St. Lucia Business Focus 103

Issue No. 103 Jul/Aug 2019 

STEVE JAMESON 

JAMECOB’S QUALITY 

CONSTRUCTION LTD

Goddard Catering Group 

After successfully 

operating as the official 

Caterer for Cricket World Cup 

2007, Goddard Catering Group saw 

the need to raise the bar on catering 

services throughout the region. This led to the 

birth of GCG Events in October of 2008. GCG Events 

is an affiliated company of Goddard Catering Group and a 

member of the Goddard Enterprises Group of Companies. 

Our vision is to become the premier catering company in the region by 

providing culinary experiences that consistently meet and exceed customer 

expectations. To achieve this GCG Events has invested in a state of the art facility, an 

internationally trained team of event experts, and ingredients that meet our exacting standards. 

From conception to completion, our experienced team will help you turn your dream event into a reality. 

GCG Events is committed to making each and every event, “Simply Outstanding” 

At GCG Events we are dedicated to making you the perfect host. We strive to make 

every catered event distinguished, blissful and stress-free. Our high 

standards, supreme service and exceptional quality will make your 

event a flawless, unforgettable experience. 

GCG Events is delighted to assist brides, grooms and 

their families with the menu planning for that 

significant day of their dreams. From grand and 

lavish to intimate and informal, we can make 

your special day something you and your 

guests will always remember. 

FOR ALL YOUR 

CATERING 

NEEDS! 

Your employees and guests will surely 

appreciate your catering choice whilst 

consuming each delightful bite of their lunch, 

canapé or breakfast. Choose one of our menus 

or allow our chef to create a personalized 

menu for you that matches your vision and 

theme. Our team will make sure everything 

runs smoothly to ensure you and your guests 

have an unforgettable time. 

• WEDDINGS • CONFERENCES • BANQUETS 

• OFFICE PARTIES • SOCIAL GATHERINGS 

• COCKTAIL PARTIES • OTHER EVENTS 

Hewanorra Int’l Airport | P.O. Box 363 

Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, W.I. 

+1.758.459.6400 Ext: 6431 | +1.758.728.9400 

uvf.gcg-events@gcggroup.com 

www.gcg-events.com

STAYCATION, ESCAPE AND REST EASY 

at Marigot Bay Resort and Marina 

Immerse yourself in luxury with an affordable Staycation Experience designed with Saint Lucian families 

in mind. The resort features two Infinity pools, a swim-up bar, Marigot Bay Spa Village, restaurants, bars 

and a variety of beautifully designed Guest Suites. 

Staycation Experience Includes: 

• FULL AMERICAN BREAKFAST FOR TWO 

• In-Room Refreshment Center 

• 24-hour access to the Fitness Center 

• Complimentary Resort Activities 

• Complimentary boat shuttle service to La Bas Beach 

• Marigot Bay Amenity Program 

• Access to the Marigot Bay Personal Assistants 

• Nightly Turndown Service 

• Wireless Internet Access 

Marigot Bay Resort, Spa & 

Marina 

Price: $ 199 USD Per Night 

Includes a Resort View Junior Suite based on single 

or double occupancy. Rate is subject to 10% tax and 

10% service charge. At check-in the Staycation rates 

require Saint Lucian ID. Check-in time 3:00pm and 

Check-out time 12 noon. Limited time offer. 

