ExxonMobil announced today the establishment of the Centre for Local Business Development in Georgetown, Guyana, and signaled its commitment to work with the country’s business community.
The centre will assist small and medium-sized Guyanese businesses with building their capacity and improving their competitiveness in a range of sectors that serve the oil and gas and other industries.
ExxonMobil’s Country Manager in Guyana, Rod Henson, said the US supermajor is eager to partner with Guyanese businesses in the oil and gas industry, and the newly established centre will provide an avenue for realizing this. “The Centre for Local Business Development is an investment in the people of Guyana and the future of the country. ExxonMobil is proud to assist in the design and implementation of this important resource. The centre will play a key role in furthering the capabilities of local businesses with which we are eager to partner.”
The centre will focus primarily on developing local venders that serve key sectors of the oil and gas industry, including areas such as safety equipment, marine operations, offshore supply and civil construction. It will also provide mentoring, coaching and access to financial support.
“Local suppliers are important to the success of ExxonMobil’s operations,” Henson said, adding, “Through the centre, we hope to strengthen the capabilities of these local companies, as well as improve the competitiveness of Guyana’s industrial base.”
The centre will be a reliable resource for information on safety, technical standards, procurement opportunities and project-specific information. ExxonMobil, its contractors, the broader oil and gas industry, and the government will be able to utilize the centre for sourcing local vendors and services.
ExxonMobil is collaborating with DAI Global, LLC in the establishment of the centre, which will officially open its doors in July.
DAI specializes in local content and socio-economic development globally. Speaking at a meeting in Georgetown in April, DAI Representative Patrick Henry said the company has put together a team to work on this project, which includes a number of Guyanese entities such as the Institute of Private Enterprise Development Ltd. (Guyana), BrainStreet Group and EMPRETEC Guyana. “We have already built a team of Guyanese businesses that we’re gonna start working with,” he pointed out.
The Centre for Local Business Development will start with analytics to identify the gaps that firms need to get into, both for the Exxon supply chain and other related industries. “We are going to take that and deliver specific training to groups and companies specifically, that need this to access the supply chain,” he said.
ExxonMobil plans to work with DAI Global over a three-year period to transition the centre to Guyanese management.
The Centre for Local Business Development will be housed at the Institute of Private Enterprise Development Limited’s, South Road, Georgetown office.
