The coronavirus pandemic has underscored the need for locally made products, according to Pepsi Guam Bottling General Manager Jon Denight.
“We really have to bring awareness to local manufacturing and try and get more support for it because we think it’s something that is good for Guam,” Denight said on Tuesday at the company’s production plant in the Harmon Industrial Park.
Denight said local production means less dependency on the off-island supply chain. The pandemic, in general, has caused delays in shipments of supplies to Guam as warehouses, shippers and truckers across the nation and the globe have seen disruptions because of COVID-19 restrictions or as workers have tested positive for COVID-19 or have come into close contact with people who became ill.
“There have been delays. There have been shortages. So if we can produce more on Guam, that just makes us more self-sufficient. It’s a good idea to produce on Guam. … If you are making it here and have all the raw materials, then you won’t be affected so much by supply changes,” he said.
In order to keep their local production running efficiently, the company has invested more than $9 million into its Guam facility’s various production capabilities in the past 10 years, company marketing manager Brian Borja said during a tour of the upgraded plant.
“There are a lot of things we make here locally and we also bring in a lot of products,” said Borja.
Rizza Marquez, production manager at Pepsi Guam, said with updates to major equipment, the company can bottle 3,000 beverages on an average day in the 20,000-square-foot production plant.
The plant also produces ice in bags, Hanom bottled water and Chamorro punch beverage.
While the pandemic has brought some local businesses to their knees, Denight said the company is maintaining its operations as best as possible.
“We are down a little but we are OK,” said Denight, adding, “We are very fortunate that we have products people need – pandemic or no pandemic. … We feel for everyone that has been struggling harder than we have.”
He said the company’s main concern is the safety of staff, inside the plant and in the field. Nearly every few feet inside the plant a sign is displayed that details COVID-19 protocols, said Denight, and in the field employees are equipped with a safety kit including personal protective gear.
While Denight said he is confident the company will be “going strong” long after the pandemic, he said there is no ignoring the lesson learned.
“Because one thing this COVID experience has told us is supply chain issues can be real issues,” he said.