Contact: +1 758.458.5300 ~ reservations@marigotbayresort.com 

www.MarigotBayResort.com

No. 103 

BF 

CONTENTS 

FEATURE 

Jamecob's Quality Construction 

46 Growing Up in Rural St Lucia 

48 Construction as A Career Option 

49 Learning on the Job - From the Ground Up 

50 The Dream of Becoming A Business Owner 

51 Capitalizing on Priceless Opportunities 

52 The Challenges of Being of a Young 

Entrepreneur 

53 Advantages of Linkages with Key 

Stakeholders 

54 The Benefits of A Professional Technical Team 

60 Our Team Behind the Scenes 

62 Profiles of Long Serving Staff 

64 Our Female Professionals - Breaking the Glass 

Ceilings 

66 Looking to the Future - The Next Generation 

Becomes Involved 

70 Testimonials 

74 Inside Out - Living the good life 

Inside & Out 

4 Editor’s Note 

6 Business Briefs 

8 Leadership Qualities: Perspective of Your 

Employees 

Leaders' Corner 

10 Are You Hiring for “Culture Fit”? 

12 Lewis Industries Ltd - The Building 

Doctors 

Economy & Trade 

14 Caribbean Governments Role in Stimulating 

Social Entrepreneurship 

16 AIASL - 2018 Awards Ceremony 

20 The 2nd Annual Alternative and Innovative 

Investment and Financing Options 

Symposium 

22 Alternative Security Services - Proudly 

Celebrating 10 Years 

24 Saint Lucia Launches UNDP MAPS Mission 

25 CDB calls for embracing the opportunities in 

agriculture to reduce poverty 

26 Chamber of Commerce Discusses Business 

with Southern Members 

26 Women Drivers on The Road 

27 Regional Rum Producers to Include Warnings 

on Labels 

28 Caribbean Awning Ltd - The Importance 

of Shutters 

Business Tech 

30 New Business Model Inevitable for Caribbean 

Utilities 

31 Decarbonization, Vehicle Electrification and 

Energy Access 

32 The Future of Business & Crypto – Part 1 

33 Blockchain Technology Being Explored as Tool 

to Drive Agricultural Trade in The Caribbean 

34 New Saint Lucian Startup Provides Mobile 

Payment Solution – Squeeze Cash 

35 Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court to Roll Out 

Next Phase of E-Litigation Portal for St. Lucia 

High Court 

36 RECS - Building Experience, Expertise 

and Reliability 

38 Island Insurances - Celebrating 1 Year of 

Providing You with Stellar Coverage 

Money Matters 

40 The Commercial Division of High Court 

Records Another Successful Year 

41 OPIC Acting President and CEO Bohigian 

Leads Delegation to St. Lucia 

41 NIC to Launch Low-Cost Housing Project 

42 Harris Paints - Solutions Focus 

Environmental Focus 

76 New Action Plan on Caribbean Health and 

Climate Change 

77 SLDB Concludes Green Climate Fund 

Caribbean Private Sector Engagement 

Workshop 

Tourism Focus 

78 Destination Experience is the Key to a 

Traveller's Pleasure 

80 New Golf Course to Open in Saint Lucia 

81 SLTA Launches New Social Media Campaign 

#MySaintLucia 

81 Saint Lucia Tourism Authority Appoints New 

Chief Executive Officer 

JUL/AUG 2019 

82 Saint Lucia’s National Culinary Team Brings 

Home the Gold, Silver and Bronze! 

83 Bay Gardens Resorts Deliver Through ‘Dine 

Around’ Partnership 

83 Anse Chastanet Resort Debuts Total Vegan 

Dining 

In The Know 

84 The Value of a Skilled Project Manager 

86 Is Your Safe, Safe? 

87 Court Provides Alternative Dispute Resolution 

Option 

88 Smoke – The Silent Destroyer 

89 Another Five Inducted Into The Insurance 

Council’s Hall Of Fame 

Youth In Focus 

90 DevCa 2019 Hackathon: Openshores Wins 

92 The Caribbean's Only Youth-Owned 

Mushroom Farm Provides A Model for 

Business Success in Agriculture 

94 Chamber Plays Lead Role in Independence 20 

Meets 20 Mentorship Program 

95 The Job Fair Expo – Back On For A Third Year! 

96 Saint Lucian Wins TEECA Caribbean 

Entrepreneurship Challenge 

97 Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School 

Retains SLHTA Chefs in Schools Cook Off 

Championship Title 2019 

97 Education Quality Improvement Project 

comes on stream 

Health Focus 

98 Sexual Violence, Rape and Post Exposure 

Prophylaxis (PEP) 

100 Wonder Drug? Separating CBD Oil Fact from 

Fiction 

102 Saint Lucia Puts on Purple for Lupus 

Awareness 

103 Ministry of Health Ramps Up Efforts to Stop 

Tobacco Use 

104 New Coordinated Approach to Local 

Vaccination Programmes 

105 Senior Public Service Employees Get 

Emotional Health Training 

106 Events 

107 Major Moves 

110 New Company Registrations 

112 Advertiser's Index 

BusinessFocus Jul / Aug | 3

Constructing a Successful Career and a Proud Legacy! 

