Some 32 companies and individuals have been honoured at the third edition of the Ghana Manufacturing awards held at the Kempiski hotel in Accra.

Executive Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies, Samuel Amo Tobin has been adjudged the best entrepreneur of the year 2019 while CEO of GIHOC Distilleries, Kofi Jumah was awarded the CEO of the Year.

Coca Cola Bottling Company won Non-Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing Company of the Year while Voltic Ghana won the Brand of the Year award.

The event organised by XODUS Communications aims to celebrate innovation in the manufacturing industry with the ultimate aim of compelling professionals and companies to compete locally and globally.

Events Director of the Ghana Manufacturing Awards, Mr. Richard Abbey Jnr. interacting with some guests at the event

Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Robert Ahomka-Lindsay who was the special guest of honour, noted that the economy’s future will be bleak if it is unable to process its raw materials into semi-finished or finished products for local consumption and/or export.

He noted that government is doing everything to support the manufacturing industry.

“Everything we are doing supports an industrial strategy, supports manufacturing. When you are clear in that you can then begin to make decisions because the decisions you make at manufacturing are not 6-months or 3months turnovers… you will not build brick and mortar if you believe tomorrow morning we’re going to wake up and change our minds so the strategy has to be clear, concise and to the point,” he stated.

Mr. Ahomka-Lindsay urged the manufacturers to do more and position their sector as the provider of what Ghana can confidently trade with other countries in Africa and the rest of the world.

“We don’t want to trade any more cocoa beans and gold; we want to trade finished products, we want to trade products that have greater value – and in so doing we create more jobs for people. If we do not trade by having products which have value added to them, simply put, as a country we will never create enough jobs to satisfy the hundreds of thousands of young people that are looking for them,” he said.

Below is the list of winners
Jagdish Lakhiani - Lifetime Achievement Award

Verna Drinking Water - Product of the year

Samuel Amo Tobin - Entrepreneur of the year

Sterling Intl Limited - Export Manufacturing Company of the year

Twellium Industrial Company - Marketing Campaign of the year

Polytank Ghana Limited - Plastic Manufacturing Company of the year Industrial Category

Phyto Riker GIHOC Pharmaceutical – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company of the year

Poly Products Ghana Limited - Product Packaging Company of the year (Rubber)

Kasapreko - Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility of the year

Kane em Industries Limited - Plastics Manufacturing Company of the year (Bottles and Containers)

Fon Packaging Ventures - Package Product Company of the year (Paper)

GIHOC Company Limited - Beverage Manufacturing Company of the year Herbal Liquor

B5 Plus - Steel Manufacturing Company of the year

Century Industries Limited - Plastics Manufacturing Company of the year (Household Wares)

Coca Cola Bottling Company of Ghana - Bottling Company of the year

JK Industries & Investment Limited - Paper & Paper Products Manufacturing Company of the year

Twellium Industrial Company - Emerging Brand of the Year

Sterling International Ltd - Paint Manufacturing Company of the Year

Royal Crown Packaging - Best Growing Manufacturing Company of the Year

Rocksters - Roofing Manufacturing Company of the Year

Kasapreko - Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing Company of the Year

Polytank - Manufacturing Innovations of the Year

Jelcem - Premix/ Ready Mix Concrete Manufacturer of the Year

ICPS - Secure and Intelligent/ Document Manufacturer of the Year

McHammah Engineering - Fabrications Company of the Year

Coca Cola Bottling Company - Non-Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing Company of the Year

Bel Aqua - Water Producing Company of the year