RADHICA DE SILVA
Household matches have been in short supply for the past several months as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the global supply chain.
Since July, major groceries and supermarkets have been out of stock.
Manager of the Cocoyea Group of Supermarkets, Valmiki Ramnarine told Guardian Media that they last received a supply of matches in July.
Since then the demand for matches has remained steady although many customers are now using cigarette lighters as an alternative.
“We have been out of stock. Earlier in the year, we went to several of the major supermarkets who buy in bulk and we got a supply but it’s almost six months now that we have no matches,” Ramnarine explained.
Guardian Media reached out to Trinidad Match Limited (TML), the oldest match manufacturing company in the Caribbean to find out what triggered this shortage and the Operations Manager Anton O`Garro confirmed that the pandemic had disrupted the global supply chain.
“As a result of global shortages, one of our key raw material supplies was impacted,”O Garro explained.
Asked whether there were any issues with the Bureau of Standards and how soon the country could expect to see more match supplies on the market, O Garro said the company “continues to maintain a valued and well-established relationship with the TTBS as its compliance auditor.”
“As we seek to implement strategies to mitigate the recent raw material shortage, we have been working closely with TTBS to ensure that our alternative suppliers/raw material supplies meet global standards, and TTBS has continued to offer valuable counsel and quality control guidance,” O` Garro said. He noted that the raw material supply shortage has been resolved and TML’s operations had resumed with the Bureau of Standards’ approval.
“The finished product has already been distributed to most of our existing clientèle,” he added.
O`Garro explained that splints (wood) is imported from Russia.
Asked whether customers can expect price hikes, O`Garro noted, “Despite the fact that our overall raw material and shipping costs have sky-rocketed we are continuously reviewing our supply chain to determine how and where we can remove costs and only as a last resort will we review our prices, as we are sensitive to our customers and the overall economic circ*mstances at this time.”
He said there has continued to be a steady demand for our products.
Asked what can be done to transform the match industry, O`Garro said, “ Transformatioenvironmentally-friendly of business, is critical to maintaining competitiveness.”
“TML is constantly attempting to transform the business, which includes people, technology, and processes. TML is well-known for its match manufacturing, but we also produce candles (pillar candles, 12oz and 4oz glass jars,” he added.
He noted that the company intends to expand its regional market sales.
“As part of our process of continuous innovation, we are also exploring the production of a more environmentally friendly match product; that shows our commitment too, to environmental sustainability and climate control,” he added.
The production plant produces 720 packs of matches per minute and O’Garro said the company has ramped up its production to meet our local and regional demands.
TML produces three brands of matches-Three Plumes, Swinger and Masters Army & Navy. The company supplies matches to T&T, as well as Haiti, Suriname, Nicaragua and Honduras.
