15 Companies, 3 personalities honoured at 9th Ghana Manufacturing awards

Fifteen companies and three personalities in the manufacturing sector received honours for their outstanding performance at the ninth Ghana Manufacturing Awards in Accra last Friday. 

GB Foods Ghana was crowned the Manufacturing Company of the Year for having a 42 per cent value market share in the Tomato category, driven by product innovation, operational excellence and community impact.

Through its Project Earth initiative, the company achieved a 9 per cent carbon dioxide reduction via solar energy adoption and eco-friendly practices. With strong financial growth, local sourcing, robust CSR programmes and a commitment to employee development, GBfoods Ghana, according to the organisers, exemplified manufacturing excellence.

The ultimate award for the company was the third it received during the event which celebrated excellence in the manufacturing sector.

The first two were the Excellence in Health, Safety and Environment and Quality award,  and the Manufacturing Innovation award. 

Awards

Water Producing Company of the Year, Bel Aqua, won the Hall of Fame award — a category reserved for companies that have won the same category for more than five times.

Fan Milk PLC Ghana took home two awards —Employee Empowerment and Best Growing Manufacturing Company of the year.

Jay Kay Industries and Investments Ltd was adjudged the Best Packaging Company of the Year, and the Best Paper Product Manufacturing Company of the Year.

Blowchem Industries Ltd took home three awards —Pet/Performs Manufacturing Company of the Year, Beverages Producing Company of the Year (Alcoholic Category), and the Soft Drinks Producing Company of the Year.

The Confectionery Producing Company of the Year, the Water Producing Company of the Year and the Beverages Producing Company of the Year went to Twellium Industrial Company Ltd while Qualiplast Limited won the award for the Plastic Manufacturing Company of the Year for the Industrial and Household categories.

Wilmar Africa Ltd bagged the awards for Marketing Company of the Year and the Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility. 
Nutrifoods Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of the Olam Group, took home the award for the Export Manufacturing Company of the Year while Bel Cola was awarded the Brand of the Year.

Fairafric, a German-Ghanaian social enterprise, and B5 Plus Ltd., a leading steel and fabrication company in West Africa, were adjudged the Chocolate Producing Company and the Fabrication Company of the Year award respectively.

Goldcoast Food Herbs and Spices Ltd., a Pan-African food company, committed to delivering natural, healthy and affordable food products, won the Indigenous Manufacturing Company of the Year award.

African Consumer Products (Ghana) Ltd, a subsidiary of Wilmar International, won the Detergent Manufacturing Company of the Year with De United Foods Industries Limited Ghana, winning the Food Processing Company of the Year award. 

Personalities

Fares Akl, the Managing Director of Qualiplast Limited, won the Entrepreneur of the Year while the Chief Executive Officer of Jay Kay Industries and Investments Ltd., Pawan Aidasani, won the Lifetime Achievement award.

The Managing Director of FanMilk Ghana, Lionel Parent, won the CEO of the Year for leading a transformational revival of the company by doubling net profit to GH¢54 million and increasing revenue by 24 per cent year-on-year.

Event

Organised by Xodus Communications, the event brought together the bigwigs in the manufacturing sector to celebrate companies and individuals who demonstrate outstanding performance in various categories, including stewardship, health and safety, corporate social responsibility and innovation in the industry.

It was on the theme: “Driving Ghana’s GDP Growth Through Export Manufacturing and Innovation”.

The event, which provided a networking platform for attendees, featured musical performances and standup comedy among other fun-packed activities.  

It was organised in partnership with PayAngel, a digital payment platform designed to facilitate secure and efficient transactions.

Member of Parliament and UK Trade Envoy to Ghana, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, paid glowing tribute to Ghana's recent economic trends, which show increasing trade volumes and governmental commitment to transformation.

With the deep-rooted relationship between the United Kingdom and Ghana, she said it was important to drive intensive awareness on the tariff-free access that Ghanaian agricultural products, such as cocoa and bananas, enjoyed in the UK market.

The UK, she said, was committed to supporting Ghana's transformation through clean energy partnerships, skills development and investment in green infrastructure. 

Convener

For his part, the founder of the award scheme, Mr Abbey Jnr., highlighted the critical role of innovation in the manufacturing sector.

The awards, he said, did not only celebrate champions that excelled in production but also those who contributed positively to society through CSR initiatives, such as significant donations to community health centres.

Following his visit to some of the production sites of the company, Mr Abbey Jnr. pointed out challenges such as road infrastructure affecting logistics and the impact of tariffs on imports.