4 months ago
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Jamaica’s largest facilities maintenance company Manpower Maintenance Services, MMS, has signed a manufacturing and distribution deal with listed chemicals company Paramount Trading.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Expo Jamaica 2025 on the weekend.
Paramount will manufacture chemicals for Manpower, said MMS CEO Don Gittens.
“I will get the kind of dilution that I want, the type of value added that I want, so, he’ll give me balance. If I want scented bleach, he’ll give me scented bleach. If I want an all-purpose cleaner that is different than another all-purpose cleaner, he’ll do that for me. If I want eco-friendly, he’ll give me the eco-friendly chemicals as well,” Gittens explained, referring to Paramount Trading CEO Hugh Graham.
The contract initially covers five to six products, among them bleach, window cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, sanitiser and degreaser. Paramount will supply chemicals for the facilities management arm of MMS Group, manufacture products, including Powersol, that will be distributed under the MMS label, and provide warehousing and logistical support.
Gittens declined to state the value of the contract.
The talks between the companies were initiated by company founder, Audrey Hinchcliffe, three years ago. The final round of discussions started in earnest in March 2024, Gittens added.
For Paramount, the deal represents a potential boost to its top line in the face of softening revenues. For the three months ending November 2024, Paramount’s revenue dipped by three per cent $399 million, and made a second quarter loss of $14million.
Manpower procures its chemicals and cleaning products from a number of local suppliers. The company also has a deal to distribute Colopinto cleaning products and tools out of Colombia. Gittens says he will still work with them, and that the deal with Paramount puts Manpower in a better position to secure and service contracts.
“What this does is it allows me to have a better price for the more price-conscious, and quality for the more quality-conscious. I know I can go and negotiate to get the best price. If I am going after an RFP (request for proposal) or I’m building on something, I can win that bid,” Gittens said.
The Powersol branded products will, for the time being, be sold through MMS outlets. The company has four retail stores at Collins Green, near Cross Roads in Kingston; Montego Bay; Drax Hall, St Ann; and Mandeville, Manchester. There are plans for another store in Kingston and one in Portmore.
Gittens said MMS had not yet selected the exact locations for the new stores, but said they would be sited “wherever there’s more walk traffic”.
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