Growth in the Manufacturing Sector Expands Beyond Caribbean
The manufacturing industry in Trinidad and Tobago has reached an all time high as the government continues to establish systems and policies to facilitate the growth of small- and large-scale industries in an effort to build a strong export sector outside of oil and gas.
Many family businesses have flourished during the last two decades, expanding into the external Caribbean and Latin American markets. As Prime Minister Patrick Manning said, “The manufacturing sector, for example, expanded by over 50 percent over the last six years and created over 6,000 new jobs.”
The Roach family business evolved into major indigenous manufacturer Private family businesses that showed rapid development include the Langston Roach Industries Limited, established in May 1985 as a cottage industry. Over the last five years, this company has expanded tremendously, even establishing a branch in Jamaica. “Our father started our operations in the kitchen,” said Roger Roach, Executive Director. “Today, we manufacture and distribute a wide range of household and personal care products and accrue a decent revenue every year, which has allowed us to expand our production and storage capacity, distribution network, and export markets in the last five years.”
Giant soft drink factory delivered one product by horse cart 84 years ago
Starting out as a family business with 25 employees and delivering stock by horse carts in 1924, S.M. Jaleel and Company Limited is now one of the oldest and largest soft drink manufacturers in the English-speaking Caribbean. The company employs over 1200 persons and supplies markets regionally and internationally with a large range of beverages. Export markets include the UK, Canada, the USA, Columbia, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Kuwait, and the Caribbean.
School Boy Parlor is transformed into major supermarket chain
Arima Discount Mart (ADM) is an international import and export company and the sole agent for Rainbow products – Rainbow Corned Beef, Rainbow Chick Peas, Rainbow Kidney Beans, and Rainbow Tuna among others.
It all started over seventy years ago from a small shop – The School Boy Parlor – selling shaved-ice to children from the school opposite. The shop was expanded over the years to what is now the largest supermarket in Arima, the Maharaj West Side Supermarket, with several branches and with a large import-export clientele.
“We also distribute a variety of high quality local and international brands of products to the largest supermarkets, restaurants, as well as caterers, vendors and school-feeding programs,” said Balliram Maharaj, chief executive officer of ADM, and president of the Supermarket Association.
Meeting challenges of impending food and labor shortages
Maharaj has been in the food industry for over fifty years and is currently working with other private and public agencies to address local issues and concerns in the industry. He noted that currently Trinidad and Tobago is not only feeling the effects of the impending global food shortage, but is facing a severe labor shortage that is felt in all industries including the food industry. “We need to fully implement the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), allowing free movement of labor across the Caribbean to deal with the labor crisis. Government needs to relax its labor laws and explore the option of bringing in labor into Trinidad, especially in the food industry,” he said.
About the food shortage, Maharaj noted that Trinidad’s sister CARICOM state, Guyana, cannot only assist with supplying skilled labor, but can provide rice and other commodities in short supply in Trinidad and Tobago. “We can develop our regional relationships and investments with rice millers in Guyana, where land and labor are available,” said Maharaj. Prime Minister Patrick Manning confirmed that this is one strategy being pursued by the government. “We are participating with our CARICOM neighbors in agricultural development, with plans to utilize, for example, the vast acreage of Guyana for the regional production of food and the growth of agri-business in the region,” said Manning. He indicated that at the local level, the sugar industry had been closed, making thousands of acres of arable land available for food production.
