Energy Conference fuels business growth and market expansion

A scene from the 2025 conference

Participation in the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo is increasingly being credited with driving business expansion, enhancing market presence, and facilitating long-term transformation.

At this year’s launch, several companies highlighted how the Expo helped reposition their operations and unlock opportunities within the energy sector. Among them, the Hardware Depot stood out. Business Development Manager Edward Massiah said engagement with international firms played a pivotal role in the company’s growth.

Massiah explained that access to global networking opportunities translated into increased revenue, broader product offerings, and the need for additional operational space. He emphasised that many businesses fall behind not due to a lack of opportunities, but because they hesitate to act.

From the beginning, the Hardware Depot viewed the Energy Conference and Expo as more than a showcase. Instead, it was an opportunity to strategically position the company within Guyana’s fast-growing energy industry. The company first participated in 2022 with limited resources but a clear sense of purpose.

“Comparatively speaking, we came with a modest booth, modest team, but our ambition wasn’t modest, our ambition was huge,” Massiah said. That ambition, he added, was to establish the Hardware Depot as “a serious and dependable safety supplier to the energy sector.”

According to Massiah, the Expo exceeded expectations by providing rare access to senior decision-makers in the global energy industry.

“We were able to secure one-on-one conversations with senior decision makers, some of the world’s largest energy contractors. In a normal business day, it’s very difficult to have those kinds of meetings, but at the Expo, a CEO or a health and safety executive is just a booth and a handshake away,” he explained.

These interactions allowed the company to better understand industry standards and compliance requirements while presenting its products directly to procurement leaders.

“That level of access cannot be overstated. The business impact was significant. Between 2022 and 2024, we were able to secure new orders, and our sales revenue grew by 30 per cent,” he said.

The growth also led to an expansion of the company’s personal protective equipment offerings, enabling it to serve the mining, industrial, and construction sectors. As demand increased, the Hardware Depot outgrew its previous facilities.

“Today, we are housed in a brand new, spanking building, about six levels on Vlissingen Road,” Massiah said. He stressed that the company’s progress was directly tied to participation in the Expo.

“Those achievements did not happen by chance,” Massiah said, noting that the Hardware Depot has evolved into “not simply a store, but a trusted partner prepared to support businesses and emerging industries with reliability and responsiveness.”