necessitated creative solutions to maintain production continuity.“About 70 to 80% of our inputs are externally sourced. So having strong supplier networks and relationships is key,” Williams explains. The pandemic experience prompted Berger to develop more resilient sourcing strategies. “What we learned through COVID is to balance an element of primary supply, and our lab and innovation team have built out a list of approved substitutes so that we have business continuity to ensure the plant is not forced to have any critical stoppage and loss of productivity,” says Williams. This preparation has created flexibility that extends beyond the pandemic era. Berger’s regional structure offers unique advantages during supply challenges. “We have the benefit of being part of a matrix group of coatings companies that share similar brands, and that means we share similar ingredients,”Williams notes.“We’ve been able to source and buffer supply from Grenada, Barbados, and Trinidad if we’re in dire straits.” This intra61 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 03 BERGER PAINTS JAMAICA LTD
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