Gafsons Industries Limited (Gafoors) is pursuing several new manufacturing projects. 

This is according to Deputy Factory Manager, Jitendra Mishrah, according to a release from the GNBS. He  said that the company is pursuing the manufacture of ultraviolet (UV) boards and Stone Plastic Composite products.  

Speaking with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), Mishrah said  that the company’s development as a local manufacturer was driven by a vision to produce more products in Guyana rather than relying solely on imported products.

GNBS had spoken to Mishrah in the context of the three Gafsons products carrying the GNBS’ standard mark. Its most recent achievement being the certification of its 1,700-litre rotationally moulded polyethylene water storage tank.  The tanks were certified in accordance with GYS 588:2023 Standard, and the company was granted the right to use the National Standards Mark on the certified product. 

Gafsons’ 4-inch concrete hollow blocks were first certified in June 2019 and are certified to GYS 215:2024 Standard. Meanwhile, its Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipes, manufactured by its sister company PlasticProducts Limited, have been certified by the GNBS since 2000 and currently conform to the GYS 107:2021 and GYS 99:2021 Standards.  

Speaking about the importance of standards, Mishrah said, “You can’t have a counterfeit product coming to Guyana, and customers suffer for that. Like somebody is buying a pipe and a fitting, the fitting and pipe are not matching, so that is the reason why GNBS plays a very vital role in establishing production in this country, and that helps the customer; that helps the manufacturer.”

The certification process has also resulted in changes and improvements to Gafsons’ manufacturing and product identification processes, the GNBS said. In the case of the certified water storage tank, Mishrah said that the company standardised manufacturing parameters relating to areas such as the weight and quality of the tank to meet the standard’s requirements. Changes were also made to the product’s labelling, with information added to guide customers on installation, manufacturing requirements and other details. 

Similar traceability measures are applied to the company’s certified PVC pipes. Certified pipes carry printed information identifying the applicable GNBS certification details, manufacturing date and time, and pipe size. These measures allow for greater product identification and traceability while providing customers with useful information about the certified products they purchase.

According to Mishrah, the GNBS Product Certification Programme has also strengthened customer confidence in locally manufactured products.