September 2015 Issue Business View Caribbean

Business View Caribbean - September 2015 67 Exposure of products is everything and the hallmark of the BMA has been its “Buy Bajan, Buy Local” theme. In 2001, the Association launched its “Buy Local” cam- paign, a program designed to capture the imagination of consumers, make them aware of the range of lo- cally produced products and instill a sense of pride when they bought local products. The program, which is still integral to the Association’s work, encourages consumers to check their labels and to choose to buy local first, each and every time. It is designed to save jobs, develop the sector and reduce the national import bill. The effectiveness of these campaigns is evident in the increased knowl- edge and awareness of locally manufactured products and in the increased sales realized by the sector. “The reality is that the benefits to the country as a whole are tremendous when we push the buying local concept – not only for the manufacturers,” said BMA President Karlene Nicholls. “We strive hard to main- tain our relevance as an Association, and whether it is a matter relating to the port and shipping, facilitating financial assistance or training and skill development, the Association is always agitating on behalf of its members in order to ensure business continuity and development. “Too often the importance of manufacturing to the na- tional economy is underestimated. If we took a look at global leaders like the USA who previously outsourced their manufacturing we would recognize that they are all bringing it back home. A country can’t trade ser- vices for most of its goods. According to the WTO, 80 percent of world trade among regions is merchandise trade — that is, only 20 percent of world trade is in services.” “My personal passion is to see continuous improve- ment across the sector and see us move forward to- gether and eradicate the misconceptions of manufac- turing as a career dead-end industry. The sector holds so many possibilities and opportunities. I want to see businesses within the manufacturing sector grow, ex-