Carib Glassworks will be commissioning its second furnace in April and this will double the company’s capacity from 35,000 tonnes to 70,000 tonnes annually.
“We have not waited for the plant to start producing to look for markets in which to sell. We have been actively visiting Cuba, as well as other markets, and this helped form part of our decision to make this investment. We felt this was a market where we would have opportunity to expand business relations. Right now the majority of glass that enters into the Cuban market comes from Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. The Cubans are happy they will not have to wait 30 days to get glass from us like their suppliers in Europe. We have a unique advantage in terms of proximity, which we hope to leverage” said David Hadeed, the managing director of Carib Glassworks Ltd.
“About 15 months ago, Carib Glass made a decision to invest in expanding our capacity, an investment of $180 million. We are the only glass container manufacturer in the Caribbean, with major exports to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico and the US,” Hadeed said.
He also said recent visits to Cuba have given them more insights into that market.