Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

SALKEY

Though it's been around for about 50 years, the Hardware Merchants Association (HMA), might not readily be on the lips of the wider public and current Chairman, Errol Salkey, is trying to change that.

He got involved in the association about three years ago after opening his own business, Alumina de Caribe which provides products such as glass, doors, fixtures and aluminium extrusions which can be used to batten up plazas, for example, during preparations for hurricanes. He thought it was a logical decision to join the HMA.

A lot of information

"There's a lot of information to be had (in this field) that persons outside the organisation wouldn't have," he pointed out. He noted that even some store owners, like himself, who don't directly or wholly supply hardware materials like wood and cement are included in the association. Considering the importance of the association in the local construction industry, it might be surprising that the HMA has less than 60 members. As chairman since January of this year, he wants to do something about that.

"My aim is to grow the membership. As a body, we need to have numbers. if we don't have the numbers, we can't be strong enough," he asserted. A 'strong voice', for instance, would be useful, for example, in what he calls 'the foreign invasion' of suppliers to the local industry.

As with any association, those feeling the need for its services would be more familiar with its workings. Part of Salkey's aim is to increase the HMA's visibility in the wider public eye.

Goal

"I don't want people to talk to us just because cement is short or because they want to purchase something," he reasoned. Part of the goal is to increase the awareness of HMA members with regards to the opportunities outside Jamaica. He knows there is still a lot more that can be done but pointed out that there was one major hindrance; money.

"The HMA doesn't have the privilege of a, let's say Jamaica Manufacturers' Association for example. We are run solely on membership fees and we have our annual trade show, so whatever funds we get is from that," he said.

Even though his background is in Sales and Marketing, it was after his travels around the island where he interacted with hardware merchants that he first got the inclination. Even after his tenure as chairman runs out, he hopes to see positive changes in the association.

"I hope to double the membership; come up with innovative ways to make our own money," he says. He would also like to see the day when the association (currently on Windsor Avenue), is housed in its own building which would facilitate activities such as seminars. He also dreams of a Caribbean HMA to take advantage of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) thrust.

It seems he'll go at it, hammer and tong!