Residents and businesses in La Brea have raised questions about the future of the La Brea Industrial Development Company (Labidco) after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced on Tuesday that the company was being considered for divestment alongside National Quarries, Hilton Trinidad and the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort.
The announcement reportedly caught Labidco staff by surprise. The company manages the La Brea Industrial Estate and is a subsidiary of the National Gas Company (NGC), which holds a 91.55 per cent shareholding. Petrotrin owns the remaining 8.45 per cent.
The estate is home to Trinidad Offshore Fabricators Unlimited (TOFCO), one of Labidco’s main tenants. The facility has played a role in major offshore fabrication projects, including the Shell Manatee jacket, which was shipped from TOFCO’s fabrication yard last month.
Former La Brea MP Randall Mitchell questioned the prospect of selling the company, arguing that Labidco should not be treated as an ordinary state asset because of the industrial estate’s importance to the country’s energy infrastructure. He pointed to the offshore platform fabrication yard operated by TOFCO and highlighted the scale of the Shell Manatee structure fabricated there.
Mitchell described the jacket as approximately 5,000 tonnes and 384 feet tall, and said it was the largest jacket ever fabricated in Trinidad and Tobago. He also referred to the bpTT Juniper platform topsides, which he said had previously been the largest platform fabricated in the country.
The possibility of a sale has also prompted questions among nearby residents and businesses about the estate’s relationship with the surrounding community. David McIntyre, president of the Pitch Lake Tour Guide Association, said private businesses operating on the estate employed people from outside the area, but he also noted its local employment links.
McIntyre said workers could be seen entering the estate in the morning and indicated that the site remained connected to the community. The comments reflect the importance residents place on the industrial operation beyond its role in the national energy sector.
Resident Terell Marcelle said people needed more information before forming a firm view on a potential sale. Questions included who might buy the company, what benefits a change of ownership would bring, who would be involved as stakeholders, and whether community support and corporate responsibilities would continue.
Marcelle said existing companies provided assistance to the community, although the extent and form of that support varied. The uncertainty, he suggested, was a central concern: residents understand the current arrangements but do not know what a new owner might bring.
The announcement places Labidco’s ownership, industrial role and community relationships in focus. The available report does not identify a buyer or confirm that a sale has been finalised; the company is among the state-linked entities being considered for divestment.
