Des Vignes: Studley Park doing business with St Vincent and Grenadines

Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment Kwesi Des Vignes said the Studley Park Enterprise Ltd is expanding its reach within the Caribbean.

At the post-executive council news conference last week, he said the company, which was re-engineered in November 2017, is now doing business with St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“I am pleased to announce that Tobago’s material (aggregate) is heading north this time to the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” he told reporters at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex, Scarborough.

“(On July 10), a total of 5,000 metric tonnes of aggregate was shipped to St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

He said Tobago earned close to US$100,000 from that shipment. Caribbean Shipping was Tobago’s intermediary.

Des Vignes said the division is hoping to generate US$1 million in income from its relationship with St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“There is high demand from St Vincent and we are looking forward to getting more material there.”

Des Vignes said despite the political turmoil in Guyana, the division is also looking forward to getting more aggregate to that country.

“Of course, there are challenges in Guyana now but that does not mean that we won’t continue to look for new business.”

He said in January, the company sent its first barge with aggregate to Guyana.

“We are looking to generate revenue through the Studley Park Ltd. There is great demand for the andesite rock at the quarry. It is the second hardest material in the world.”

Des Vignes said the division is also seeking to expand its business to Grenada and the rest of the Caribbean.

He also said the domestic market will not be left out.

“This does not take away from the domestic market in particular, in Trinidad, where we would have sent some 35 barge loads of armoured rock, over 100,000 metric tonnes of boulders to Trinidad for coastal projects.

He said through Studley Park Enterprise Ltd’s re-engineering process, the company has been able to realise tremendous gains.

“We have been able to increase the distribution of material by over 400 per cent.”

Describing Studley Park as a “goldmine for Tobago,” Des Vignes said aggregate is a major avenue through which the economy can be diversified.