ALLISON Butters-Grant is the only black female in Guyana to own and operate a fish-processing plant where standard is the hallmark. She jointly operates the plant with her husband, Kerwin.

This re-migrant stated that she returned to her homeland and started full operation in September last year and has more than 15 persons from in and out of the community in her employ.
Global Seafood Distributors is located at the West Ruimveldt Industrial Site, where they process all local fish.
Butters-Grant told this publication that their business supplies several local supermarkets including Nigel’s, Real Value Supermarket and Rossignol Butchery with fresh seasoned and unseasoned fish that is packaged and ready to be cooked in their branded “Butters & Grant” sealed plastic bags.
She explained that from the sea their fish are ready for the plate because they clean, fillet, steak, season and package for local sales and export to mainly the United States of America.
The mother of two added that the undertaking has been challenging, since it is a business dominated by men, but she has rallied to her cause and is doing fairly well.
She noted that she deals with the administrative and procurement aspects of the business, while her husband handles the operations of the plant.
Butters-Grant said she grew up in the fishing industry, since her parents were owners of seven shrimping trawlers who have since passed away. She decided to return to Guyana and open her own business, one she is passionate about and her parents have left footsteps for her to follow.
She migrated to the US in 1986 for college and after spending 29 years there, returned home and invested in a business after managing to convince her spouse to join her.
Butters-Grant said: “My husband left Guyana since he was 10 years old and never thought of coming back here, since all of his family has migrated; but I asked nicely and he accepted after some convincing and his support is more than needed, especially in the daily operations, in the background work.”
She pointed out that when she first started the business, she knew that it would have worked once she applied a positive outlook and with that in mind, she hired people from the neighbourhood including women, who have never had experience in fish- processing and they learned and have stayed on so far. Our staff works as a team with great leadership.
Butters-Grant disclosed that she had tried her hand in other businesses over the years in and out of Guyana, but did not feel that she was at her peak. She found her way back to her foundation in the fishing industry, which has given birth to the fish-processing business and she has found many niches with her innovative thinking.
Global Seafood Distributors is registered with the relevant agencies and has had the necessary safety measures implemented with operations such as processing, drying, packaging and storing taking place under one roof.
She told this publication that they are always looking to modernise their business and seeking better packaging for the products, since they value high standards and quality for the business and its products and wish to maintain those.
Butters-Grant added that they are also looking at more new and innovative ways to enhance the business and to have newer products to satisfy the needs of their customers, both local and overseas.
She said their products can be sourced at most supermarkets countrywide already filleted, seasoned and ready for the pot-and at an affordable price.

(By Michel Outridge)