The Herald Printers is Finding Creative Solutions for Customers

The Herald Printers is Finding Creative Solutions for Customers

The Herald Printers, proudly in production since 1922 in Downtown Kingston, is promoting faith over fear in the workplace as they support the national safety protocols of the Ministry of Health and Wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic while also supporting client needs.

Ms Keena Williams, Marketing and Business Development Manager at The Herald Printers highlighted some of the creative solutions of the company during the March 30 edition of the JMEA Instagram Live broadcast series, The Productive Sector Speaks. Ms Williams said that during the early days of the emergency, the company reached out to the Ministry of Health and Wellness which had a need for public health information materials to be quickly produced. The Herald Printery team quickly turned the ideas, and going above and beyond expectations, filled that need. The company has also gone into partnership with the Victoria Jubilee Hospital and has produced personal size anti bacterial hand soap and also a hand sanitiser, exclusively for use by the hospital.

The viability of producers, such as The Herald Printers, is important to the health of the economy, and their activities are included in the Jamaican System of National Accounts that are prepared by agencies of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

The decision by the directors of The Herald Printers to keep production going has had a visible impact on lifting the morale of staff members, who are themselves adapting to the necessary changes during the health emergency. The primary measure that has been put in place is the protection of the health and safety of staff members. The company has assisted staff who use public transportation to do so more safely, while also reducing the number of persons who have to come to work, through work-from-home arrangements. Sanitisation stations are in place for people, goods are sanitised before delivery and the delivery team has sanitisers for work on the road. This, Ms Williams says, has helped with the peace of mind in the work environment.

The company is also using its public-facing platforms, such as social media, to promote credible information from the government and also about developments within the business.

The business has also been impacted as key clients are hospitality businesses in the CARICOM region, which are now closed. Although there is a decline in demand from the export print markets, the Herald Printery has stayed close to its clients, remaining focused and optimistic, reaching out and finding ways to strengthen their B2B relationship. Ms Williams said that the fact that Jamaica's ports remain open for trade is positive as without raw material, production could not continue and there will be an impact on jobs.

The contribution of printeries, such as The Herald Printery, to GDP is captured in data related to the manufacture of paper and paper products and also the publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media. Its operations includes inputs such as energy, raw materials, labour, professional services, transportation and distribution.

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