US$2 Million Expansion By Salt Company a Vote of Confidence in Economy – PM

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, has welcomed the US$2 million investment by Industrial Chemical Company Limited in the expansion and upgrading of its plant in Spanish Town, St. Catherine.

She said the improvements by the company signals a “vote of confidence” in the Government’s economic policies “which have created a stable and predictable environment in our country.”

“This major investment speaks volumes about the economic outlook…and (the company’s) certainty in the future of Jamaica and the Jamaican economy,” she added.

The Prime Minister was speaking at Wednesday’s (September 9) official opening of the upgraded facilities.

The project, which was facilitated through loan support from the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), has significantly transformed the salt and chemical manufacturing company into one of the most modern plants in operation locally, through the installation of state-of-the-art equipment.

This is expected to significantly boost product yields and quality, as well as enable the entity to introduce a wide range of new products for the local and export markets.

Mrs. Simpson Miller said the collaboration between the DBJ and Industrial Chemical was “tangible proof” of the Government’s support for the manufacturing and export sectors.

“We are pleased to have been able to partner with a trusted Jamaican company of many years, which is moving to the next level of development and production,” she added.

Industrial Chemical Company, which is located at 1 Windsor Avenue, off the Spanish Town bypass, was established in 1969 by late businessman, Alexander Barclay Ewart.

Its flagship product is the popular ‘Freeflo’ brand table salt. Other products include: brine salt used in the curing and preservation of codfish (saltfish), bakery salt, as well as aluminium sulphate and sulphuric acid.

Mrs. Simpson commended the company on 46 years of operations, noting that it has had an impressive record of service in the local, regional, and international markets.

“(The fact) that your company now controls some 80 per cent of the local market and a significant share of (the) regional trade, is just reward for the tireless efforts of your management and staff,” she said.

Mrs. Simpson Miller pointed out that Industrial Chemical has also been a major contributor to sustaining the nation’s health, through its introduction of fluoride in table salt, which she said “has had a positive effect on dental health.”

“At the same time, the importance of your products for water treatment cannot be over-emphasized, especially during this period of drought. I commend the board, management, and staff for keeping the dream of your founder alive,” she stated.

For his part, Chairman of Industrial Chemical Limited, Peter Melhado, said the entity recognises the “tremendous effort” made by public and private sector leaders “to bring our economy back…to a level of stability…that encourages firms, like ours, to invest.”

“We are here, as a message to the many stakeholders in our economy, that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and with a continued collective effort, we can translate…hard won gains into growth,” he said.

Mr. Melhado said the company’s investment also “assures us a platform to compete effectively in CARICOM and beyond.”