The Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA) made its first official presentation at GuyExpo 2025, emphasizing its leadership in strengthening local supply chains and showcasing excellence across the agriculture, forestry, and construction sectors. The event highlighted two major milestones: the official launch of the AHS Group, a newly formed housing consortium, and the re-certification of Barama Company Ltd. under the GNBS “Made in Guyana” Standards Mark.
Speakers throughout the event stressed collaboration, innovation, and sector-wide growth. GMSA President Mr. Rafeek Khan noted the significance of international companies participating in the GMSA pavilion, stating their presence “demonstrates global interest in Guyana’s manufacturing and services sectors.”
The AHS Group unites three local companies—MEP Engineering Services Inc., Correia & Correia Ltd., and Durable Wood Products—in a partnership designed to transform Guyana’s residential construction landscape. Central to the initiative is the Sebrex System, an advanced factory-engineered, panelized modular housing solution that enables rapid, affordable, and high-quality construction while maintaining safety and sustainability standards. Representing AHS Group, Dr. Natasha Gaskin-Peters emphasized the consortium’s alignment with the Government’s call for greater collaboration among local companies. She encouraged businesses to “move away from isolated operations and instead embrace strategic partnerships as a pathway to growth and global competitiveness.”
Commissioner of Forests, Mr. Edward Goberdhan, praised the use of local wood species, noting the “significant opportunities this creates in employment and upstream economic activity.” While acknowledging challenges in the value-added sub-sector, he expressed optimism about the work of both the consortium and Barama Company Ltd. A fully constructed modular home is currently on display next to the GMSA Pavilion at GuyExpo, allowing visitors to experience firsthand how this innovation is redefining construction possibilities in Guyana.
During the event, GMSA and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) officially re-certified Barama Company Ltd. under the Made in Guyana Standards Mark. Barama was the first company in the timber industry to be granted rights to use the mark on its Tropical Hardwood Plywood in October 2022. Barama’s General Manager, Mohindra Chand, praised the GNBS for its professionalism and highlighted the company’s recent achievements: “Over the past three years, Barama invested more than one billion dollars, resulting in a 70% increase in production, growth in employment and expanded capacity.” Chand reaffirmed Barama’s commitment to developing new products for local and international markets while encouraging other wood manufacturers to pursue certification.
GNBS Executive Director, Mr. Trevor Bassoo, reminded the audience that the certification is not merely a mark, but a recognition of stringent criteria met by only about 60 companies nationwide. Bassoo also outlined plans to expand the reach of the Made in Guyana Mark internationally. The re-certification underscores Barama’s commitment to quality, responsible manufacturing, and supporting a strong, competitive local forestry industry.
Delivering the keynote, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Hon. Susan Rodrigues, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to fostering investment, supporting product development, and strengthening collaboration with the private sector. She stated that the Government “remains accessible and responsive, continually working alongside industry to find solutions and create an enabling environment for sustainable growth.”
Beyond Barama and AHS Group, two other companies formed an alliance to showcase plant tissue production technology for agricultural and ornamental plants, including a shade house for homeowners to grow plants for their kitchens. The event concluded with the ceremonial handover of the Made in Guyana Certificate to Barama, a ribbon-cutting for the AHS Group modular home, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Modern Agri (Guyana) and Invitroplants Grassalco N.V. (Suriname), which will support joint efforts in plant tissue culture, biotechnology, and agricultural development across borders.
