Growth & Jobs | $1 billion Honey Bun expansion targets export growth

Honey Bun’s $1-billion investment in a new manufacturing facility in Spanish Town is expected to boost production capacity and support the company’s export ambitions as the Government continues to push for stronger local manufacturing and export growth.

The 60,000-square-foot facility at the MJS Industrial and Technology Park in St Catherine houses Honey Bun’s popular Shorty Bread product line. The company’s other products continue to be manufactured at its Retirement Crescent facility in Kingston.

Speaking during a tour of the facility last Thursday, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill urged Jamaicans to buy more locally made goods, arguing that support for domestic manufacturers is critical to sustaining jobs and growing the economy.

Hill said the future of Jamaica’s manufacturing sector depends on striking the right balance between serving local demand and producing goods that can compete internationally.

The tour, organised by the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), formed part of Manufacturers’ Month 2026, being observed under the theme ‘Forged in Resilience: Accelerating Manufacturing and Export Excellence’.

Hill said one of his primary responsibilities as minister is to help create quality jobs for Jamaicans, similar to those provided by Honey Bun. But, he argued, such employment can only be sustained if consumers support local manufacturers.

“I have to remind them that every time I give them an import licence, I am providing jobs for some other country,” he said.

At the same time, Hill stressed that appeals to buy local must be matched by a commitment from manufacturers to produce high-quality goods at competitive prices.

“I want to see more Jamaican companies look at exporting, but I want to see these companies make the kind of product that you can compete with in Jamaica because if I am asking Jamaicans to buy Jamaican, you must make very good products so we can get value for money,” Hill added.

He argued that Jamaica cannot rely solely on its relatively small domestic market to drive meaningful economic growth.

“We cannot get rich selling to just under three million people with a per capita GDP of only US$7,000. We’re going to have to find new markets, expanding the ones we have, make new products in Jamaica that the world wants while we encourage Jamaicans to buy local products,” Hill said.

The minister also commended Honey Bun’s investment in solar energy, noting that it helps reduce the country’s dependence on costly imported fossil fuels.

Meanwhile, Honey Bun Chief Executive Officer Daniel Chong said relocating the company’s bread production line to the new Spanish Town facility had significantly increased manufacturing capacity while creating room for future growth.

“We are expecting to get to double digits from our export trade in the next four years,” Chong said, noting that exports currently account for about three per cent of the company’s revenue.

“This facility is an important part of our growth as a company and represents a significant investment in expanding our manufacturing capacity and creating room for future opportunities. We believe that companies like Honey Bun have an important role to play in growing Jamaica’s economy, and by investing locally, creating employment, and supporting the communities in which we operate,” Chong said.

He added that the expanded capacity would allow Honey Bun to grow exports without affecting supplies to the local market. The company has developed a range of baked products that are gaining traction in diaspora markets, including a bun filled with cheese that has been reintroduced and is generating demand overseas.

The family-owned company employs nearly 1,000 people across its Kingston and St Catherine operations.

ruddy.mathison@gleanerjm.com