Rolph Balgobin formerly served as president of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA), having taken up the position on 22nd April 2015. He replaced Nicholas Lok Jack, who served as president of the TTMA for two years. This article will take a closer look at the TTMA’s history and activities.
The TTMA was launched with the vision of providing manufacturers across Trinidad and Tobago with a voice, creating value and providing world-class service to members. The organisation’s mission is to boost the value and growth of Trinidad and Tobago’s manufacturing sector.
Founded by eight visionary business leaders in 1956, the TTMA was established with the goal of ‘keeping the wheels of industry turning’. Recognising the need for a unifying organisation, the founders developed the TTMA for the specific purpose of promoting local industry.
In its early days, the TTMA’s goal was to take advantage of new industrialisation policies implemented through the Industrial Development Corporation, a government agency. Over the decades, the TTMA has grown to become an integral component in Trinidad and Tobago’s manufacturing sector, having dedicated itself to the development and promotion of local industries.
The TTMA encourages, promotes and assists in the development and growth of manufacturing industries in Trinidad and Tobago. The organisation acts as a representative of industries, liaising with government and monitoring legislation that could impact manufacturers. The TTMA is also responsible for overseeing expansion on both a regional and international level through the staging of local, regional and global exhibitions, trade fairs and foreign trade missions.
The TTMA promotes the use of modern manufacturing methods, as well as the education of all its members. The organisation supports local manufacturers in the adoption and maintenance of required standards of safety, wages and benefits, public relations, advertising, communications and labour relations. The TTMA also helps its members to reach markets for both raw materials and finished products, as well as improving access to investment sources.
In addition to formerly serving as president of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association, Rolph Balgobin is executive chairman of The Quicksilver Group. He was an NGC Distinguished Fellow in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and one of the youngest business school deans in the world as head of the Arthur Lock Jack Graduate School of Business at the University of the West Indies. He also led the technical team that put together Trinidad and Tobago’s Vision 2020 National Strategic Plan.
The TTMA conducted numerous trade missions in 2024, including deployments to Belize, Ghana, the Bahamas, Suriname and Canada. The TTMA has conducted successful negotiations with various regional parties, with Trinidad and Tobago having entered into a partial scope trade agreement with Panama with the goal of promoting mutually beneficial bilateral trade and strengthening commercial and economic relations. Trinidad and Tobago has also entered into agreements with Chile, Curacao, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Venezuela and the World Trade Organization to further its goal of facilitating cross-border trade, paving the way for greater economic opportunities and cooperation.
