Page 2 is back at the Jamaica Pegasus where hundreds gathered last Saturday for the Jamaica Manufacturers & Exporters Association (JMEA) Manufacturers and Exporters (M&E) Awards.

The occasion allowed the association to celebrate the outstanding successes achieved by its members. A total of 23 awards were handed out, and of those, four — The Icon Award, Women in Manufacturing and Exporting, Best Performing Manufacturer on the Main Market, and the Junior Market — were new additions to JMEA’s awards portfolio.

In his address, JMEA President Sydney Thwaites said, “We have challenges in Jamaica. We all know what they are: high energy costs, limited access to capital, high security costs, low level of workforce education… It’s easy to feel like these challenges are unique to Jamaica…they are not. I don’t tell you this to make light of our challenges. They hinder our growth and advancement and demand the attention of Government, public sector and private sector organisations. I simply make the point that these challenges are not impervious to innovation and productivity. We have examples of both in this room and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we are here to celebrate.”

Here are more highlights.