Jamaica Producers sale of 30 percent of JP Snacks Caribbean, for $720 million add to the group’s cash pile for the Group bringing it to just over $6 billion.
The total amount of financial resources provide good ammunition to undertake a sizeable acquisition, locally or overseas.
In an exclusive interview with Jamaica Producers’ Managing director, Jeffrey Hall, IC Insider.com gleaned that the group has a number of plans under its belt. Hall stated that all their businesses are doing well, but The Group is looking growth opportunities in infrastructure and Manufacturing. The low cost of and abundance of local capital is opening up possibilities for local businesses not seen for a long time, Hall stated. However, the group is not about to take on just about any business.
Tortuga International Holdings Company 62 percent subsidiary of Jamaica Producers is one such acquisition the group did a few years ago. The company manufactures the rum cake for sale with the main target being the overseas residents. The company produces rum cake in Jamaica for all the markets except Cayman suffered a fall in revenues in 2018.
Tortuga International had revenues of $879 million in 2018, down from $907 million in 2017, according to the group’s audited accounts. Hall attributes the decline to the effects that hurricanes in the region on tourism traffic to some countries within the region.
“Tortuga will launch Mamajuana Rum Cake in the Dominican Republic in the second quarter of 2019 and Vanilla Rum Cake un Mexico in the third quarter of the year Hall told IC Insider.com.
Producers delivered $816 million profit for shareholders of the group up from $662 million in 2017 from a 21 percent increase in revenues to $19.6 billion compared to $16.2 billion in 2017, at the same time gross profit rose below the increase in revenues at 16.4 percent. Segment results show JP Foods and Drinks division revenues rising 29 percent to $11.3 billion from $8.8 billion in 2017 and delivered segment profit that rose 36 percent to $378 million while the logistic segment comprising mainly Kingston Wharves grew revenues 11 percent to $8.3 billion for a 26 percent rise in profit $2.7 billion.
