Story: Atta Kwaku Boadi
The management of Groupe Nduom has taken a tour at the company’s Industrial Estate in Elmina in the Central region.
The tour which was part of Groupe Nduom this year’s management retreat programme took the team to Ocean Printing(formerly GN Printing), Freshpak, GN Logistics and GN Electronics.
The tour, according to the Chairman of Groupe Nduom, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, was to affirm his earlier directive to GN Ghana to re-tool, re-invest and re-open its Industrial Estate and make it a model production entity to support the Mahama Administration’s 24 hour economy vision.
It is envisaged that at least an additional 50 jobs will be created. The Industrial Estate can be found at #1 Industrial Estate Essaman, Elmina.
The plan, according to him, “is to re-organize the Industrial Estate in Elmina made up of manufacturing and printing companies and start 24-hour production of products such as polystyrene takeaway containers, trays and cutlery”.
GN is also in the process of assembling electronic products such as flat screen television sets.
Speaking to Today in an interview, the renowned entrepreneur said the intention was to make it a demonstration site for the country to show how the 24-hour economy is feasible and practical.
It will be recalled that in 2015, Groupe Nduom (GN) in Ghana, commissioned an Industrial Estate at Essaman in Elmina. It was to become a key building block in the GN plan to create a vibrant economy in the Elmina area to support government’s plans for the nation’s industrialization and job creation.
Within the estate, companies were sited including:
1. FreshPaK a food packaging manufacturer
2. GN Electronics an assembler and producer of televisions, decoders, refrigerators etc
3. GN Printing a printing press and producer of high quality printing products
4. GN Logistics a full service manager of storage, transportation, warehousing and delivery services.
The products from the Industrial Estate were exported to Liberia, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and elsewhere. Many individuals and companies still use the GN TVs, decoders, refrigerators and printed materials.
The GN Industrial Estate became dormant when the Akufo-Addo Administration implemented the Banking Sector Reform in a manner that locked up the working capital of the companies situated there.
The shareholders, Dr Nduom disclosed have been able to source new funds from outside the country to enable the refurbishment of most of the machines and production equipments needed by the companies. Additional funds, he said were being worked on. Raw material arrangements have been made and production has started in earnest.
Already, FreshPaK, one of the companies at the Industrial Estate , the Groupe Nduom chairman said is producing cutlery on a 24 hour production schedule. “All things being equal, the entire Industrial Estate will begin 24 hour production during the second quarter of 2025”, he assured.