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Presentation made by General Manager Ruel Edwards of Grenada Distillers at the HACCP Certification Media Ceremony

Ruel Edwards, General Manager of Grenada Distillers Limited addressing the gathering1
Ruel Edwards, General Manager of Grenada Distillers Limited addressing the gathering

August 27th, 2013 – St. George’s, Grenada: In 2011 as the management of the company was preparing for its 2012 budget and strategic plan, a gentleman of great history and knowledge not only of Grenada but the Grenada Distillers Limited in the person of our Master of Ceremony George Michael Kirton’, presented me with a book of some 50 odd pages which highlighted the work that was done around 2003 into 2004 in getting the Company to approach HACCP certification, there was no need for convincing so I immediately included the HACCP certification as a major objective for the 2012 financial year.

Grossly underestimating the challenge ahead, a budget and timeframe of two months were presented to the Board of Directors. I remember the Directors asking in subtle voice whether I am convinced that this can be done within the established timeframe and budget and with great confidence I responded in the affirmative, yes.

Of course with the wealth of experience that resides within the GDL board room they approved the budget and project timeline knowing full well that the team was not going to be able receive certification in two months.

With such approval and top level support, management On February 2nd 2012 convened our first HACCP meeting ably lead by Ms. Rahim and from then, there was no turning back. Over the next 17 months:

1) We have written and re-written countless Standard operating procedures

2) Re-organise the company’s operations to drive efficiency

3) Conduct numerous training sessions to equip staff with technical knowledge required to deliver a safe product

4) Hire new employees who shared the passion and believed in the vision in making GDL a flagship company.

5) over the last 17 months we would have introduce new work flows and technologies to support the new quality management system that we have embarked upon.

6) Invested substantially in health and safety to assure that an environment that lends itself to productivity is present.

7) produced numerous booklets on Good manufacturing practices which has become the bible or go to book within the walls of GDL

These were all done through the steady and unwavering resolved of a Board of Directors lead by its Chairman Mr. Leroy Neckles and supported immensely by the other directors. HACCP which means Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is the systematic preventative approach to food safety which addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards before and during a production process rather than emphasis of inspection to a finish product at the end of a production cycle.

HACCP is not only applicable to manufacturing concerns such as ours but it is also used in other industries such as pharmaceuticals, food service providers that include hotels, restaurants, hospitals, processors of meats, fish and farms and diaries etc.

What you see here today, is an achievement that positions the Grenada Distillers Limited to take advantage of international market opportunities for its products by demonstrating to the international customer and regulator that we do have a food safety management system.

International markets such as the United States which in 2011 passed its Food Safety Modernisation Act requiring all food producers desirous of exporting into the US to have a food safety system in place and Europe can easily identify food safety as non-tariff barrier to trade under their rules for phyto-sanitary and sanitary measures.

What you see here today will be the first of its kind among the spirits producers in Grenada, in other words we are the leaders not only in terms of uniqueness of taste and elegance in packaging style but also a strong differentiator of our brand on the grounds of quality.

We now have such a food safety system that is functional and credible and puts us among a select few companies in Grenada with this level or any internationally recognised food safety certification. SGS which is the certifying body through whom we would have received this HACCP Certificate that you will see today, is a multinational company headquartered in Geneva Switzerland.

It was established in 1878 over 130 years worth of experience and is now the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and Certification Company.

SGS is recognised as the global benchmark for quality and integrity and has around 75,000 employees and operates over 1,500 offices and laboratories worldwide.

Through this certification it enables us here at the Grenada Distillers Limited to:

1.       demonstrate that our products, processes, systems are compliant with national and international standards and regulations

2.       increase our awareness of food risk

3.       Improve our ability to trace raw material and finished goods.

4.       Increase buyer and consumer confidence

5.       Promotion of internal review of our processes

6.       Improve our responsiveness to problems

7.       Reduce any potential for negative publicity

8.       Provides a basis for knowledge sharing, transfer and employee development through the right application of science and technology.

9.       That critical elements of our operations to include: visitors, customers and contractors are all catered for

10.   That our premises and equipment and effluent treatment program are all given due attention.

In this regard, what we have done is to position ourselves to grow and develop into a mature company that can provide adequate return to shareholders, quality products to our customers, be that employer of choice, contribute positively to Grenada’s GDP and to uplift the community that we serve.

Any success of such internationalisation will afford GDL to preserve and possibly increase jobs and to really be a leading Private Sector company in every sense of the word.

This achievement today has been done amidst significant challenges in the industry due to the unregulated production and sale of illegally produced spirits which can tarnish the good name of rum, the ever increasing production cost influenced by rising fuel prices.

Today is a national celebration for not only members of the GDL family but all Grenadians as we have demonstrated that a company with Grenadian ownership and management can rise to the occasion a task which can take as much as four years to accomplish.

In closing I wish to
express my deep regard to the Board of Directors. Chairman Mr. Leroy Neckles, Director St Louis, Dr. Spencer Thomas in his absence and Director Jones, the management Ms Cameron, Agustine, Singh and Messer’s Date, St Louis, Edwards, Kirton and the entire staff population who are the custodian of this new system. However, in particular our technical expert Ms. Heida Rahim GDL values every contribution that you have made towards our success.

As the auditor said ’the easy part is to get the certificate the hard part is to keep it’.

Through our great commitment and resolve am sure that we will build on what we have achieved today.

Thank you

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