Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

The album artwork in the record shop is a colourful testament to Tuff Gong's phenomenal output. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Tuff Gong International Limited is being reorganised, regenerated and refurbished so that it will become more efficient and better serve the tourism industry by next January.

To accommodate the process the vinyl manufacturing and stamper sections at the Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston, plant were closed for refurbishment on May 7 and will reopen in January. However, the Tuff Gong Recording Studio, Duplicating Department and Record Shop are open for business, but those areas will also be refurbished and expanded during the summer months.

The facility is not an official tourist attraction, but Mitzy Evans, general manager of Tuff Gong International Limited, says the company has many visitors.

international visitors

"We get a lot of visitors from Europe and Japan. They are interested in the vinyl industry. Sometimes we have three tours with 15 to 20 people each week. Schools also come here for tours," said Evans.

She added: "The vinyl business is very low, so we have to change the concept somewhat so it will be geared towards tourism. We need to regenerate the business to operate in the 21st century."

Evans said fewer vinyls will be manufactured, because there are not many buyers for the audio recording medium. She also noted that the facility will be refurbished.

Magalie Billod, who has the life-threatening disease muscular dystrophy, was granted one wish by the Make A Wish Foundation, to visit the home of her musical icon, Bob Marley. Billod, who is from Switzerland, visited the Tuff Gong studios last April with her family. Many persons visit the facility each year.- Contributed

because many of the machines are as old as the 27-year-old company. Thus, newer and more efficient machines will be employed to help to reduce the company's costs.

She says when the refurbishing work is complete the old machines will be used as part of the company tour to show visitors how vinyls are manufactured.

Evans says there will also be about six tour guides for the hour-and-a-half tour of the compound. The visitors will also go to a screening room where they can view a 20-minute documentary. As part of the package they can record their own songs or sing on a Bob Marley track, which can be put on a CD or vinyl. They will also be able to purchase CDs, vinyls and Tuff Gong clothing and memorabilia, as well as sip Bob Marley's favourite juices from the juice bar.

In addition, Evans says, "We will tie in tours with the Bob Marley museum so that it will be one package.

"Tuff Gong studio will still be open because it is still a working factory, but it is really geared towards the Marley brand," stressed Evans.

a Bob Marley experience

She says the visit to the facility will be a unique experience. "It will be a Bob Marley experience," she said.

While stressing that the Marley family is committed to the development of a new concept to modernise the facility in order to perpetuate the legacy of Bob Marley and the Marley brand, Evans said "It will be costly for the Marleys to do, but they are very dedicated to it."

In order to ensure that the venture is a success, Evans says they have started an extensive marketing programme to all major hotels, tour companies and cruise lines.