Vemco Ltd recently hosted its Kick-Off Christmas Sales Meeting at the Prestige Holdings Training Centre in Port-of-Spain.
CEO Peter Welch, in welcoming the company's sales, marketing and merchandising teams, praised them for the energy and passion that they brought to their job.
"It's our great products and passionate people throughout our company, who work hard every day that make us market leaders and I am very grateful for all of your efforts," he said
The highlight piece of the meeting was the launch of the new Swiss condiment packaging featuring iconic Christmas characters. The advertising and merchandising materials that will help Swiss stand out and connect with their customers and consumers was also unveiled.
Maria Manmohan, Swiss marketing manager, presented the new packaging and merchandising material and reminded the audience that "for over 50 years people across the Caribbean have trusted Vemco Ltd to bring them the food they love.
"Swiss condiments is preferred by consumers for its flavour, perfect texture, attractive packaging and affordable prices. Recently we started exporting our condiments and pastas to selected New York markets and we are very excited by the positive response to our launch there," she said.
Speaking about the trend in the fast moving consumer products goods category of changing packaging designs to match the season, director, National Brands, Christopher Alcazar said Vemco and Swiss continued to lead the way in packaging and merchandising innovation. He said the company was the first to introduce ketchup in pouches with the Swiss Econopak pillows, followed by the Swiss stand up pack and then the Swiss spouch.
Alcazar added: "We were at the forefront of the evolution of ketchup from a bottle to convenience in a pouch with a spout."
Vemco began as a food import and distribution business in 1958, and steadily built over the years, starting with the importation of peanuts from Africa and prunes from South America and eventually expanding into branded packaged foods from Europe and North America. In 1976, the company branched out into food manufacturing, establishing a plant in Diego Martin, to manufacture condiments.
Today, most of the condiments under the flagship brand Swiss are manufactured at that facility, as well as the packaging of Kerrygold milk powder under license for the Irish Dairy Board, a company with whom there has been a 50-plus year relationship.
In 1993, Vemco acquired Geddes Grant Foods, a pasa manufacturing company, and later the Catelli pasta operations then owned by Nestle, to become a significant regional pasta producer under the dominant Swiss and Catelli brands. In addition to its manufactured products, Vemco also distributes products for Campbell's, Dole, The Irish Dairy Board, Nestle, PepsiCo and other international food companies.