WAMCO back into production
The West African Mills Company, (WAMCO) has been revived, as it has received the supply of needed cocoa beans to commence production and ensure that the company, which was a hub of employment to many in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), worked again.
The company, with state of the art machinery and equipment to turn cocoa seeds into various products for export, was surprisingly left defunct for more than five years without beans to work with, despite the fact that Ghana was second in the supply of cocoa beans to the international market in Africa.
Now the company has invested $10 million in the purchases of more than 70,000 tonnes of beans in storage to aid in production over the period.
Mr. Kobby Okyere Darko, the MP for Takoradi in 2016 made a significant move on the revitalization of the company through effective engagement with Cocobod and all institutions concerned to restore hope in the operations and give life back to redundant employers of the company.
Today, a significant progress has been made as a visit by the MP and some media personnel revealed that the company was producing to design capacity and making profit as well.
Engineer Isaac Opoku, Production Manager of WAMCO, who in the company, together with the MD, took the MP through the various stages of production.
He said the company could produce 50 tonnes daily and now supply the European Market and other countries.
He said over the last 16 months significant success had been chalked by the company after the repair and maintenance of the liquor plant and the expeller.
Engineer Opoku said currently the company was running two shifts with a workforce of 70 and hoped to increase the figure when WAMCO Two, a sister company also becomes operational in 2019.
Mr. Frank Bednar, the Managing Director of WAMCO said, “we are back to life and becoming profitable…so we are preparing to bring the company to the next level as an economically buoyant business that make good return on investment”.
Currently, WAMCO produces 200 tonnes of butter, 200 of Liquor and 600 tonnes of cake on the normal capacity.
Mr. Bednar said the company would intensify efforts at reviving WAMCO Two as a measure to adding value to agricultural produce, build capacity of the Ghanaian employees and regain the title as an economic powerhouse in the Western Region.
Mr. Kobby Okyere Darko, the MP for Takoradi expressed gratitude to the government of Ghana and the Chief Executive Officer of Cocobod for bringing the business of WAMCO to life.
WAMCO has 40 per cent government shares with remaining 60 per cent majority shares coming from investors.
The MP said, “we cannot afford to kill and collapse businesses in this era when job creation was a topical issue for the youth in particular… Bringing WAMCO back shows that we have restored jobs to many Ghanaians”.
Source: GNA