A team led by Minister of Transport, Works & Housing, Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies toured the facilities and operations at the Jamaica Ultimate Tyre Company recently (JUTC2). He was accompanied by Permanent Secretary, Audrey Sewell, Managing Director of JUTC2, Mr Kenry Jackson, outgoing Chairman (JUTC2), Mr. Dennis Chung as well as other members of staff from the JUTC2 and the Ministry of Transport, Works & Housing.

The Minister who was touring the facility for the first time said he was very pleasantly surprised by the level of output coming from the Company. He said he was heartened by the fact that the Company was in a profitable state, especially against a background where not many of the entities reporting to the Ministry were doing so. He promised to pursue efforts to assist in getting more business for the Company which as he says would go a far way in contributing to the Company’s profitability and sustainability. He says he would start with promoting the service among his colleagues in Parliament and the wider public service.

And for his part, Managing Director, Kenry Jackson said that the Company had been enjoying a state of relative stability and stability for the last couple of years. He said that the audited financial statements for the Company up to March 31, 2013 indicate another successful year. He noted that a profit before tax of $12M was realised from Operating income of $191.9M. He further stated that marketing, advertising and promotion programmes during the year resulted in 9.8% growth in total revenue.

Outgoing chairman of the Company, Mr. Dennis Chung also sang the praises of the organisation. He praised the hard working staff, pointing out that they had gone beyond the proverbial mile to ensure that the Company remained viable.

The JUTC2 was formed in 2001 with a view to effecting savings in the operational cost of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) by providing a stable quality of long lasting re-treaded tyres for the bus fleet. The Company has since extended its service to other Ministries , Departments and Agencies as well as the general public.

Re-treaded tyres are used as a cost effective alternative to a new tyre. Truckers, buses, airlines, the military, construction companies and passenger vehicles all use re-tread tyres which cost approximately 20-50% less than a new tyre. It should be noted however that certain types of tyres are not suitable for re-treading. The Company is now targeting the SUV market as an area of growth.