In spite of a number of challenges, Good Times Snacks Ltd is seeing good times ahead as it seeks to expand operations and exports.
Factory manager of the Barbadian-owned company, Eric White, told the MIDWEEK NATION that an increase in taxes and red tape at the Port were affecting business, but the manufacturer of over 30 years managed to retain market relevance.
“Doing business in Barbados can be challenging and something as simple as bringing containers out of the harbour and back in on time and booking customs officers is difficult,” said White, who was speaking yesterday on the sidelines of a tour of the plant by children from St Philip Primary School.
“If we get a container on Friday, the Port staff doesn’t work on weekends and we have to pay demurrage for those days we have the container. And you can’t get a customs officer before the container is at your premises, which is the law.”
White added that recent tax increases had suppressed the buying power of the consumer and if that individual bought two or more snacks before, only one was being purchased now.
“Obviously that would cause things to slow down in the local marketplace because if you have a dollar, you have to consider things like sending school your children first.
“Fortunately, we do a lot of exporting on a regular basis to St Vincent, St Lucia, Grenada and Antigua.”
Chief operating officer Andrew Noel said that given the odds the company faced, Good Time Snacks was still performing well.
He explained that though there was a recent 30 per cent drop in sales, which he also attributed to tax increases, fluctuating oil prices and increasing freight costs, one of the major pitfalls in the industry was competing with other manufacturers that received governmental rebates.
“Trinidad [manufacturers] are now experiencing an increase in the cost of fuel but they still get governmental rebates. We don’t get that in Barbados, which makes production a lot more expensive. While they sell at the same prices we do, they have a lot more money to play with to invade a person’s market, like Sunshine did in 2016 and last year.”
Noel said that if subsidies were offered to manufacturers, local companies would be able to offer an even more reasonable price to the consumer, noting that Good Times Snacks had “to run a tight ship” and conduct a series of pre-planning strategies to remain competitive.
He added that the business, located in Grazettes Industrial Park, St Michael, was always reinvesting monies into machinery, and in the next two years, the company would be embarking on plant and export expansion endeavours.
Yesterday’s tour was part of a learning initiative coordinated by the environmental health department of the Six Roads Polyclinic to give students an insight into the day-to-day activities of an environmental officer.
Principal environmental officer Maurice Gaskin, accompanied by 21 students, two teachers and other officials from the Ministry of Health, also participated in a tour of Crane Beach Hotel and picnicked at the Folkestone Marine Park and Museum. (SB)