“Now we’re beginning the process of having physical meetings and visiting customers again, but there were some benefits to the changes that were made. You now can see a lot more customers, more regularly, through technology and we hope that will make companies more effective when they continue using that technology for marketing and selling. That, along with an improvement in their ability to physically see their customers. “As for The JMEA, we have about 20 people on staff and we did a lot of online seminars and courses to help our members innovate and look at how they do business. We’re visiting our members again in person now and we’re also meeting groups of members online, which has turned out to be good because with technology we’re able to reach out and talk to all our members more often.” BVC: Looking to the future, how do you see the industry evolving and how will the Jamaica Manufacturers & Exporters Association continue to be a viable voice for members? Mahfood: “The challenges with transportation and logistics also creates some opportunities. The big issue is, for instance, a shipping container to Jamaica from Thailand or Malaysia may cost $15,000, however, the shipping cost within the Caribbean is relatively unchanged at about $1,000 to Trinidad, or $1,500 to Barbados. So what that means is that Jamaican exporters and manufacturers have an opportunity because of the high cost of freight outside of Jamaica to the rest of the Caribbean. “We, at the JMEA, are trying to convince our Jamaican manufacturers and exporters to take advantage of this opportunity that has presented itself to start exporting. Because of the shortages that exist worldwide, we have to look at our small Caribbean community more seriously, in terms of how we protect each other and sourcing our products from entities that are closer – whether it’s Canada, the U.S., or another Caribbean country instead of importing from far-off places. “We are also looking at the opportunity of doing more trading online – it means Jamaica can hook up with good online sellers and sell to anyone, in any country, anywhere in the world. It’s just a matter of presenting your product well and pricing it well. In addition, we are focused on strengthening the linkage between our manufacturers and our tourism sector in Jamaica and other markets. “Finally, one thing that has been a fantastic success in Jamaica has been companies that have listed on our Junior Stock Exchange, where businesses can 26 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 11, ISSUE 08
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