1. Aim of Study
Many geographers such as Alfred Weber have done research to determine what
factors influence the location of industries. The aim of this study is to discover if Nestlé,
a food processing industry in Valsayn, Trinidad is ideally located and what factors
influenced to its location.
2. Data Collection
How: Nestlé provided us with a tour guide who played a video about the history of the
factory for us. She was kind enough to answer questions that we asked and also helped
us filled out our questionnaire.
When: November 29th
, 2011.
Where: Nestlé, Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Valsayn, Trinidad.
3. Presentation and Analysis of Data
HISTORY
Nestlé, one of the world’s largest food and Beverage Company, with more than 6,000
brands and 10,000 products, commenced operations in the Caribbean in 1914 with the
establishment of a Trading Agency in Trinidad.
Products supplied were Sweetened Condensed Milk and Nestlé chocolates.
Nestlé has 481 factories all over the world. Nestlé Trinidad is located at Valsayn on
approximately 25 acres of leasehold land. In 1962 they started as a manufacturing
company producing milk products. Currently Nestlé’s factory in Trinidad is producing a
variety of orchard fruit juices, ready to drink milk drinks and many milk products used for
cooking.
CAPITAL
Nestlé Trinidad got its funds from shareholders who invested in a Swiss Company.
GOVERNMENT INFLUENCE
Nestlé is a non governmental organization. The government gives the farmers that
supply Nestlé with their milk a subsidy of one dollar for every kg of milk produced
4. RAW MATERIALS
Raw Materials Where it comes form
Milk From local farmers throughout Trinidad
Seaweed From Toco, Trinidad
Cardboard boxes CPI, Mount Hope Trinidad
Tetra pack From Brazil company,
Sugar From Colombia and Dominican Republic
Skimmed Milk Powder From New Zealand
Apple Concentrate From Poland
Grape and Orange Concentrate From Belize
Sorrel From Mediterranean
Table showing raw materials that is used by Nestlé and where it comes from. .
COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT
Nestlé is bounded by the Uriah Butler Highway to the west and to the south by the
Churchill Roosevelt Highway (refer to map 2 on page 2). These two highways along
with the Eastern Main Road and the Southern Main Road facilitate excellent road
networks for transportation of raw materials from various parts of the country and also
transportation of the manufactured products to supermarkets and wholesalers.
5. IMPORT AND EXPORT
Nestlé also has access to the nearby ports at Pt. Lisas for the importation of their raw
materials.
POWER SUPPLY
Nestlé has a direct feed of gas from NP’s gas line and a direct feed of electricity from Pt.
Lisas and two generators in their factory. They also have two water wells or boreholes
and a third in digging so they never run out of water which is supplied by WASA.
POLLUTION
Nestlé is also eco-friendly. Their manufacturing activities don’t harm the environment in
anyway, due to their stringent environmental policy. They have a wastewater treatment
plant in which they clean their wastewater before it is disposed into the nearby St.
Joseph River. Since there is no close surrounding settlement near the factory, there is
no noise pollution taking place.
6. LABOUR
The pie chart above shows that Nestlé workers live close to the factory. Due to recent
expansions, their access to the highway is becoming difficult. A problem faced with
these workers is that they have to walk a far distance for taxis and in some instances,
when they have to cross the highway, they might arrive late for work.
30%
30%
20%
20%
Pie chart showing areas where
Nestlé's workers live.
West
South
East(Arima to Sande
Grande)
Eastwest Corridor(Arima
to Mount Hope)
80%
20%
Pie chart showing level of workers
Skilled
Unskilled
7. Conclusion
Nestlé’s products are in great demand in Trinidad, because of its centralized location; it
is ideally located to accommodate its workers to and from work as well as the
distribution of its products throughout the country. The raw materials are also easily
accessible from the port.
Due to Nestlé’s stringent environmental policy, no harm is done to the environment.
