Nestlé Jamaica has invested US$12.5 million in the construction of a new corporate office and distribution centre at Ferry Pen, St Catherine, which it will officially open on July 2.

The 84,000-square-metre complex comprises five buildings, with the head office occupying 23,000 square metres of collaborative workspace, while the distribution centre is spread over 61,000 square metres.

Included in the five buildings are a corporate office, security post, distribution centre security post, haulier and pump areas, mechanical workshop, and the distribution centre with an attached corporate office, the company told the Jamaica Observer in an e-mail interview.

The distribution centre warehouse is outfitted with 3,817 pallet positions on a racking system that Nestlé said is “internationally certified and can accommodate 6,000 lbs of product/double beam”. It will also serve as the company’s distribution hub for all its customers islandwide.

“Our new site has enabled us to consolidate three separate locations on the island to one state-of-the-art distribution centre. The close proximity to the ports and major highways has made the location ideal in increasing our distribution lead time and enhanced customer service,” Nestlé Jamaica Country Manager Daniel Caron told the Business Observer.

Construction work on the complex was completed in just under 1 ½ years, between February 2016 and June 2017, and provided more than 100 jobs to masons, plumbers, electricians, interior finishers, landscapers, painters, and tilers, all of whom, the company said, were Jamaicans, with 80 per cent of them from surrounding communities.

The company has 195 employees, up from the just over 70 who were on the payroll before they moved into the new complex. It has also hired 36 recruits, between the ages of 18 and 29, through its Nestlé Needs You programme.

Nestlé, a Swiss transnational food and drink company which is now marking its 78th year of operation in Jamaica, has a portfolio of more then 2,000 brands worldwide. In Jamaica the company has 85 product brands on the market, among them Nescafé, Maggi, Milo, Gerber, Coffemate, Klim, Lactogen, Nestum, KitKat, Carnation, Cheerios and Lucky Charms cereals, and Nestlé Gold, a coffee blend which was launched globally by the parent company in March this year.

Caron said the company’s renewed investment in Jamaica further solidifies its commitment to the island.

“Jamaica is uniquely situated in the heart of the Caribbean. It has a promising economic future and is poised for future growth,” he said.

“Nestlé Jamaica has been part of the Jamaica culture and fabric for 78 years. We are committed to enhancing the quality of Jamaicans and contributing to a healthier future for our consumers and their families,” Caron added.