THE Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille, has congratulated Gregory Stubbs, owner of the Three Streams Smokehouse, on growing the economy and creating jobs.
She recently inaugurated the new factory which was erected in Robertsvallei after the previous one burnt down in 2009.
Three Streams, which started processing salmon and trout two decades ago, has continually invested in infrastructure, human resources and marketing.
Today it is the leading processor and marketing company of salmon and trout products in South Africa.
The company employs 200 people and has been the platform upon which approximately 200 other upstream and downstream jobs have been created; from feed supply, equipment suppliers to distributors and markets.
The company’s main Smokehouse factory was devastatingly destroyed by a fire on 7 December 2009. An electrical fault in a scale in the quality control laboratory was found to be the cause of the fire.
The dedication and passion of the Three Streams team ensured that the company put into play a contingency plan and soon began operating in two other plants on the premises.
Despite the reduced processing capacity, the business grew some 35% whilst the main plant was being rebuilt. This took one year, and the plant began operating again on 23 November last year.
Gregory Stubbs, CEO of Three Streams, accompanied the Premier on a trade mission to the UAE in December.
The objective of the mission was to encourage bi-lateral trade with the region and to especially address the in-balance and increase exports from the Western Cape. The trade mission was a success for the company and Three Streams will shortly be supplying a retail chain in the UAE.
He was so impressed with the manner in which the DA and the Premier conducted themselves that he made it his mission to invite her to Three Streams for the ceremonial opening.
The Premier hailed the dedication, passion and tenacity of Three Streams and likened it to the story of South Africa. She emphasised that creating jobs and growing the economy was the number one priority in South Africa
