–Making a difference in the local manufacturing sector

AFTER almost 40 years of manufacturing a range of local culinary products, John Caesar, founder of Chanzar’s Enterprise, continues to use his gifted hands to make the best spices needed for a well prepared meal or cup of porridge.
This octogenarian has not grown weary of the smell of various spices and the manual labour

needed to make them, but becomes motivated and energised every day to serve his faithful customers whose preference is to complement their meals with locally produced spices and seasonings.
Though advanced in age, Mr. Caesar continues to play a pivotal role in the day-to-day production of his business.

MEMORY LANE
It all started during the Burnham regime, when Guyanese were encouraged to produce locally, and foreign products were scarce on the local market, and Mr. Caesar decided that he needed to do whatever was necessary to feed his family.
“During the Burnham era, we had to survive; so, from then on, I began to create things in my own way in the kitchen. And that is how it all started,” he said.
“When yuh back against the wall, your intellect opens to create things; and that is how come I do this,” Mr Caesar added.
After sharing his products with a few persons, they became so popular in the community of One Mile Wismar, that Mr. Caesar had to resort to buying a bicycle to keep up with the demand.
The first of his many products were plantain flour, breadfruit flour, corn flour and black pepper.

“I used to ride and sell all over Linden; I started pounding with a mortar stick dem time. Then I buy a small hand-mill and grind with my hand,” Mr Caesar said.
Then, realising that he was actually the first and only local producer in Linden, he decided to expand his enterprise, though this would pose many a problems, as at that time, Lindeners were not allowed to go into the food business, as the town was deemed an industrial zone, given the thick bauxite dust.
But despite this setback, Mr. Caesar found a way to produce his products without their being dust-contaminated, and today, he has over 15 products to his name.
“I got black pepper, curry powder, Chinese spice, curry powder, barley flour, plantain flour, eddo flour, pepper sauce, green seasoning, jerk seasoning, geerah, all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, cassereep, ginger powder and orange powder,” he reeled off.
He also plays a pivotal role in the branding and packaging of the products, so that not only the contents are of good quality, but the presentation is pleasing to the eye.

GIVE TO GET
Despite the many imported items of the same kind on the market, Mr. Caesar is not bothered by this, as he does his best to create quality products to meet the satisfaction of his customers.
“Is the judgement of the people to buy what is made and produced in Linden; to buy local. So we have to up our quality; and those that buy would tell you,” he said.
He, however, believes that Lindeners should be more supportive of their own, as supporting one local business means supporting many more.
As a local manufacturer and agro-processor, he only supports local farmers. “I encourage the farmers to plant more. We need plantain to make plantain flour; we need eddo, we need thyme, ‘marri’d-man poke’. So, we buy from our farmers and encourage them,” he posited.
Supporting the local businesses, he said, also brings in employment that is much needed in a community that has a 70% unemployment rate.
Currently there are 10 women employed at Chanzar’s Enterprise, and if the business continues to gain the support of Lindeners, many more will be able to gain employment there, as the business is striving to capture the international market in the next five years.