Gulfray Americas and CNAICO Auto Manufacturing plant - Why Spanish Town Free Zone will benefit Jamaica

“What the Jamaican people are going to see is jobs. They are going to see high-level, good-paying jobs. It is anticipated that the Zone will generate in excess of 10,000 jobs directly and indirectly, with 2,500 of those jobs being top-level jobs, within the period”

Managing Director of Gulfray Americas, Martin Scott explaining Gulfray Americas and CNAICO's plans to build an automobile manufacturing plant

Jamaica may soon become a manufacturer of Motor vehicles in the next three (3) years continuing the tradition of

Gulfray Americas has partnered with CNAICO (China National Automotive Industry International Corporation) to set up a US$350 million dollar Automobile assembly line in Spanish town as reported in the article “New motor vehicle assembly plant to provide 2,500 jobs by June”, published Wednesday, October 28, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

 

CNAICO, a subsidiary of China National Machinery Industry Corporation, will be building out their Auto manufacturing plant at the Spanish Town Free Zone located at 8 March Pen Road, St Catherine, benefitting from all the incentives that operating in a Free Zone can bring.

So what are the details of this motor vehicle assembly plant as well as the coming Spanish Town Free Zone?

Gulfray Americas and CNAICO Auto Manufacturing plant - Why Spanish Town Free Zone will benefit Jamaica

The construction of the Spanish Town Free Zone will take about three (3) years.

Once up and running, Masada Jamaica Limited will manage the day-to-day running of the Free Zone, with Gulfray Americas and CNAICO being board members on the Board for the Spanish Town Free Zone as reported in the article “Motor Vehicle Assembly Plant For Spanish Town ...10,000 Jobs Projected”, published Wednesday October 28, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

That means being able to apply work rules related to the country of origin that the companies are from as well as freedom from taxation, as a free Zone is effectively a mini embassy, just geared towards work. Their automobile plant will see the following activities taking place:

1.      Auto parts remanufacturing and distribution

2.      Car, bus, and truck assembly

3.      Manufacturing of composites and insulating material

4.      Refining and regeneration of petroleum products

5.      State-of-the-art injection moulding

The joint partnership between Gulfray Americas and CNAICO will result in a large number of persons being employed, mainly from the Spanish Town area:

1.      10,000 direct and indirect jobs

2.      2500 top level jobs i.e. supervisors and managers

Managing Director of Gulfray Americas, Martin Scott hopes to have their Auto plant up and operational within three (3) years and manufacturing trucks and vans first, quote: “The full Zone should be completed within the next two years. We are at phase one now. We are already up and

operational with our partners from Dubai ... . We are already testing equipment. We are putting up a manufacturing plant for trucks and buses and light trucks until we get into the manufacturing of automobiles”.

There are also plans to undertake other manufacturing activities as well:

1.      Manufacturing of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products

2.      Manufacturing and distribution of personal-care products

The companies that will be undertaking that work haven't been mentioned, but the benefits to Jamaica will be immense, especially as we have good taste in automobiles as argued in my Geezam blog article entitled “Why Tata Nano and Cherry QQ failed in Jamaica as Vehicle manufacturing here by June 2016”.

Once this Spanish Town Free Zone is built within the three (3) years and is up and running, it will benefit Jamaica as it will demonstrate that business can be set up in areas of Jamaica that are perceived as crime-ridden.

Jamaica expects great things once this US$350 Auto manufacturing plant is built!