Grace Foods Latin America & Caribbean (LACA), a subsidiary of the GraceKennedy (GK) Group won big at this year’s Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) M&E awards, taking home the Governor General’s Award for Exporter of the Year as well as the Prime Minister’s Award for the Top Large Exporter in Manufacturing.

The awards were announced during a virtual ceremony hosted by the JMEA on December 10 that recognised Jamaican companies with outstanding performances in manufacturing and exports in 2019.

The JMEA Governor General’s Award for Exporter of the Year recognises the top Jamaican exporter in all categories and sizes; while the Prime Minister’s Award for the Top Large Exporter in Manufacturing recognises manufacturing companies who have exported more than US$5 million in any given year, also considering the number of territories it exports to as well as its investment in export.

INVESTMENT IN JAMAICA

“This is a huge honour, and truly speaks to GK’s commitment to Jamaican manufacturing and exports on a whole.” said GK Group CEO Don Wehby in commenting on the awards.

“Manufacturing plays such a key role in Jamaica’s economic growth and development, so it is critically important that we invest in local manufacturing capacity and grow exports. An investment in manufacturing for Grace is an investment in Jamaica. I know we are well on our way to achieving our goal of exports making up 50 per cent of our total production by 2025.”

Andrea Coy, CEO of GK Foods International, said: “As the export arm of GraceKennedy, the mandate of Grace Foods LACA is to invest in and grow the Grace brands across the Caribbean and Latin America. We aim to give our consumers access to great tasting, high quality and nutritional choices across the region.”

Coy added: “This recognition by the JMEA is a great honour and we will continue to build brand Jamaica through the best manufacturing, quality products and an engaged team. Congrats to all the winners this year, the future of manufacturing in Jamaica looks bright.”  

Frank James, CEO of GraceKennedy Foods – Domestic, also commented on Grace Foods LACA’s win, saying: “I am always extremely proud of our outstanding export and manufacturing teams, so it is wonderful to see Grace Foods LACA being recognised in this way.”

Said James: “GK manufacturing continues to grow domestically and internationally thanks to the selfless service of our hardworking team, who are committed to ensuring that Grace continues to serve our customers at the highest standard, as we bring the taste of Jamaica to the world. 2020 has shown how important investment in local manufacturing is to food security, and I am pleased to know that we are making significant strides in this regard.”

GK currently operates six manufacturing facilities in Jamaica – its Grace Food Processors Canning and Meats plants, Dairy Industries Jamaica and National Processors plants and its Grace Agro-Processors facilities in Hounslow and Denbigh. The company’s manufacturing transformation strategic plan seeks to facilitate significant competitive advantage for the company, in a bid to firmly establish it as a regional powerhouse in consumer goods, and food and beverage manufacturing.