GIHOC Sweeps Top Awards At Ghana Manufacturing Awards

Ghana's premier distillery company, GIHOC Distilleries has swept three top awards at the just ended Ghana Manufacturing Awards which took place at the Kempinski Hotel on May 31st, 2019.

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

The Awards looks out for the very best in manufacturing from all aspects of the manufacturing industry, sharing landmark work and developments taking place across so many important areas of science, engineering, innovation, and technology.

At a press conference organized by GIHOC on Monday, the Marketing Manager of GIHOC, Elvis Blankson, revealed that under the able directorship of Hon. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, the Managing Director, GIHOC was nominated in eight categories of the awards.

"GIHOC won three prestigious awards on the night which included Pioneering Excellence Awards in Manufacturing, Manufacturing Company of the Year, Herbal Liquor and the ultimate CEO of the Year," he stated.

Mr. Elvis Blankson recalled that In February this year, due to the consistency in terms of best manufacturing practices and high-quality standard, one of its brands, the Castle Bridge was adjudged Spirit of the Year by the Ghana Beverage Awards.

"GIHOC's hard-working MD, having assumed office barely 2 years ago was adjudged The Most Respected CEO of the year in November 2018 for the Manufacturing Sector organized by the Ghana Industry CEO Awards."

In May 2019, the team came to the factory to familiarize themselves with the processes the products go through before the final stage. In the process, they were impressed with the state of the art facilities and ultra-modern equipment of the factory.

On her part, Media Relations Manager of GIHOC, Afua Foriwaa Boafoh, indicated that the CEO of the Year Award which went to Hon. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, according to industry players was a well-deserved honour.

She said this latest achievement comes on the back of other top awards GIHOC has grabbed so far.

All the successes chalked are as a result of innovative skills and the best manufacturing practices pursued by the managing and implemented by the management.

Hon. Maxwell Kofi Jumah in an interview with the media dedicated all the awards to the hardworking staff of GIHOC Distilleries.

"These achievements have been made possible through the sweat and hard work delivered by the staff of GIHOC," he stated.

Some top brands produced by GIHOC includes HERB AFRIK, MANDINGO BITTERS, CASTLE BRIDGE, TAKAI LIQUEUR, KAISER AROMATIC SCHNAPPS, BUCCANEER RUM, CHAVALIER BRANDY, MERIDIAN NATURAL MINERAL WATER, and SORENTO.

GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited was the first modern distillery to be established in West Africa. It was established by the pre-independence Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in 1958 as the State Distilleries Corporation for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. By NLCD 207, it, however, became a division of the then Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC) in 1968.

In 1980, the distillery together with 15 other divisions of GIHOC was reregistered and incorporated as a Limited Liability Company and a wholly owned subsidiary of GIHOC, under Ghana’s Companies Code, 1963 (Act 179). Following the closure of GIHOC, and subsequently the repeal of the statute incorporating it in 1993, GIHOC Distilleries became and has since remained a limited liability company, wholly owned by the Government of Ghana.

GDCL has since then performed creditably and established itself as a commercially sustainable enterprise in the alcoholic beverage industry in Ghana. It has over the years perfected the art of distillation, refinery, blending and manufacture of various types of alcoholic beverages for the local market and beyond and is now recognised as a market leader.