Good Morning and Thank You for joining me.
Just over 1 month ago I announced the Government is focused on ensuring its purchasing power is used to support and uplift small business owners, people who did not “fit in with the right people”, and anyone who previously felt that the Public Purse was not for them and their business.
Our principle has been cemented in the Government’s Code of Conduct for Procurement that states:
“The Government aims to use its purchasing power to promote equality of opportunity without regard to physical ability, gender, or race.”
While the Government is willing and able to use its financial might to level the playing field in business and commerce, we can only do that if we know the businesses that are out there, their owners, and their operations.
In the spirit of helping to sustain and empower our local businesses, I want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on these special entrepreneurs and their business. We were very impressed when these 2 young men, Bermudian entrepreneurs, reached out to the Government to advise us of what they do, and to offer their products and services.
The Bermuda Paper Company Ltd. is Bermuda’s first paper manufacturing business. It is a locally owned small business that is committed to serving the Bermudian market, and to providing job and training opportunities for Bermudians. And so I am thrilled to be joined by the Company’s pioneering co-founders Mr. Cain Kunze and Mr. Gregory Armstrong.
The Bermuda Paper Company’s price points are substantially lower than comparable name brands, and with the product being made right here in Bermuda, customers do not have to deal with the tedious logistics and costly shipping process. The Company produces toilet tissue, hand towels, and other paper products for both residential and commercial use. And their products are low-cost, high-quality alternatives to imported paper products
In the long term, the Company hopes to offer a full line of paper products, including hand towels, table napkins, hospital bed-lining paper, printing and writing paper, and disposable paper food containers.
Accordingly, I am advising that the Government will work with the Bermuda paper company to make them a preferred vendor so that they can create jobs in Bermuda while supplying products to Government Ministries, Departments, and Quangos.
Currently, the Company employs 4 full-time Bermudians, and over the next 6 –12 months as the Company expands its product lines, they will hire more Bermudians to fill various roles at the factory.
I would like to use this opportunity to encourage residents and businesses to consider supporting the Bermuda Paper Company. These are young men of ability and promise who are committed to Bermuda and Bermudians. They have put their time, money, and effort behind their visions, and they are examples of the kind of entrepreneurship that Bermuda needs now and in the future.
This Government is committed to highlighting and supporting Bermudian owned small businesses and we will continue to do our part to ensure fairness and equality across the board for local businesses.
Thank you.
