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| Minister of Industry, Denis Kellman (left), speaking with Managing Director of Roberts Manufacturing, David Foster, during yesterday’s tour of a number of businesses. (C.Pitt/BGIS) |
Barbadian companies have a lot of potential!
This was pointed out by Minister of industry, Small Business and Rural Development, Denis Kellman, as he and representatives of his Ministry and the Barbados Manufacturing Association toured Roberts Manufacturing and E. W. Wood
Classics at Lower Estate, St. Michael; and Carlisle Laboratories in Warrens, St. Michael.
The Industry Minister expressed satisfaction with what he saw, stating that he was "convinced that we are not only ready to take over the local market, but these companies are ready to take over the world."
Noting that Roberts Manufacturing exported almost 70 per cent of what it produced and Carlisle Laboratories also featured a significant export portfolio, Mr. Kellman observed that enterprises such as these must receive support from Government and the public.?? ??He added that the local market may bear certain costs in order for a company to expand, but maintained that the growth was a necessary step for increased capacity for the company.????
"What it means is that we will have to give more exposure to them…if they are lacking capacity we will have to find a way to create the additional resources so they can get that capacity to export to the level we would like them to.??
"It is no doubt that if this country is to reverse all trends, we will have to see some ???super’ companies and the three I saw today have the capabilities of doing that; and if it means that we have to work with them for the others to follow, we would have to use them as the examples," he said.
Mr. Kellman also added that sourcing of raw materials locally could be used to assist businesses with their endeavours and noted that prowess in the export market "says a lot for these companies and it says that we have to work with them because they are paying the foreign cost bills for all of us.?? So, we have to support them," he asserted.