CATEGORY:MANUFACTURING
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BARGUNA ENTERPRISES Limited, a small agro-processing company located in Tivoli, St. Andrew, was one of the recipients of recognition awards in the category of manufacturing by the Grenada Bureau of Standards, in a ceremony held at the Bureau's conference room on October 13, 2006.

Each year the Bureau of Standards recognizes deserving small companies for application of standards in improving the quality of products manufactured. This is done on or around October 14 to coincide with the celebration of World Standards Day.

In addressing the gathering, the manager of the Bureau of Standards, Mr. Simeon Collins, congratulated Barguna Enterprises for its stringent and sustained efforts in creating and developing its wide range of products all of which are made wholly or partially from local material. He continued that the company has made great strides and that he was impressed with the standard and quality of the products.

Barguna Enterprises Limited manufactures a variety of products under the brand name Keno. Among them are herbal teas, which include Lemon Grass, Cinnamon, Black Sage, Sour Sop and Health-tea, a signature blend of herbs and spices said to be good for diabetes and cholesterol control.

Other products manufactured are Herbal wines. They include Spice Wine, Lemon Grass Wine and the more popularly known, XXX Boisade, a ‘bois bande’ wine. Tibli Grog - Under the Counter Rum is emerging as the company's flag ship product according to the General Manager, Mr. Kenneth Thomas.

In his remarks at he ceremony, Mr. Thomas indicated that his company has been experiencing dogged days in its struggle to cope with the challenges with which it is confronted. Nonetheless, he envisages a bright future having already secured a market in Trinidad and Tobago for one of its products with others being presently test marketed.

Other products, geared towards the regional market, are in the pipeline. He indicated that there is significant interest in North America and the U.K. among potential distributors for bois bande products; however, there is a serious impediment to importation into these countries largely due to the fact that the plant and its use are unknown to regulators even though they are widely known in the English and French Caribbean historically.

To prove its efficacy, many years of extensive research would be required for regulatory acceptance in these markets much beyond the capacity of a single micro enterprise such as ours, he said.

Mr. Thomas, a graduate of Howard University is a chemist with excess of twenty five years professional experience in the United States and U.S. Virgin Islands.

He extends grateful thanks to the Bureau of Standards, the Industrial Development Corporation and the Grenada Government for continued assistance.