22 May 2015 - Business View Caribbean
tiveness. While the quality and craftsmanship of local
manufacturing is undeniably first class, we are forced
to compete against foreign goods, be it right here at
home or abroad where the playing field is not level.
We must compete with markets whose labor costs are
much lower, who have cheaper access to energy and
who benefit from greater economies of scale than we
do.”
One of the BMA’s primary objectives and mandates
continues to be the development of its members and
the provision of maximum exposure for their products,
both locally and internationally. Also key for us is train-
ing. We want to make sure manufacturers have the
right tools and access to the necessary resources. That
is the drive behind our collaboration with the Cave Hill
School of Business and other partners on various ini-
tiatives such as the Entrepreneurial Survival Series.
“Our manufacturers are also recognizing the need to
be more creative, to innovate and adopt performance
standards,” Nicholls said. “There are several manufac-
turers in this country who are ISO certified, who have
outstanding brands competing on the regional and in-
ternational stage. But unfortunately so many people
are still not aware of the wide variety and quality we
produce across the spectrum of locally manufactured
products.”
Adherence to international standards and capacity
building are also some other hurdles which need to
be conquered, so the BMA has been placing effort on
standards and compliance. For many manufacturers,
the next step in business growth is the development
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