Dominican ice cream industry works to expand exports to the USA
The challenges of the ice cream manufacturing sector so that it can continue to expand in the country and successfully export to the United States, the Caribbean, and other regions that have attractive markets, were explained by Helados Bon executives to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Mipymes (MICM), Víctor Bisonó, during a visit made by the official to the production plant of that company, in the Herrera Industrial Zone.
The general manager of Helados Bon, Luis Fernando Enciso, specified that among the challenges of this productive area are maintaining competitive prices for electricity, both in the manufacturing plant and in the ice cream parlors, and guaranteeing the supply of raw materials for the production of those products.
“Other important elements for our industry are not passing on to consumers the high increases in raw materials and electricity, and expanding the import quota for powdered milk, under the Free Trade Agreement between Central America and the United States (DR -CAFTA),” Enciso told Minister Bisonó and his entourage, who toured the Helados Bon facilities on Tuesday.
The general manager of Helados Bon indicated that this company will increase its production and operations for the local and international markets with the construction of a new processing plant in a physical space between 5,000 and 10,000 square meters, with an investment of 6 million dollars and that will generate more than 150 direct jobs.
In addition to Enciso, Carolina Pantaleón, marketing director of Helados Bon; Rosa Tió, commercial director; Lakshmi Campusano, director of operations; Ingrid Sanó, director of human and organizational development; Juan Fernando Sánchez, director of finance and digital development, and José Fernández, legal manager.
While Minister Bisonó was accompanied by Fausto Polanco, Vice Minister of Industrial Development of the MICM and Carlos Guillermo Falquer, Vice Minister of Free Zones and Special Regimes, among others.
It produces 11.5 million kilograms of ice cream per year, has an average of 12.5 million annual transactions, provides 305 direct employees and more than 1,600 indirect employees, has 320 ice cream parlors in the national territory that receive some 35 million visits, and will soon have one in the Caribbean islands Turks and Caicos.
It currently consists of a portfolio of products with 26 scooping flavors from the traditional line and black label, a line of ice cream bars, “take home” and children’s products.
It exports more than 80 products with a presence in the following Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Antigua, Saint Kitss, Saint Martin, Aruba, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the most recent foray into New York, United States.