PAN is not just for Panorama.
Akua Leith, artistic director and conductor of the T&T National Steel Symphony Orchestra, is set to commercialize the production of the national instrument.
He has fulfilled the first stage of his dream of building a pan factory in T&T, very distinct from the cottage industry that has sprung up around the instrument.
It has been Leith’s dream to bring steel to the forefront of local culture and consciousness.
If Leith has its way, there will be a frying pan in every house.
And pan will be taught in the classrooms of all schools.
On August 19, World Pan Day, the Musical Instrument Company of Trinidad and Tobago Company (MITTCO) opened the doors to its pottery manufacturing facility in Diamond Vale Industrial Estate.
It took just under two years to build and transform the facility into a modern manufacturing facility.
From the entrance of the building, where the pans are displayed for purchase, to the interior where the drums are assembled for production, there are a series of rooms – the room where the drums are cut and the notes carved, the kiln room, where the pan is actually baked to get the right notes, the polishing room, the soundproofing rooms (there are six of them) where the tuners are placed to ensure quality control, the engraving room (you can have anything you want engraved on the tin) the kit room, where you can choose your box and stand for your pan.
The pan plant lies in a loop.
On purpose like that.
The facility is operational and has the capability to produce a pan in a short time span of perhaps three days. The next stage is business marketing and industry building.
“We have loans to pay,” laughed Leith.
At Leith’s right hand, is Mario Joseph, lead tuner for all major Panorama bands.
“We are fortunate to have Mario as part of the team, not only as a tuner, but also as part of the directorship,” said Leith.
Joseph built his first pan at the age of 13, to the tune of Paul Keens-Douglas when he was in Form 2 at Success Laventille High School.
And that was the beginning of his lifelong passion for pan.
Joseph told Express Business that before the MITTCO facility, he would make pans for people or groups, but it was not a one-man shop. Most of the work would be outsourced to other people until the final product was finished.
The minimum time to produce such a pan was three weeks.
He reasoned that having the MITTCO facility would make the pan much more accessible.
HADCO Partners
While Leith had the vision, to make the dream possible, he partnered with HADCO, the Group that sponsors the Phase II Pan Groove steel orchestra.
HADCO funded the dream by investing over $10 million in the facility.
MITTCO’s board includes Leith, Joseph, David Hackett and the three Hadad brothers John, Joseph and Robert, who founded HADCO.
The MITTCO Registry of Companies filing shows that, as of April 15, 2021, the three Hadad brothers jointly owned 45 ordinary shares in the pan company. David Hackett owns 10 shares, Akua Leith owns 25 shares and Edsil Joseph owns 20 shares.
The Registry of Companies filing also shows the Haddads secured a $3 million non-residential mortgage loan with First Citizens Bank on July 7, 2021. The loan document was sealed by the Department of Records on August 18, 2021.
In an interview with Express Business last March about MITTCO, John Hadad was confident about MITTCO’s successes.
“At the end of the day, success always lies in commercializing it for profit. What is a fair profit? Let’s not get into that. I think it is a commercially viable project. We believe in cooperation to compete and we have entered into this joint venture with a sincere desire to promote this musical instrument globally,” said Hadad.
“So the thing about it is that one doesn’t really know the true potential of the market until you do the supply side. The best tools, the best builders, in the world are here,” said Hadad.
“So we have to ask why this hasn’t happened before. I mean, let’s be real. Culture and business are two different skill sets. My view is that when you sit down and look at it, the best results are always collaboration,” he said.
Hadad had observed that to birth new industries in T&T requires the support or initiative of the government.
“I think that this cooperation is being broken. I mean we’re waiting to see how successful it will be. I don’t like to count our chicken before it hatches, but I think we have the right mindset, a dedicated team. We know that for two to three years, it will not be profitable, but we will learn as we move towards export, with a new online market. The ecosystem is important and essential,” said Hadad.
Request for construction
MITTCO is the cornerstone of the Leith ecosystem.
As the facility is able to produce more at different stages, it can supply an existing market and create new demand.
MITTCO will manufacture a complete range of high quality instruments to supply demand both locally and internationally.
“It’s two-fold: it’s supplying instruments to those who don’t have or those who are replacing instruments and also maintaining it and keeping it well tuned,” he said.
Leith said the full-service pan ecosystem will provide year-round employment in pan production and craftsmanship.
He lamented that at the moment being involved in pan music was not seen as a full-time job for some, but very seasonal.
And he wants to change that.
At the moment, they have 15 people employed, but Leith said they hope to reach 20.
He said MITTCO aims to engage the wider fraternity to create more jobs within the industry.
“We’ve had conversations and people have shown interest,” he said.
“We’re focused on getting this pillar done before we move on to other pillars and so you don’t want to bite off too much,” he said.
“Trinidad & Tobago is the home of the steel pan,” says Leith, “We have, without a doubt, the best steel pan artisans in the world and there’s no better time than now to create a world-class company with international scope. MITTCO’s goal is simple: to keep the authenticity of steel pan production alive, where it belongs, in the country of origin.
“This is a big deal. We have a Panorama, we have a plan of a competition that is now on other islands. You know, you can have an international panorama. You also have the opportunity to showcase at a marketing level, professional ensemble, that is traveling the world, showing the highest point of performance for this instrument,” said Leith.
