Business View Caribbean | July 2022

37 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7 JAMA I CA MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS ASSOC I AT ION Association to attain wider national and international influence, resulting in a more effective, holistic representation and application of greater benefits to the entire membership and industry. Today, the Jamaica Manufacturers & Exporters Association serves as the voice of exporters, manufacturers, service providers, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Vital support is provided to JMEA members and the industry through advocacy, strategic partnerships, export services, research, capacity building, and access to finance. Its goal is unwavering and clear – to contribute to the growth and sustainability of Jamaican businesses and the economy. Business View Caribbean spoke with John Mahfood, President of the JMEA, about current challenges and the future of the industry. His informative insights bode well for the future of Jamaica’s manufacturing and export sector. BVC: Congratulations to JMEA on 75 years! Can you share an overview of the Association today? Mahfood: “We represent about 450 companies, from very small mom-and-pop businesses to quite large companies as far as Jamaican standards. But most are fairly small companies. We advocate with the government ministries on behalf of our members, if we see issues that need to be addressed. We also put on courses and seminars and organize events where members can showcase their products. We had a meeting in early April that was called ‘Speed Networking’, where about 50 hotels and tourism sector companies met with about 100 of our manufacturers with a view to increasing support for local manufacturers among the hotels. “Another more recent project was Christmas in July, where some of the smaller members of the JMEA showcased their products to financial institutions and gift shops and so on, with the goal of having those institutions sell the local