Diasporic Entrepreneurship in the Caribbean - Firm Profiles.pdf Vol 2 | Page 34

Part III:
Transportation/Freight Firms

11. LAPARKAN
Company Background:
In 1983, Glen Khan, John La Rose and Terrence
Pariaug recognised and acted on the need
to reconnect West Indians who were living
abroad, with families and friends in their
respective homelands in the Caribbean,
particularly Guyana at that point in time.
The tradition of Caribbean communities in
the United States of America, Canada and the
UK sending supplies, gifts and various other
items to their families ‘back home’ prompted
the need to create a reliable delivery channel.
Market research revealed a tremendous gap
in the market and by seizing this opportunity,
Laparkan was created.
Laparkan started in Toronto with 4 employees
and then subsequently established a presence
in Guyana in order to provide door-todoor- services. The driving force for growth
of the company was word-of-mouth and
community affiliation and networks. The
company has continued to grow successfully,
with its services increasingly offered to other
Caribbean countries, including Haiti and the
Dominican Republic. These larger markets
have enabled the company to further expand
its reach simultaneously into the Caribbean,
North America and European markets.
Laparkan is a member of the World Cargo
Alliance (WCA), China Global Logistics
Network (CGLN), India Global Logistics
Network (IGLN) and Advanced Professional
Logistics Network (APLN). Laparkan also
provides