Lokesh Singh 

Editor / Managing Director 

At this time of writing, thousands 

of our school children have just 

received good and bad news with 

their Common Entrance Results. In 

a few weeks, thousands more will 

experience the same with their 

CXC Results. 

In both cases, these results reflect 

the realities of life where doors 

to opportunities are opened for 

some and dreams are shattered for 

others. This however, is not the end 

of the world and we need to have 

a positive attitude, change course, 

reshape our dreams and make the 

best of life’s opportunities. 

In our history and up to today, many 

of us would not have had the benefit 

of a good academic background and 

have had to resort to getting into 

the work force at an early age. This should not deter you from charting a 

course for growth and success. 

In this Issue, Our Special Feature is dedicated to one such person, who is 

an example of what is possible despite coming from a rural community, a 

large family and a humble background. He had a vision, believed all things 

were possible and grabbed the opportunities along the way to develop his 

skills and grow a business. 

Today, Steve Jameson, through application, determination and a drive to be 

the best in his chosen field, despite the many challenges along the way, has 

evolved from a construction worker and small business operator, to being 

the proud owner of Jamecob’s Quality Construction Ltd. – one of the largest 

indigenous construction companies on the island. His footprint of major 

construction projects is stamped across the island’s landscape. 

Steve has also had the vision to ensure his succession planning and legacy 

with his children being professionally trained in various aspects of the 

construction industry and ultimately being employed in the family business. 

We salute Steve Jameson, a humble man of not many words, on his 

achievements and his evolution from the ground up to becoming one of 

St Lucia’s Master Builders. We hope that his story will be an inspiration 

to many young people in helping them to chart their course and realise 

their full potential. 

We trust that you will enjoy reading this edition with the many articles 

from our contributors and others to keep you abreast of happenings in 

the world of business. 

Look us up online at www.businessfocusstlucia.com and share the Magazine 

with your business associates, friends and family. 

BUSINESSFOCUS 

The Saint Lucia Business Focus magazine is 

published every two months by Advertising & 

Marketing Services Limited (AMS) Ltd., Saint Lucia. 

Managing Director: 

Mr. Lokesh Singh – lokesh@amscaribbean.com 

Project Manager: 

Ms. Ashwini Singh – ashwini@amscaribbean.com 

Editor’s Note 

Advertising Sales: 

Ms. Cavell Robertson – cavell@amscaribbean.com 

Graphic Designer: 

Ms. Darleen Smith 

Webmaster: 

Advertising & Marketing Services (AMS) Ltd. 

Photography: 

Ashley Anzie | Ashwini Singh | Jamecob’s Quality 

Construction Ltd. | Sandals Resorts International | 

The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce | Saint Lucia 

Open Data | AdVizze Consulting Inc. 

Contributors: 

Lokesh Singh | Ashwini Singh | Jamecob’s Quality 

Construction Ltd. | Surren Maharaj | Olivier Bottois 

Nirmala Maharaj | The St. Lucia Chamber of 

Commerce | Anne Marie Herman | Andrew Ismond 

| Joseph E. Doway | Terry Finisterre | Perle M. 

Alcindor | Brian Ramsey| Rohan John Baptiste 

Saint Lucia Open Data | AdVizze Consulting Inc. 

Dr. Minerva King | Frank Sterrett 

Editorial, Advertising, Design & Production: 

Advertising & Marketing Services (AMS) Ltd. 

P.O. Box 2003, Castries, Saint Lucia 

Tel: (758) 453-1149; Fax: (758) 453-1290 

email: info@businessfocusstlucia.com 

www.businessfocusstlucia.com 

Business Focus welcomes contributions from 

professionals or writers in specialized fields or 

areas of interest. 

Reproduction of any material contained herein 

without written approval, constitutes a violation 

of copyright. Business Focus reserves the right to 

determine the content of the publication. 

On The Cover: 

Mr. Steve Jameson 

Jamecob’s Quality Construction Ltd. 

Backdrop – Sandals Bluff 

Issue No. 103 Jul/Aug 2019 

STEVE JAMESON 

JAMECOB’S QUALITY 

CONSTRUCTION LTD. 


