Stationery and Office Supplies Limited (SOS) is modernising its operation as it accelerates digital transformation and expands its online presence to deliver greater convenience for customers.

The company’s latest push in this area, Managing Director Allan McDaniel said, has been greatly powered by significant investments in technology, infrastructure, and operational integration.

“Since the start of this year we have really been working to have our website online, which, over the last four to five months, we’ve managed to make a reality, and customers are now able to make purchases directly online,” McDaniel told the Jamaica Observer in an interview following the company’s annual general meeting last Thursday.

Although he did not disclose the total investment in the new system, McDaniel noted that usage has been steadily increasing. He further said that as adoption grows, the platform is set to make meaningful contributions to the company’s revenue, which reached $1.84 billion in 2024.

Buoyed by the continued growth of its 60-year-old operations, the company is now targeting revenues in excess of $2 billion this year.

For the half-year period ended June 30, 2025, SOS reported sales of $985.2 million, despite reduced net profit of $93.4 million, largely linked to current economic uncertainties affecting businesses globally.

Having spent the last few months completing the development of the e-commerce website, McDaniel said the company is now offering customers the ability to browse products, place orders, and arrange deliveries islandwide. As part of the development process, which he deemed a technically complex but necessary undertaking — the company synchronised the online platform with its inventory and APAC systems to ensure customers can access real-time stock availability.

“The platform has been live for roughly four to five months and is slowly picking up and gathering steam. We have already started to see steady month-to-month growth in online sales,” McDaniel noted.

The company’s online expansion, further supported by strengthened social media engagement, he also said, is expected to broaden its digital reach and drive additional traffic to the business.

Fresh on the heel of its recent move into the new 8,000 square foot SEEK factory, as well as millions invested over time in plant and machinery upgrades, the managing director said the company is now looking to quadruple current production levels.

“While the delays earlier this year meant we missed the 2025 back-to-school peak season, we are pleased to have rectified the issues and completed the SEEK factory before the end of the year. This will allow us to capitalise on growing demand in 2026 in line with our regional expansion plans,” McDaniel said.

“Staff members are already undergoing training as part of the testing phase and the company is already positioning itself to meet islandwide demand in the coming year. A formal launch of the new building is expected to take place soon,” he added.

SOS, as the primary producer of SEEK notebooks and a major supplier of other stationery and office products, also distributes a wide range of office furniture to a growing base of regional customers.

Despite its recent progress, the company, now faced with some setbacks in western Jamaica following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, McDaniel said it is now undertaking the necessary assessments to get its Montego-Bay location back on track.

While operations at its Kingston base remains unaffected, the Montego Bay warehouse suffered severe damage, resulting in what McDaniel described as a near-total loss. Inventory damage is currently estimated at between $20 million and $30 million, and the company is in the process of filing a full insurance claim.

“The Montego Bay showroom in Fairview experienced only minor water intrusion and is open to customers. But the wider impact on staff has slowed recovery efforts, with at least half of the team in that region losing their roofs and facing ongoing disruptions to power and water,” McDaniel explained.

With the Mobay warehouse temporarily offline, SOS has been fulfilling larger western Jamaica orders directly from Kingston. However, the company is now working with its landlord to complete repairs and hopes to have the space operational again by mid-December, allowing normal inventory transfers to resume.

Despite the storm-related challenges, McDaniel stressed that SOS remains focused on growth — both online and in production. “Regardless of the challenges, SOS continues to push forward in expanding its footprint throughout Jamaica and the Caribbean,” he said.

Members of the SOS executive team (from left) Gregory Seymour, financial controller; Kerri Todd, director of special projects; Allan McDaniel, managing director; Kelli Muschett, deputy managing director & director of purchasing & administration; and Stephen Todd, chairman and director of sales and marketing share in a photograph following the company’s AGM held on November 20, 2025.