LOCAL-based Jamaica Producers Group (JPG) will expand its UK shipping services to Africa this year amid the group posting $28.5 million net profit in its September 2013 quarter, 87 per cent higher than year earlier levels.

JPG will offer business and personal shipping to that continent, which is one of the fastest growing regions in the world.

“In addition, before the end of the year, we expect to launch our service to provide personal effects and commercial freight shipments to Africa. At the same time, our core freight-forwarding services between the UK and the Caribbean continue to be important to the business,” stated JP chairman Charles Johnston in his statement accompanying the just released financials.

The main activities of the group and its subsidiaries include farming, food manufacturing, logistics, land management and the holding of investments.

Johnston indicated that the UK-based JP Shipping Services business will also offer online freight booking services shortly.

“We continue to drive customer loyalty by strengthening our service levels. Our current service improvement initiatives include an online freight booking facility for personal effects. This new system will be activated in the fourth quarter and will be a first for our market segment,” he said.

JP Shipping Services, a fully owned JP subsidiary incorporated in England and Wales was initially established to serve the needs of the Jamaican banana industry for shipping and logistical support within the United Kingdom. Over the years it expanded to become a major supplier of global logistical services.

The JP group also operates Jamaica Producers Shipping Company Limited, a 60 per cent owned entity incorporated in Jamaica, according to its 2012 annual report.

The assets or earnings from the shipping companies are not disaggregated in the financials. Calls to managing director Jeffrey Hall went to voicemail up to press time yesterday.

The group, however, benefited from increased earnings from Europe, and the corporate joint ventures as total revenues hit $1.89 billion or 27 per cent higher than year-earlier levels.

“JP Europe is continuing to harvest the benefit of our effort to grow and diversify our earnings base while engaging in aggressive cost management and enhancing operating efficiency,” Johnston stated.

The group operates three business segments, including JP Europe which involves the production and marketing of natural food and drink, and a shipping logistics business; JP Tropical which involves the production and marketing of natural food and drink as well as management of land holdings; and corporate which includes interest and investment income.

Over 39 weeks to date, the JP Europe division earned $137.3 million pre-tax profit on $4 billion in revenues; the JP Tropical division recorded a $7.9 million loss on $1.4 billion in revenues and the corporate division earned $179.5 million in revenues.

Last financial year JP acquired stakes in three large entities including a 50 per cent stake in blue mountain coffee processor Mavis Bank Coffee Factory, a 62 per cent stake in Tortuga International Holdings Limited, which makes premium rum cakes and 30 per cent stake in Kingston Wharves Limited (KW) .