As it yesterday commissioned a new 75,000-square foot distribution facility, costing some US$10M at Montrose on the East Coast of Deme-rara, the rebranded Massy Group announced plans to open two supermarkets here in another 18 months.
“We are going to start supermarkets here in 12 to 15 months” President and Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad-based Massy Group, Gervase Warner told attendees at the Massy Brand launch and state-of-the-art distribution centre opening last evening.
Warner explained that the decision to get into the supermarket business in Guyana was one made after a thorough analysis of the retail sector and evidenced future profitability and returns. In an interview with Stabroek News, yesterday, Warner said that one of the supermarkets would be near the Provi-dence Cricket Stadium on land held by cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan and the other on the East Coast.
At last evening’s reception, held at the distribution facility’s Lot D4 Starlite Square ECD, address, Country CEO Roy Prasad explained the change of Neal and Massy to just Massy. “Today’s function marks a significant milestone in the history of the Massy Group in Guyana as it heralds the launch of our new brand and identity and celebrates the opening of this new distribution facility,” he said.
“We leave behind those iconic and well-loved brands and identities that have served the Guyana Group very well in the past. But the future beckons and that demands that we articulate a bright and bold vision of where this group is going and how we can reshape our identity in order to meaningfully engage with all of our stakeholders,” he further added.
This way, companies such as Neal and Massy Guyana Limited, Associat-ed Industries Limited, CCS Guyana Limited, Demerara Oxygen Company Ltd, NM Services Ltd, NM Security Solutions Inc., Trading and Distribution Inc. and Geddes Grant will all now be just Massy.
The Massy Group CEO, adding to Prasad’s assertions, noted that the rationale for the changing of the company’s new corporate identity was a strategic move so that subsidiaries will become more interdependent as they work together to achieve the one-company objective. He said that the consolidation offers many benefits to the customer, employees and the company.
“We believe that redefining our corporate brand strengthens that cohesion across our companies to better communicate to our customers, and all our stakeholders, the benefit of doing business with us… Now with one Massy throughout the region it makes sense,” he said.
Giving an insight into the new US$10M ($2B) facility here, Massy Guyana’s CEO stressed that it was a strategic move as the company charted a new course for itself with a new brand. He said that it speaks to the message of cohesion and improved stakeholder experience, be it supplier or customer, qualities synonymous with the new brand.
He described the 75,000-square foot facility as equipped with fully racked warehousing space, including 14,000 square feet of modern air-conditioned, chilled and frozen facilities.
To facilitate the transition to a state-of-the-art operation, he said that the company has implemented a warehouse management system for better inventory control which should vastly improve productivity levels.
“This new facility which centralizes our distribution warehousing operations in Demerara will allow us to better realize our purpose of bringing more value to thousands of Guyanese families and their communities…” Prasad stated. It consolidates a number of warehouses.
Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh, who gave an address on behalf of government, underscored the decentralization of the facility noting that customers would not have to endure the congested traffic of the city.
Singh also said that the opening of the facility and presence of the Massy brand, shows investor confidence in the Guyana market and his government and is a “tangible demonstration” of this.
“Today’s rebranding provides me with a source of much satisfaction…it signifies continued confidence by investors in the Guyana economy …for those who say investor confidence is flagging, this I believe refutes that assertion,” he posited.
