Massy and Guyana (Part 1)

LUCAS STOCK INDEX The Lucas Stock Index (LSI) rose 0.54 per cent during the third period of trading in June 2016. The stocks of six companies were traded with 79,573 shares changing hands. There were three Climbers and one Tumbler. The stocks of Banks DIH (DIH) rose 1.98 per cent on the sale of 18,757 while the stocks of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) rose 5.26 per cent on the sale of 41,667 shares. In addition, the stocks of Demerara Tobacco Company (DTC) rose 1.51 per cent on the sale of 13,603 shares. In contrast, the stocks of Demerara Bank Limited (DBL) fell 5.26 per cent on the sale of 4,324 shares. In the meanwhile, the stocks of Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (BTI) and Republic Bank Limited (RBL) remained unchanged on the sale of 222 and 1,000 shares respectively.

Steadfast

Last year, this writer looked at the Massy Group of Companies formerly Neal and Massy to gain an understanding of the operations of this company which has been doing business in Guyana for the past 48 years.  Given the integral role that the company plays in the Guyana economy, it is worth taking another look at its performance for the financial year 2015 to update one’s understanding of a company which has quietly expanded its operations through the years and is penetrating a growing number of sectors in the country.  For those who might not know, Massy before the rebranding exercise in 2014 was in existence for 82 years under the name of Neal and Massy.  The company has its headquarters in Trinidad and Tobago and came about as a result of a merger between Neal Engineering Company and Massy Limited in 1932.  One outcome of the merger was the establishment of a public company in 1958.  Another was the establishment of a subsidiary in Guyana in 1968.  It is to the latter that interest will turn eventually in this article.

20150920lucas business page newOver the years, Massy has remained steadfast in its participation in the Guyana economy.  But the growth of the company was not only focused on Guyana.  Massy undertook several initiatives to expand its operations, including the expansion into other territories in the Caribbean and the diversification of products and services offered to its customers.  As a consequence, the Massy Group is today a large conglomerate that is organized as business segments or business units that cover the range of products and services offered by the company in several countries in the North American and Latin American and Caribbean regions.  Despite being in Guyana for 48 years, very little is said or discussed about a company that has been integral to the expansion and alteration of the