On Friday, 26 January, 2024, Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry, delivered the Feature Address at a ground breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of works for the establishment of the Brydens Group’s Regional Distribution Centre at Evolving Technologies Ltd.’s (eTecK) Factory Road Industrial Park (FRIP) in Chaguanas.
Minister Gopee-Scoon commended the Brydens Group for investing in itself and, by extension, the local economy and the country, emphasizing the group’s role in retail and wholesale trade and the country’s distribution sector.
The Brydens Group’s Regional Distribution Centre will occupy just over 24 acres or approximately 36 percent of the Factory Road Industrial Park. The park, which is an initiative under the Ministry of Trade and Industry in collaboration with the eTecK, spans approximately 67 acres with 12 leasable land lots, all equipped with quality infrastructure and accessible utilities.
Noting that all 12 lots are already tenanted, the Minister also commended eTecK for playing a crucial role in the park’s development, which included infrastructural works: the installation of natural gas lines in collaboration with the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago and the construction of a drainage network, detention pond, potable waterlines, wastewater recirculation system, road access, overhead electrical infrastructure and street lighting.
The Brydens Group’s Regional Distribution Centre represents an initial investment value of over USD$29 million during Phase 1 of development to facilitate the consolidation of the warehousing needs of the Group’s subsidiaries. These subsidiaries distribute numerous consumables, from food items to hospital equipment and hardware items, in the local market and throughout the region.
Minister Gopee-Scoon shared that according to the “2023 Review of the Economy,” the distribution sector grew by 10.9 percent during the period January to March 2023. The main components in this category are wholesale and retail trade, and natural gas and petroleum distribution. The Bryden Group’s investment, the Minster said, reflects an expectation that positive economic activity will continue in the sector.
“The establishment of the centre will also make a significant contribution to the construction sector, generating employment for approximately 300 persons during construction, and a further 500 permanent jobs upon completion in late 2025,” she added.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to providing a facilitative investment environment, the Minster indicated that, “The development of the FRIP and others like it, for occupancy by the private sector exemplifies a symbiotic relationship, which the Government will continue to nurture through, among other means, the enhancing of initiatives and measures to further incentivize investments and spur economic activity.”
One such measure, the Minister explained, is the implementation of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) regime. This regime encompasses the new SEZ Policy, Legislation, Regulations and Fiscal Incentives, which aim to promote and encourage private sector investment in the management and operations of SEZs.
Deputy Chairman of the Brydens Group Mr. Michael Conyers during his address said, “The facility propels the Brydens Group confidently into the future, rendering us more appealing to both principals and investors alike.”
Also speaking at the event were Deputy Mayor for Chaguanas, Ms. Melissa Jadoonanan, who welcomed the start of the project and expressed her anticipation of the company’s economic influence in the Borough of Chaguanas.
