Factories and Processing Plants

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  There are none of the big factories among the Mennonites in Belize, such as you will see in the heavily industrialized Mennonite communities of Mexico and Canada. Except for metal companies like Koop Sheet Metal and Koop's Tinsmith, there are no metal, textile or chemical factories. All such goods are imported either packaged or almost prepared. Metalworks companies and glass shops import prepared materials and then mold, cut and shape to customer requirements.
  Smaller home businesses buy wholesale components from these importers and build their own products to sell. This creates high product cost, consequently more people are importing their own ready made items, either local importing companies or from online giants such as Amazon and Ebay. 
  The only products that can truly be labeled "product of Belize" are items from Caribbean Chicken, Quality Poultry, Western Dairies, Reinland Meats, Country Meats, Eurobel, Bel-Car , Circle R and Country Foods. All these listed companies process and package meat and grains such as rice and corn, and all of them are owned by Plautdietsch Mennonites mostly of the Kleine Gemeinde and EMMC churches.
  Among the Old Colonists from Shipyard and Little Belize there are many individuals that create their own products out of scrap material and also of raw material, some of which is purchased on the black market. Items made from cast iron and lightweight aluminum crafts for example. There are some meat plants and grain companies among them too but they mostly serve their own people and the villages around them. It will be some time yet before they start reaching out countrywide.
  In the Old Order Mennonite villages of Barton Creek and Springfield there are many that also craft their own items out of scrap metal and then resell it, such as garden tools and small metal accessories for house construction. All meat and grain is grown and consumed by themselves. These guys are honest and fair in their trade and rather than smuggle in raw goods they reuse scraps. An old gentleman explained to me that God does not bless a business that is built in dishonesty and illegal trade.
I agree with him.
  Both ultra conservative groups build their own buggies and wagons.
  The least business-minded are the Holdemans, Beachy, and Conservative Mennonites but this is due to the fact they don't live in colonies and are so small in number.

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