SISSONS Paints officially opened its Lady Musgrave Road flagship store in Kingston on Tuesday with a stated investment of J$40 million.

Future plans include adding new branches and building a manufacturing plant in the island, according to local partner to the deal, Christopher Bowen, managing director at Asaph Promotions and Distribution. Trinidad-based conglomerate Ansa Mcal owns and makes Sissons paints.

“Since Ansa and Asaph have become partners and launched the Sissons brand last year we have already injected over $40 million in the local economy with the development of the major warehousing facilitiy as well as the completion of the first Sisson shop,” stated Bowen at the official launch on Tuesday night.

In the short term, the partnership is working towards opening Sissons colour shops in strategic locations across the island.

“These locations will most definitely include Montego Bay, Portmore, St Thomas and Ocho Rios,” Bowen said. “In the medium to long term we intend to invest in a manufacturing facility that produces Sissons paints in Jamaica, further deepening our commitment to the growth of the local economy.”

Sissons started manufacturing paints in 1956 and exports across the Americas. Its umbrella company is Ansa Coatings Limited, which is a subsidiary of Ansa McAL conglomerate listed on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange.

Ansa Coating Ltd managing director Roger Roach said at the launch that the investment in Jamaica formed part of the company’s rapid expansion plans.

“Our goal is to become a regional powerhouse and double the size of our business over the next five years,” stated Roach. “It is a challenge which we accept and one which we intend to achieve.”

To that end Ansa Coating Jamaica Ltd was established in September 2014 and formalised a partnership with Asaph in October 2014.

“We intend to use these vehicles to market the brand and play a leading role with expanding our colour shops across the island.”

Roach indicated that full entry into Jamaica was a necessary pillar of the growth vision.

“Jamaica is the largest English-speaking Caribbean island. Jamaica has a robust and sophisticated construction sector, and Jamaicans want value for money — a good product at an affordable price,” stated Roach who described Sissons as a “one-stop shop” for decorative paints, automotive paints, industrial paints and accessories.