From Ottoman army escape to Ghana success: The untold story behind the Kalmoni business dynasty

Fear of military conscription in the Ottoman Empire drove a family's journey from Lebanon to the Gold Coast, eventually producing one of Ghana's prominent automotive businesses. Salem Kalmoni, the current CEO of Japan Motors Trading Company, recounted how his grandfather and uncle initially settled in Ghana in 1912 to escape the prospect of conscription.

The Kalmoni family's origin dates back to 1912 when their grandfather, Salem Kalmoni, and his brother Subhi left Lebanon for Ghana after learning that their eldest brother had been drafted into the Ottoman army and never returned. The family's concerns stemmed from the forced conscription of Subhi's elder brother, which prompted their parents to send the remaining sons away to avoid similar fates.

The Kalmoni family initially established trading businesses in Winneba and Swedru, operating from these towns for several decades before moving to Accra in the late 1940s. Their commercial activities expanded from selling provisions and spare parts to vehicle sales and transport. The family initially purchased vehicles from the United Africa Company (UAC), a British trading firm, and resold them on credit to local customers.

However, after his father joined the business as a teenager and began exploring direct vehicle imports, the family's approach changed. Mr. Kalmoni's father discovered an opportunity in Japan's emerging automobile industry, which led to the importation of Nissan's Datsun vehicles in 1958, marking the beginning of Japan Motors Trading Company.

The company was incorporated as a limited liability entity in 1965, and the business expanded beyond vehicle imports and sales into assembly operations in 1965. Japan Motors has since grown into a significant player in Ghana's automotive market, with interests in vehicle distribution, after-sales services, and other transport-related products.