SBM Guyana’s Vendor Day strengthens partnerships, promotes local capacity building

More than 50 representatives of local suppliers came together at the Pegasus Suites to strengthen their role in Guyana’s oil and gas supply chain at SBM Offshore Guyana’s annual Vendor Day, an initiative designed to deepen local partnerships and support local business development in the sector.
In his opening remarks, SBM Offshore Guyana’s General Manager Martin Cheong noted, “At SBM Offshore, partnership lies at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our success in Guyana depends not only on the strength of our operations but also on the strength of our relationships with local businesses, with communities and with the many talented individuals who contribute to the country’s development.”

Participants were engaged in areas such as compliance, finance, HSSE, local content and inclusion, diversity and equity, all aimed at strengthening the efficiency and transparency of SBM Offshore Guyana processes. Through these engagements, local suppliers gained valuable insight into the company’s procurement processes and expectations, helping to strengthen their capacity to support the oil and gas supply chain.
During his remarks, Area Operations Manager for SBM Offshore Guyana, Ricardo Pinto, underscored the importance of the event to the mutual success of the local business community and the company.
He stated, “As we continue to expand our operations in Guyana, it is crucial that we strengthen this partnership even further. This means maintaining open communication, supporting capacity building and creating opportunities for mutual success.”
Echoing his sentiments, Michael Munroe, Director of the Local Content Secretariat, also highlighted the importance of activities like these that foster meaningful conversations.
He noted, “Contractors and subcontractors must create forums like these. We believe fundamentally that once we have dialogue, then we can make local content more impactful.”
This year’s Vendor Day was also attended by members of SBM Offshore’s global leadership team, including Group Supply Chain Director Johann Declercq and Product Supply Chain Manager Sebastien Brossard. Their presentations reinforced the company’s commitment, both locally and globally, to developing sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships that contribute to long-term growth. Declercq, in his address, highlighted the importance of strengthening supplier relationships across SBM Offshore’s global network, emphasising that Guyana plays a strategic role in the company’s long-term growth vision.
Brossard shared insights on SBM Offshore’s procurement processes and sustainability priorities, encouraging local vendors to continue developing innovative, reliable solutions that align with the company’s international standards.
Vendor Day serves as a key platform for engagement between SBM Offshore Guyana and its vendors, fostering transparency, knowledge exchange and alignment with the company’s standards of excellence.
The company’s Local Content Lead, Garri Fraser, expressed that the company’s goal is to ensure that locals benefit from its operations.
“One of our goals is to ensure we engage with locals first to ensure that local vendors receive opportunities,” he noted.
The initiative underscores SBM Offshore Guyana’s ongoing commitment to local content development. By fostering collaboration, innovation and shared learning, Vendor Day continues to strengthen a capable, competitive local supplier network contributing directly to Guyana’s sustainable growth.