Workers on the production line at Gray's Pepper Products Limited, based in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland. - Photo by Noel Thompson

WESTERN BUREAU:

The rich aroma of Scotch bonnet pepper, blended with some of the finest ingredients, envelops the premises at Gray's Pepper Products on Chantilly Road in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, and indicates you have reached your destination.

It is the only business of its type being operated in Westmoreland, providing full-time employment for more than 20 residents.

Andrew Gray is the managing director of the family-operated business which his father started more than 40 years ago, initially as a spice company. The elder Gray, who dabbled in spices, recognised their potential on the export market.

The demand for sauces was growing and so he placed a heavier concentration on that product, pulling out all the stops to supply his overseas clientele. Before he knew it, the business was growing at a rapid pace and the family had to increase its staff complement to execute the demand in its quest to continue satisfying its customers.

A young boy then, Andrew was ushered off to Toronto, Canada, to attend college where he studied chemistry and biochemistry at the degree level. He returned home in 1985 and was expecting to spend a short holiday but was told by his father "you are not going back".

Andrew recalls he did not approve of his father's decision, but he had no choice to do otherwise. The move, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Modernised over time

Andrew Gray, managing director of Gray's Pepper Products Limited, based in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland. - Photo by Noel Thompson

"My father operated the plant manually and was producing about 20,000 gallons of hot pepper sauce per year, so I modernised it over time and now we are doing 200,000," he said.

Gray's Pepper Products is today one of the largest processors of fresh peppers on the island, processing up to one million tons of pepper annually.

"Currently, we are buying about 20,000 tons of pepper weekly and we have the capacity to store up to 300,000 pounds at any one time," he told The Gleaner.

However, with any success comes challenges and Gray's Pepper Products has its fair share. Said Gray: "Our main challenge is the availability and reliability of raw material. In the past, we have been affected by a sequence of hurricanes, which has hampered production a lot."

He noted that after Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, Jamaica never had another hurricane of that magnitude until about 16 years later with hurricanes Ivan, Dennis, Dean and more recently, Tropical Storm Gustav. These hurricanes severely affecting production.

"Each time the crops recover, hurricanes wipe them out in quick succession and it takes a long time to recover, so we encounter a challenge to import peppers and the quality of both peppers and raw materials is inferior to what is available locally and is also more expensive," he said. These costs he has to absorb and cannot pass on to customers.

Food giant GraceKennedy is one of the biggest clients of Gray's Pepper Products.

noel.thompson@gleanerjm.com

Employees of Gray's Pepper Products Limited, based in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, package bottles of hot pepper sauce. From left are Mavis Brown, Lovetta Hall, Michael Forrest and Dorrett Lawson.