Bet you didnt know Jamaica manufactured and exported cars.
Even if you do, lets put some more highlight on this wonderful achievement as our nation approaches Jamaica’s 60th anniversary in August 2022.
Launched in 2003, Excel Motors Limited started making cars comprising a fiberglass chassis and 1.5 litre Japanese-made engines
One of the main forces behind the project, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Excel Motors Island Cruisers is Patrick Marzouca. He has been credited with the company’s success and the fact that it even exports motor cars to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Marzouca moved from the United States and hired a German engineer to fine-tune design and ensure Jamaica Bureau of Standards levels. He advised that it has been a grueling process, especially since he was constantly faced with skepticism from the locals. A lot of people are not very receptive to the fact that Jamaica is fully capable of manufacturing motor vehicles.
Marzouca’s growth strategy is based on supplying an overseas market, the Jamaica car rental industry, and special government sectors. For example, he cited that vehicles could be custom built to better suit the police force.
At the time of the first export to Turks and Caicos, Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda pledged government support to the manufacturing sector as a means of overcoming Jamaica’s economic difficulties. He assured Excel Motors that funding will be available through the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) and the ExIm Bank to ensure the project continues to success.
