MAINLAND INTERNATIONAL, the multi-million dollar hardware business which began operations in Spanish Town, St. Catherine just over a year ago, has embarked on a major expansion drive with the recent acquisition of the longstanding Shields Enterprises hardware store in Mandeville, Manchester, and is looking to acquire other established hardware businesses within the island.
The company is fast becoming a major competitor to the Caribbean Cement Company (CCC), with the importation of a projected 120,000 tonnes of cement by year end and plans to expand rapidly in the construction and hardware field.
Mainland is the latest to indicate that it intends to capture a growing share of the hardware market. The market has until recently seen a shakeout of wholesalers and retailers, with the most pronounced switch seeing Hardware & Lumber move aggressively into retailing as it moved to cash in on consumer spending and avoid the pitfalls of offering credit to businesses it supplied.
In an interview with Wednesday Business last week, sales and marketing manager of Mainland International, Garth Walker, said that since June, this year, the company has imported 80,000 tonnes of cement in two shipments and is planning to import another 40,000 tonnes by year end.
Mr. Walker said the headquarters of Mainland International, which used to operate as Mainland Trading at Mannings Hill Road, St. Andrew, was relocated to March Pen Road, Spanish Town about six months ago, the company having acquired the property and stock of the Caribbean Carpet Mills for an undisclosed sum.
Mainland International, in addition to continuing the imported carpet division, operates a zinc sheet manufacturing plant, as well as a building and construction division at its headquarters, and has hardware outlets in Stony Hill, St. Andrew; a cement depot in Hayes, Clarendon; Mainland International Shields Division in Mandeville, and a trucking division with a fleet of more than 30 trucks and trailers which it uses for islandwide deliveries as well as in rental for removing containers.
Mr. Walker declined to detail the level and source of the capital employed in expanding the company - which began about six years ago as a family enterprise - noting, however, that "a good investment" has been made. Principals of the firm are Jeffery and Lana Myrie.
However, both Mr. Walker and another member of the company's management dismissed speculation that they might be involved in nefarious activities. They said that if they were involved, they could not be operating as transparently as they were doing, and if anybody felt that way they could "come and check us out" or talk with the company's bankers.
The company's future expansion plans call for the establishment of what the management described as a 90,000 square feet "super store" to sell hardware supplies, and in the medium to long term, the acquisition of other established hardware stores within the island.
Mr. Walker said Mainland International was now the largest importer of cement in Jamaica, having brought in 80,000 tonnes of Portland Type 1 SIAM Cement from Thailand since June, with a projected 40,000 tonnes more before year end. Noting that the company was the sole distributor for SIAM Cement, the marketing manager said they were hoping to increase that volume next year.
He attributed their success to the work ethic of the 300 people now employed by Mainland International, their financial resources, sources of supplies, the ability to source material and competitive pricing of their goods and services.
Mr. Walker, noting that provision has been made to employ more people as the company continued to expand, said they have also provided contractual part-time employment for about an additional 250 people to offload and transport its cement for warehousing whenever shipments arrive at Port Esquivel, St. Catherine.
