Raízen – one of the world’s leading energy and biofuels groups – where he built an exceptional track record across international ethanol markets, first in Brazil and subsequently in Switzerland, with a particular focus on the European landscape. Over the past 15 months at Gapuma, Rafael has been instrumental in developing new trading flows, strengthening commercial relationships, and expanding the company’s footprint across key biofuel markets. He has played a central role in structuring and scaling our biofuels platform, and this appointment reflects both the confidence we place in him and the momentum the business has built under his contribution. In his new role, Rafael will lead the strategy and continued growth of our biofuels business, as well as overseeing operations at our Nyon branch. Rafael is motivated by a clear ambition: to position Gapuma not merely as a reliable supplier, but as a committed counterparty – one that actively contributes to the development and expansion of biofuels markets within the global decarbonisation agenda. That mission sits at the heart of everything we are building here. We look forward to the next chapter.