Healthy Export Sales for WISYNCO

Ian Allen

Prime Minister, P. J. Patterson, second left, points to WISYNCO's recycling plant during a tour of several manufacturing plants there last Thursday. Looking is Delano Franklyn, left, partially hidden, advisor to the Prime Minister, and Joseph Mahfood, right, group managing director of WISYNCO. Also looking on is Sharon Haye-Webster, Member of Parliament for South Central St. Catherine.

WHILE many local businesses have been complaining of dwindling profits, the Wisynco Group of Companies has reported that its export sales alone have been grossing between $5 million and $6 million each month.

And this, argues Joseph Mahfood, Group managing director of WISYNCO, is the result of the favourable commercial climate in Jamaica.
"We have been exporting over $6 million each month now, every month, and we are trying to get that to 10 or 12 million a month in export sales," said Mr. Mahfood.

"We've been able to do this because the commercial climate has been friendly. Reduction of inflation, stabilisation of the currency has allowed us to plan expansion and maintain a salary level where we can remain competitive against our neighbours to the south,"he added.
Speaking at the Group's head office in Twickhenam Park, St. Catherine during a tour by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson on Thursday, Mr. Mahfood, said that, over the last six years, the group, whose companies produce popular products such as Bigga soft drinks and foam containers, has had more expansion than it had experienced in its 30-year history in Jamaica.

"We've probably had more expansion in the last five to six years than we have had in our previous 30 year history combined. We have expanded the foam extrusion plant six times, we've expanded the carbonated soft-drink plant three times," said Mr. Mahfood.
Along with the expansion of its commercial arm, Mr. Mahfood explained that the company recently completed a 40,000-square ft. warehouse for Food For the Poor.

He explained that the tour of the production plants was to show Prime Minister Patterson the developments in his company and see how best he could assist him to procure another 100 acres of land for future expansion of the group which was now ready to exploit the overseas market having outgrown the local one.The group's overseas markets include New York, Florida, Puerto Rico and Panama.
Prime Minister Patterson praised the efforts of the group which currently employs nearly 5,000 workers and said that there was a need for more positive developments in the island such as the WISYNCO Group.

"The plant here shows a good combination between capital machinery and the employment of human skill. I think we have to recognise that in today's world the cutting edge of technology often involves heavy capital investment ... we therefore need to get more of these enterprises going.

He also had kudos for the company's efforts at recycling used plastic bottles which are processed and exported mainly to Japan and China.
(Gleaner)