Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc

Exceeding expectations

The largest multi-principal company of its kind in Guyana, Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc. helps to provide the country and its customers with world-class consumer products

Located in northern South America, bordering the north Atlantic Ocean between Venezuela and Suriname, lies the country of Guyana. The only English-speaking country of South America, Guyana is rich in natural resources such as gold, bauxite, rice, sugar, oil and gas, and pristine rainforests. It has also been the home of Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc. (Massy) for over 100 years, and counting.

“We began operations in 1914, then as Geddes Grant (Guyana) Ltd, rebranding ourselves as Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc. in 2014,” explains Chief Executive Officer, Navin Thakur. “Today the company is one of eight operating Massy companies in Guyana with the Head Office, Massy Holdings Ltd, based in Trinidad and Tobago, with two operating divisions of our own; Massy Trading and Massy Distribution. From our locations in Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo, we are engaged in the distribution of quality food and other consumer foods, and pharmaceutical products to consumers via supermarkets, wholesalers and the retail trade. We are also the authorised dealer for Case IH Agriculture, New Holland Agriculture, Dondi Spa and Walpeco Equipment, which we support with technical and after sales services. Additionally, we have a spare parts department, which is focused on the upkeep of machinery, including tractors, harvestors and implements.”

Further benefits
A fast-paced marketing and distribution company that employs a team of 250 employees, Massy Distribution prides itself on striving to provide its customers with positive experiences at all times. “We are the largest multi-principal distributor in Guyana,” Navin continues. “Over the years, the company has earned a reputation for its ability to positively represent quality brands from both local and international suppliers. It has been as a result of this, together with the development of our people, the diversification of our ‘basket of goods’, continuous improvement projects with our distribution operations and the introduction of a Warehouse Management System, that we have been able to capitalise on growth conditions within the market.”

The aforementioned advancements have helped create further benefits for the many different businesses and companies that Massy consider to be its business partners. These include the likes of Colgate-Palmolive Co., Fonterra Americas Brands, General Mills Marketing Inc; Nestle Caribbean Inc., GK Foods and Services Limited; Brasil Foods AS; The Kraft Heinz Company; Modelez International Holdings, Weetabix Limited, United Biscuits, Unilever Caribbean Limited, Kimberly Clark Puerto Rico, 3M Interamerica Inc; Mars Wrigley Confectionary Company; Bayer Health Care; Stansfeld Scott Inc.; Les Laboraties Servier; Norma Chemicals, Nova Group; SC Johnson de Puerto Rico and Langston Roach Industries to name a few.

“With each of these respected names, we have worked extremely hard to establish strong relationships that are built upon the highest levels of professionalism, open communication, mutual trust and respect,” Navin enthuses.

Extensive reach
Such has been the success of this approach to doing business that Massy’s customer database today numbers almost 2100 different partners. These are serviced by the company’s fleet of 45 go-to-market vehicles, which handle both dry and refrigerated goods, and its considerable warehousing capacity, which totals more than 1.7 million cubic feet. The strategic location of its facilities affords it extensive distribution reach, while its newest facility in Starlite Square is Guyana’s largest and most modern of its kind.

“Across our warehousing operations we have automated processes in place for inventory management, product returns, and the receiving, picking and delivery of goods,” Navin adds. “Each of our sales people is assigned a group of customers and products, and are equipped with tablets for the processing of orders, which we have found to be more efficient and to reduce errors when it comes to product code identification. Once the ordering process is completed the device is then synced to our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, where orders are automatically uploaded.”

Seizing opportunities
In order to handle the large product offering that Massy is tasked with distributing, the company has devised a detailed and focused Go-To-Market (GTM) structure to ensure cost effective delivery to its customers. “We categorise our customers into six different sectors, these being supermarkets, wholesalers, retail convenience, pharmacies, retail municipals and DT retail businesses,” Navin says. “We also break down each customer profile based on certain criteria, such as the specific profile/size of their account, their geographical location, the volume of shopper traffic and so forth.

“Our GTM is constantly under review, allowing us to identify opportunities within specific retail environments and to seize these, maximising growth, in the process. Given the ever-evolving nature of our product offering, we are also constantly reviewing how best to capture new customers and how we can service them in an efficient manner. It is also thanks to our GTM strategy that we have resourced a fully outfitted sales team to ensure that we adequately service our customer database.”

Looking back at recent achievements for the company, 2017 was a year that saw Massy pick up a number of industry awards and certifications. In April, it was the recipient of the ‘Safety Award’ from the National Advisory Council on Safety & Health (NACOSH), while in June it not only transitioned and obtained certification to the new ISO 9001:2015 standard, but was also praised by The National Blood Transfusion Service, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Ministry of Public Health, for its donation of more than 250 units between 2015 and 2017. Most recently, in October, it was also proud to receive the ‘Gold Quality Award for Service’ from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards.

“Our focus for 2018 is to continue to build upon our success by expanding our distribution reach and coverage, adding new product lines and increasing our warehousing infrastructure,” Navin concludes. “At the same time, we will ensure that we remain committed to investing in the development of our people and that we push forward with our safety standards, with a goal of achieving zero harm to both our people and the environment.”