History & Role Of The Factories Corporation
Factories Corporation of Jamaica Ltd. was incorporated in 1987 to implement the Government’s Emergency Factory Building Programme. Under this programme approximately 92,903 sq. m. (1 million sq. ft.) of Factory space was built. With the phasing out of the Jamaica Industrial Development Corporation (JIDC) in 1989 it was decided that FCJ’s role should be expanded to include the management of the properties that were under the JIDC’s control.
When the company commenced operation in 1988, approximately 75% of its tenants were engaged in the Garment Industry. Following the downturn in garment manufacturing towards the end of the 1990’s, a significant number of tenants began pursuing other manufacturing and commercial activities.
With the prospects that the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Industry now holds, the organisation embarked on an expansion of space in recent years, to serve the growing area of information technology. FCJ owns approximately 174,953 sq. m. (1,879, 917.37 sq. ft). of rentable space of which 13,199 sq. m. (142,021 sq. ft.) is earmarked for use in the ICT Industry, however the expansion of additional space for use in this industry is under way.
Locations
FCJ has forty-six industrial sites at various strategic locations in eleven (11) parishes throughout the island. The main locations are in Kingston, St. James, St. Catherine and St. Thomas.
NOTE: Garmex Free Zone was de-zoned in 1998 and now houses both local companies and companies with Single Entity Free Zone status.