Manufacturing and distribution company, Wisynco, on Friday opened its new distribution centre after fire gutted its Lakes Pen, St Catherine warehouse last May causing damage of $2 billion.
The new warehouse, branded the Sam Mahfood Distribution Centre in dedication to one of Wisynco’s founders, is expected to improve efficiency from increases in loading dock space and bulk-racking density. The warehouse also features an early suppression fast-response fire system to minimise the likelihood of another fire at the facility.
Chief Executive Officer Andrew Mahfood anticipates that the US$2 million ($2.6 billion) investment in the 360,000-square-foot distribution centre will further position the company to move aggressively after the export market.
In fact, Wisynco plans to build a new beverage plant valued at US$8 million over the next six months to increase production numbers by 50 per cent as the company seeks to take on the Caribbean.
“We’re talking about one of the biggest investments as a company as a single investment in manufacturing ever in our history. The investment is committed to and the installation of that manufacturing by January 2018 and should be fully operational by February,” Chairman William Mahfood told the Jamaica Observer.
Manufacturing capacity for the company stands at just over 20 million cases per year. The company has also started work on the construction of a 25,000-square-foot cold storage facility. Both facilities are expected to add at least 50 new employment opportunities.
“Over the years, the problem for us has been every time we increased capacity we have found that we kept selling everything we produced locally. The market just keeps growing.
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