The most senior U.S. diplomatic official in Liberia has praised Jeety Rubber and its subsidiary, Salala Rubber Corporation, for their approach to private investment and community development in Weala, Margibi County.
During a visit to the companies’ facilities in Margibi, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Joseph Zadrozny said their work shows how investment, local partnership, and clear goals can improve livelihoods and boost Liberia’s economy.
“It takes more than an investor and workers. The entire community has to work together,” Zadrozny said. “Seeing it work on the ground gives me concrete examples to share when I talk about what’s happening in Liberia.”
He added that the progress he witnessed gives him and other officials a strong basis to market Liberia to international investors. Zadrozny encouraged more Liberian-Americans in the diaspora to consider returning home to invest.
“I would really love to see more Liberian-American investors encouraged to come back and invest here,” he said.
Zadrozny noted that Jeety Rubber and Salala Rubber Corporation’s impact goes beyond factory operations and is key to their success. While he acknowledged that running a business in Liberia is challenging, he commended businessman Upjit Sachdeva for setting ambitious targets and delivering on them.
“I’ve been here for nearly a year and I hear a lot of plans and hopes,” Zadrozny said. “It’s exciting to see what’s actually being achieved here.”
He highlighted visits to the factory, maternity ward, clinic, and schools from early childhood through secondary level, including science labs.
“What I saw reinforced that this investment is working because it extends beyond the factory gate,” he said. “When a factory expands, you need people trained in science and math to fill those jobs. All of those pieces matter.”
Zadrozny pointed to rubber being processed and exported to the U.S. for manufacturing high-quality products. “It starts right here in Liberia,” he said.
Jeety Rubber, part of the Jeety Conglomerate, bought Salala Rubber Corporation in August 2024 from Belgian-French firm Socfin. Socfin had closed the plantation after violent protests over housing and healthcare left over 800 workers jobless.
Under new ownership, operations have resumed fully. Sachdeva called the reopening “a new chapter for SRC, the workers, and the entire country.”
The companies now employ over 1,500 people, including staff and contractors from Weala and nearby communities. Community projects include nine boreholes serving more than 6,000 residents, expansion of a 50-bed clinic to add four operating theaters and an eye clinic, a US$10,000 annual district scholarship fund, and a daily feeding program.
Zadrozny is among several envoys who have visited and praised the companies. In February, Slovak Ambassador Martin Podstavek said the investment reflects Liberia’s improving business climate. In March 2025, Indian Ambassador Manoj Bihari Verma commended Sachdeva for upgrades to schools, hospitals, and worker housing, and said India would explore undergraduate scholarships for students in Margibi County District Five.
Local recognition has also followed. In late March, the Rubber Planters Association of Liberia and the Rubber Development Fund Incorporated honored Sachdeva in a ceremony where he was given the Liberian name “Kolleh,” meaning “a bright and good man.”
The award cited the company’s support for smallholder farmers when other buyers halted purchases during a dispute over government farm-gate pricing. Jeety Rubber continued buying rubber, giving thousands of farmers a market. Since 2025, the company has also provided interest-free loans to over 100 farmers for replanting and expansion, with repayments deducted from future sales.
Sachdeva said his long-term goal is for Liberia to produce tires, targeting 2028 for the first made-in-Liberia tire. The factory currently processes five tons of rubber per hour and needs 200 to 225 tons of raw rubber daily. An expansion to increase capacity to 550 tons per day is underway, with completion targeted for August, though September remains a backup.
He appealed to Liberian farmers and producers to ensure a steady supply of raw rubber.
“If I can get that rubber, my family and I will make sure the dream Liberians have held for over 100 years becomes reality in this factory,” Sachdeva said. “That dream is to produce made-in-Liberia tires by 2028. But it depends on having enough locally sourced rubber. Without it, I can’t make tires.”
