VIRGIN and boiled coconut oil are the order of the day at Major’s Coconut Oil Factory, located in Victoria Village on the East Coast of Demerara.

Born and bred Victorian Gerald Major, feels very proud to be a member of what he feels is one of the greatest villages in Guyana. In addition, it is in this village where he saw his family establishing themselves as well.

Major had most of his schooling at St. Andrews Anglican School just in the next village – Cove and John. He said that even during his time at school, he was living in and seeing business operating in his environment. However, he was happy to add that in the midst of all that was happening he was happy, content and allowed to have an education. He has been married for more than half his life and says that he is very content as a husband and a father.

“I did not have to just stay at home to take care of business. Instead, I was given the opportunity to go to school and learn to read and write; I was given the opportunity to be a child and do many of the things other children did. I may not be the brightest, but I was given the opportunity to go to school,” he stated.

The Majors’, he pointed out, have always been very industrious people – planting, reaping, having cottage industries of all sorts in the village. “We always owned our own business; I have seen my family – parents, uncles, grandparents and even great grandparents work very hard. At the same time I find that they were always successful in whatever they laid their hands on to do,” he said.

He was quick to add that he was not saying that it is an easy task to manage a business successfully. However, he noted that this is what he grew up learning and as a result, he was always willing to use his experiences to advance his own business.

“I branched off to driving my own minibus, where I transported commuters mostly from Victoria to Georgetown and back for a number of years, while I still did my coconut business, with the assistance from some of my sons. On the bus, I sold a lot of my coconut oil products, especially the virgin or ‘pressed’ coconut oil.
However, for the past five years or so, I have stopped driving the bus and am mainly doing the coconut business. At times I have not been enjoying the best of health so I felt that I needed to slow down a little,” he indicated.

According to Major, the virgin ‘pressed’ coconut oil has been increasingly on demand, not only in Guyana but also all over the world. He said that even though it is a little more expensive than the other oil people are still purchasing it all the time. Therefore, he pointed out that he does not envisage any difficulty just concentrating on this business at this time.

He said that other than the oils, there are other byproducts from the coconut oil business, which can be used as animal feed, among other things. However, he said that his main interest is the coconut oil and while it is hard work he has set his mind to do what he has to do so as to ensure that things work.

“From the time I started manufacturing coconut oil until now, I have established a lot of contacts. While I am not now involved in the export market as such, I have managed to attract a few main clients who are always interested in getting my oil,” he said, adding that his oil does not only circulate within Guyana.

Major said that he is a happy man, and feels that he continues to make a significant contribution to the land and village of his birth. He said that though his business is not a very big one at this time, he is content that he has been able to create employment, not only for himself but his children and many others.

“Also, like many from my generation, I know that I have created a legacy for my children, which they will always continue to enjoy. As I get older I am willing to give way to my young ones so that they too can flourish,” he said. “The boys have seen their father work hard and succeed as well. I feel that that in itself is a good inheritance to leave for them. But I also encourage them to think big – much bigger than I have because I know that they have the ability to make it.”