The Hon. Karl Samuda (centre), Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), listens intently as Cordia Panton-Williams (2nd left), Brand Manager of Best Dressed Chicken, talks about the new chicken tray pack that comes with a sachet of Local Spice's Complete Seasoning product. Looking on are Marvin Stuart (left), co-owner of Local Spice Limited, Oliver Mair, Sales and Marketing Manager for Best Dressed Foods, and Marlene Porter, JAMPRO's Export Development Manager.

Local Spice Limited, manufacturers of the exciting Complete Seasoning product, has credited the business facilitation and export promotion services of JAMPRO and the support of Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Karl Samuda as major contributing factors to the company’s success to date.

Marvin Stuart, who founded Local Spice with his brother Marlon Stuart some seven months ago, rained plaudits on the national investment and trade promotion agency and the Hon. Karl Samuda during a courtesy call on the Minister with representatives from Best Dressed Foods. The occasion was used to present Best Dressed Food’s new chicken tray pack bundled with a sachet of Complete Seasoning, which is the result of a partnership initiated by the work of JAMPRO.

“We are delighted to have our Complete Seasoning pouches packaged in all six Best Dressed tray packs, and this partnership was initially sparked through Minister Samuda’s Exporter Forum, which was organised by JAMPRO in April. We had our initial meeting there with Best Dressed Foods, and we followed up with them at the JMA/JEA Expo Jamaica, where we were featured in JAMPRO’s booth,” said Stuart.

Minister Samuda described the partnership as an excellent strategic move that would redound to the mutual benefit of both companies. He commended the Stuart brothers for their entrepreneurial spirit and praised the officials from Best Dressed Foods for the company’s innovative approach to business.

Oliver Mair, Sales and Marketing Manager for Best Dressed Foods, indicated that the attractive packaging of Local Spice’s Complete Seasoning and the positive comments that it received at the Minister’s Exporter Forum had originally piqued his interest.

“The representatives from JAMPRO and Minister Samuda spoke so highly and passionately about this company, which was making waves locally and internationally after being around for such a short time, and I immediately took interest in their Complete Seasoning product,” said Mair.

Cordia Panton-Williams, Brand Manager for Best Dressed Chicken, noted that coming out of Local Spice’s impressive showing at Expo Jamaica, she was excited by the Complete Seasoning product and felt that it would be a perfect fit for the Best Dressed Chicken tray packs.

“Having the Complete Seasoning neatly packaged and readily available with the Best Dressed chicken is a perfect match, whether as a stand alone seasoning or as a base to add other flavours. We currently have it packaged with our drum sticks, leg quarters, mixed parts, deboned breasts, deboned thigh and breast tenderloin tray packs,” said Panton Williams.

Marlene Porter, JAMPRO’s Export Development Manager, offered congratulatory words to Local Spice and Best Dressed Foods, and noted that the agency had recognised from the beginning that Complete Seasoning was a great product with tremendous potential.

“JAMPRO is pleased with the success that Local Spice has been able to reap through the support services, promotions and market penetration initiatives facilitated by the agency,” she stated.

Local Spice Limited launched its operations in January 2010 and benefited from waivers on the acquisition of packaging machines, which was facilitated by JAMPRO under the Modernisation of Industry (MOI) programme. In its seven months of operation, Local Spice’s production level has grown from 5,000 pouches per week initially to somewhere around 75,000 to 80,000 pouches per week for current distribution in local and international markets.

The company has also received invaluable assistance in export development from JAMPRO and has been represented at local and international trade events as part of the agency’s promotional activities. Most recently, Local Spice’s Complete Seasoning was on show at the Fancy Food event in New York, and in September JAMPRO will again include the product in a major in-store promotion in the US with prominent supermarket chain Fiesta Mart.