Stationery & Office Supplies Limited (SOS) is intensifying its regional expansion strategy as it increases export shipments across the Caribbean and looks to venture into more markets in the coming years.

Managing Director Allan McDaniel, in an interview with Observer Online, said the company exported approximately 12 containers regionally last year and is now targeting 20 containers annually as it seeks to strengthen its Caribbean footprint.

“If we can get up to 20 containers a year, then we will start to see the advantage of the regional growth in terms of continued product placement in all the different islands,” he said.

During SOS’s first quarter ended March 31, 2026, the company shipped four containers of products to Trinidad, St Lucia and Barbados as it continued building distribution channels and expanding brand recognition throughout the region.

The exports, which included furniture items such as chairs, desks, cabinets and other metal products primarily from its EVOLVE line, formed part of fulfilment for dealer partnerships and commercial projects, including hotel developments.

“During the quarter we worked on some projects in Barbados and I think we sent about two containers that side. We also sent a container to Trinidad as well as St Lucia. Those are the three islands we’re mostly working with right now,” McDaniel said.

“For the St Lucia market for sure, and definitely for the Trinidadian market, we’ve gotten our products started to become well known down there and people are asking for them by number, by brand,” he added.

McDaniel said that while the company will continue focusing on its existing export markets, management’s longer-term ambition is to expand into additional territories by strengthening relationships with regional dealers and distributors. Guyana and Barbados have already been identified as markets in which the company hopes to establish deeper dealership networks.

While SOS’s regional expansion remains a growing priority, McDaniel said the Jamaican market will continue to be the core focus of its operations, particularly for its SEEK notebook line.

He noted that although the company intends to eventually push SEEK products into regional markets, the process will require customised solutions tailored to each territory.

“At the moment our SEEK products are uniquely created for the Jamaican market with our heroes and national symbols, so in order to take them into the other markets, we’ll first have to think about redesigning the books,” McDaniel noted.

Following the recent opening of its new SEEK factory at 26 Collins Green in Kingston, the company has shifted much of its attention toward preparing for the upcoming back-to-school season.

“We’re definitely trying to work on production for back to school this year, for which we have already seen quite an uptick in the number of requests,” he said.

The SEEK factory, a $185-million investment by SOS, triples the company’s notebook production capacity while consolidating manufacturing, warehousing and administrative operations under one roof.

Despite setbacks caused by Hurricane Melissa, which damaged the company’s Montego Bay warehouse late last year, SOS has since restored the facility and resumed operations in January, enabling it to fully recover its western Jamaica revenue base while supporting wider logistics operations.

SOS recorded a historic first quarter performance with revenues rising to $539 million and profit totalling $78.7 million.

Bullish on the company’s growth trajectory and ambition to surpass the $2-billion revenue mark this financial year, McDaniel said management remains optimistic about achieving the target.

“Without Melissa last year, we would definitely have crossed the $2-billion mark, but that remains our goal for this year and we are working hard to achieve it,” he said.

SOS is targeting increased container shipments as its regional ambitions take shape.