Suriname Study Tour Day 6

After a breakfast of bread, curried pork, string beans and carrots, mini pizza and smoked herring, we boarded the maxi and started on our way to the guesthouse at Anton de Kom University of Suriname. Professor Persad arrived in Suriname early this morning and our first stop was to pick him up at the Mariott Hotel, just around the corner from where we are staying at the Queen’s Hotel.

Professor Persad was scheduled to carry out a workshop at the University promoting the IIEM programme. An interest in adopting the programme was sparked by the members of the University Board back in October 2011 when the Caribbean Invention and Innovation Centre was launched. Invited guests included Ms. Gayatrie Beharie, Mr. Winston Weilson, Ms. Farida Augustin and Mr. Peter Laan, all from the Suriname Business Development Centre. Also present was Mr. Naaderop, Chairman, Mr. Saboerali and Mr. The presentation delivered by Professor Persad went in to great detail about the IIEM programme. He outlined the aims and objectives of the programme and its focus on entrepreneurship and manufacturing in industry. The board members of the University were particularly impressed by the content of the programme, especially as they already had an undergraduate business programme as well as a programme focusing on technology, but none that bridge the gap. The IIEM programme provides a ready avenue to address this gap. Mr. Saboerali expressed enthusiasm for the programme, as he saw a need for one of this nature, especially in light of Suriname’s expected shift towards a greater degree of entrepreneurship within the country, with an increased focus on technology.



SBF Workshop poster



All eyes were on Kadeen Dass and Joanne Maynard as they consecutively delivered a brief description of their experiences thus far as students of the 2011-2012 IIEM Masters programme. Kadeen clearly showed how the programme helped him to develop as an individual, while Joanne spoke about the uniqueness of the programme and how valuable it has proven to be for her.

Professor Prakash Persad and representatives from the Board of  Directors  of   the Anton de  Kom  University of Suriname 

After Mr. Ameerali expressed continued thanks to the various entities, we were whisked away to the hotel where we changed to embark on another journey, this time to the Suriname Alcoholic Beverages Company Limited, SAB. At SAB, we started at the rum museum where we attempted to guess the most aged rum from three selections. There were four bottles, each containing rums of different ages, and one had to smell the rum to guess which one was the most aged. Dinesh was the eventual winner, choosing the one that had been aged for eight years. We were then given a very thorough tour of the company and a comprehensive insight into its operations. This was done by Mr. Kenneth Valderkamp, the production manager at SAB.

When our group toured the facility, we received a special treat. Deep within Suriname Alcoholic Beverages (SAB) was a mixture of old and new of technology. From the fully automated labelling lines to the now outdated molasses manufacturing facility, this company shows its creativity in its utilization of technology. Their ability to recycle parts from the older machines to fix the newer ones and to have the older labelling machine refurbished and on standby in case of a emergency shows that they are making full use of all of the resources available. Our group, however, identified simple ways to improve the process by automating specific tasks. This is a project that can be undertaken by UTT’s current pool of undergraduate engineers who have undertaken similar projects in the university’s mechatronics and electrical departments. We recommend, therefore, that this company partner not only with the local university, but set up a student exchange programme with the University of Trinidad and Tobago where selected engineering students can design a fully functional automated mechatronic system with the relevant controls.

Professor Persad and the 2011/2012 IIEM  class

SAB is ISO 9001/22000 certified and is a member of the Caribbean Brewers Association and the West Indies Rum & Spirits Association (WIRSPA). This company maintains strong contacts with Angostura Limited in Trinidad for sourcing raw materials and rum tanks. Machine parts are sourced from the United States of America and Trinidad, where they also send certain machines for maintenance. The company exports to the Netherlands and has had marketing programs in Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. New marketing programs are carded for the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

SAB is in a transitional stage, upgrading their operations, machinery and policies. In so doing, they are improving efficiency of water and electricity use. They exhibit environmental responsibility by separating oil from their effluent water before discharging it and have even taken proactive steps to work with the Ministry of the Environment to develop national best practice policies for the disposal of reject alcohol. Their future upgrading and expansion projects have all taken into consideration environmentally responsible practices. In fact, they are considering undertaking glass recycling. Indeed, SAB is exhibiting the principle of sustainable development by ensuring that profits do not come at the cost of the environment; while their social responsibility is manifested through the support of community activities.



Srishti displaying SAB's wide selection of beverages



With SAB being a privately-owned entity, it was a bit difficult for us to identify "real" entrepreneurial activities within this organization; our quick assessment revealed progressive growth, comfortable profits and a perfectly defined market. We observed, however, an issue surrounding productivity which may represent some entrepreneurial potential but in a supporting role. SAB’s productivity was hampered by Preventative Maintenance (PM) issues primarily due to the unavailability of replacement parts. Most of these parts are sourced from mainland US and Trinidad resulting in high costs and extended downtimes. The unavailability of replacement parts in-country represents an untapped, niche market which can be best served by private sector involvement.  We are of the view that Trinidad’s own Metal Industries Company (MIC) business model can be usefully employed here, in that companies can be spawned to provide parts, mechanical, technical and other periphery support to SAB and other like companies.

On completion of the tour, we were invited back to the gift shop where we purchased souvenir gift items. We then headed back to the hotel for an evening of shopping and blogging. Join us tomorrow as we share our experiences from our visit to Suralco.