A local manufacturer has diversified its services in the printing sector in order to rise above the challenges of the covid19 pandemic.
Eniath’s Printing Co Ltd (EPCL) has been a family-owned and operated business for over 30 years and is based at Eteck Industrial Park, Frederick Settlement in Caroni.
On Wednesday morning, sales manager Isa Mohammed led a tour of the facility which included Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, members of the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and members of the media.
[caption id="attachment_913420" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Eniath's Printing Co Ltd logo. - PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB[/caption]
The company’s focus has traditionally been the publishing of textbooks for the educational sector throughout the English-speaking Caribbean. In the late 1990s, it expanded its portfolio to include commercial printing to include business cards, letterheads, envelopes, presentation folders, fliers, brochures, catalogues, annual reports, desk planners, wall planners, calendars, menus, invitation cards, variable data printing, book sewing, book binding, laminating and coating.
Shortly before the onset of the pandemic, the company in 2018 started diversifying by entering the packaging/folding carton market to service local and regional markets.
Their work is quite familiar and can be seen in everyday products in the food and beverages industries.
In spite of being able to operate throughout the lockdowns, general manager Naim Khan said the company had to find alternatives to stay afloat because their largest consumer base, schools, was now operating virtually, with most learning materials being offered in a digital format.
“Our book production has declined by 20 per cent to 25 per cent. Packaging production on the other hand only recently started and at the moment it is about 25 per cent of overall sales and it is growing,” he said.
[caption id="attachment_913419" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Nabilah Juman checks the ink on the Heidelberg GTO machine at Eniath's Printing Co Ltd, Eteck Industrial Park, Caroni. - PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB[/caption]
It was one of the many tours Gopee-Scoon continues to embark on as the ministry seeks to provide support and incentives to stimulate growth and development of local businesses.
The tours and site visits, she said, were aimed at providing insight into companies operations, diversification efforts, use of new equipment and technology to remain locally and globally competitive and future plans for growth and expansion.
“It is a challenging time for all businesses, but yet still there are several of them that felt confident enough to continue their investments knowing that covid19 would not be with us forever and businesses continue notwithstanding covid19,” Gopee-Scoon said.
[caption id="attachment_913418" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Workers on a production line at Eniath's Printing Co Ltd, Eteck Industrial Park, Caroni. - PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB[/caption]
She added that increased export capacity to the region has
