Michael Subratie, the Chief Operating Officer and a Director at Musson Group Limited, has revealed plans for the second round of construction at the St. Catherine-based MJS Industrial and Technology Park.

Speaking with Our Today after the grand opening and first anniversary celebration of the MJS Industrial and Technology Park, Subratie shared that the company will, over the next 18 to 24 months, erect new buildings on the property in Angels, Spanish Town. The new structures will increase the square footage to over 700,000.

“We’re going to be breaking ground on that second phase within the next six to nine months,” he shared, adding that the new space will span 300,000 square feet and construction will take about another 12 months.

“We already have one person who is about to commit to about 100,000 square feet, which is a big manufacturer from overseas committed to investing in Jamaica,” the Musson director continued.

Subratie, a minor shareholder in the MJS Industrial and Technology Park, partnered with the Musson Group of Companies to invest US$50 million in the redevelopment of the campus, which formerly housed the Ariguanabo Textile Factory. The project was completed in three years, starting with the acquisition of the property in late 2021 and culminating in the securing of tenants in 2024.

Since that time, Subratie said the MJS construction project team retrofitted the old structure, transforming it into a modern, state-of-the-art facility that now has seven tenants. Although the redevelopment was tedious, the MJS team consulted with government agencies, such as Jamaica Promotions Corporation and Jamaica Special Economic Zones Authority, to streamline the process and apply for special economic zone status.

Among the tenants are three business process outsourcing outfits – Sagility, Transparent BPO and InTouch CX. The other tenants are Honey, Jamaica Fire Brigade, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, and Phoenix Towers.

Today, the 440,000-square-foot facility provides diverse employment opportunities for between 2,300 and 3,500 people, but Subratie hopes to increase that number to 5,000.

Commenting on the prospective tenant for the upcoming development, the Musson director said, “They are going to be using a train line [parallel to the property], working with Port Esquivel to bring goods in, then they’ll do their manufacturing on a [large] scale, and then they’ll move their goods out.”

When asked if there are plans to diversify the tenancy, Subratie responded positively. He added that the goal for the second phase of construction is to have “purpose-built spaces… building from the ground up”.

So, in the meantime, the MJS team is pitching the additional 200,000 square feet of the second phase to overseas investors.

From vision to reality

For Subratie, a Spanish Town native, the MJS Industrial and Technology Park is more than a business opportunity; it holds immense sentimental value. He recounted during the opening ceremony on Tuesday that he often visited the Ariguanabo Textile Factory, the construction of which his grandfather contributed to in the 1950s.

The ownership of the factory eventually changed hands, with a Colombian company managing the operations in the 1980s. Afterwards, the property was derelict and fell into disrepair.

A trip with his father, Stafford, who reminded him about the family’s legacy in the Angels community, sparked Subratie’s interest in the redevelopment of the property. He soon went to his business partner, Musson Group Chairman PB Scott, asking him to consider an investment in the old factory.

“The bones of the structure were still intact,” Subratie told the audience, relaying his efforts to convince the Musson chairman.

During the anniversary celebration, Spanish Town Mayor Norman Scott, in a video presentation, shared that Subratie’s interest in the old factory grounds stirred him into action. He said he commissioned a team of architects and engineers from the St Catherine Municipal Corporation to work with the MJS team on plans to ensure a smooth approval process.

Welcoming the MJS Industrial and Technology Park, the mayor said the redevelopment is a “game-changer”, employing residents in its environs and contributing to the “rebirth” of Spanish Town.

Natalie Neita Garvey, the Member of Parliament for St Catherine North Central, likewise lauded the investment and invited “continued partnership” between MJS and the Angels community in her constituency.

“Your vision has led to the economic uplift of this community. Your vision has created opportunities and incredible possibilities because now when we train our young people, we train them knowing that there’s a possibility to get a job and that there is a greater incentive to work harder to qualify to get a job,” she said.