We offer: 

Unlimited Mileage 

Special Weekly Rates 

Off Season Specials 

GFL Charles Airport 

758-458-2031 

Airport (Vieux Fort) 

758-454-7898 

Soufriere 

758-459-7729 

J.Q. Rodney Bay Mall 

758-458-0824 

Fax 

758-459-5309 

Cool Breeze Car / Jeep Rentals 

Soufriere Waterfront 

758-459-7220 

www.coolbreezecarrental.com 

Email: coolbreeze@candw.lc 

We offer fuel service for boats and yachts. 

Location: Fond Cacao, Soufriere 

Telephone : 459 -7831/459-7729 

We Provide the following services in 

addition to the refueling of vehicles: 

• Cooking gas 

Sol & TexGas 

• Telephone top up 

Lime & Digicel 

• Convenient Store 

• Lottery Tickets 

• Vehicle accessories 

Car Batteries, Air Freshners 

Oil & Lubricants 


BUSINESS BRIEFS 

Business Briefs 


I.AM. Jet Centre Set to Improve 

Saint Lucia’s Aviation Experience 

Invest Saint Lucia, the island’s investment 

promotion agency, is pleased to announce 

yet another of its efforts coming to fruition. 

Thanks to their competent and diligent 

hard work, Saint Lucia’s Tourism Industry 

is on the receiving end of yet another 

remarkable investment opportunity, that 

of the I.AM. Jet Centre. 

Under the terms of the agreement, I.AM. 

Jet Centre will be a state-of-the-art, fixedbased 

operation that will provide a 

premium aviation experience for business, 

diplomatic and private high-end clients via 

a world-class terminal compound intended 

to deliver a concierge guest service package, 

an efficient customs and immigration 

station situated immediately after the point 

of entry, a business centre inclusive of highspeed 

Wi-Fi access, shower facilities, and a 

jet fuel supply station. 

The proposed project is intended to coincide 

with the redevelopment of the Hewanorra 

International Airport (HIA) and the terminal, 

which forms part of the 30-year business 

model promises to generate considerable 

revenue and ROI for the island. 

New Saint Lucia – Martinique 

Ferry Service Launched 

A new maritime link within the Capo Rosso 

ferry services will soon be available from 

Martinique to Saint Lucia and back. The 

“Capo Rosso” was officially launched on 

Thursday 4th July 2019. 

The vessel will provide service out of Marin 

(Martinique) to the Rodney Bay Marina, 5 

days weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 

Saturday and Sunday) with a departure 

out of Martinique at 7:00 a.m. and out of 

Saint Lucia at 4:00 p.m. The Service will 

BusinessFocus Jul / Aug | 6 

increase on public holidays and during 

school vacation. 

The new vessel, which is an addition to 

the existing “Capo Rosso 1” has a capacity 

of ninety-five (95) passengers, with three 

crew members and the journey across will 

take approximately one hour 30 minutes. 

At present, only French nationals and 

Saint Lucian nationals holding resident 

cards will be able to use this service. The 

authorities are currently discussing the 

possibility of transporting holders of Saint 

Lucian passports. Once an agreement has 

been reached, customs and immigration 

facilities will be made available at the 

Marin port in Martinique to facilitate those 

persons, as well as an office at Rodney Bay 

for the sale of tickets. 

ECFH, Bank of Saint Lucia 

Record EC$44.9M 

After-Tax Profit 

East Caribbean Financial Holding Company 

Ltd (ECFH) and its sole subsidiary Bank 

of Saint Lucia Ltd, the island’s largest 

indigenous bank, has once again delivered 

a strong performance for another 

consecutive year. For the financial year 

ended December 2018, the Bank recorded 

net profit after tax of EC$44.9 million 

compared to their 2017 year-end figure of 

EC $36.9 million. 

Managing Director, Dr. Bernard La 

Corbiniere, credits the Bank’s successful 

financial performance to the confidence 

and trust vested in the institution by its 

valued customers. La Corbiniere lauded 

the hard work of the management and 

staff of the institution, the guidance of 

the Board of Directors and invaluable 

contributions of its shareholders. 

ECFH held its Annual General Meeting on 

Thursday, May 16, 2019 at the Financial 

Administrative Complex at Pointe 

Seraphine. Management, along with the 

Board of Directors, promised to continue 

working in the interest of shareholders, 

customers and the general public to 

ensure that the institution’s performance 

continues to surpass expectations. 

Businesses Cautioned 

Against Placing 

Protruding Signs 

Businesses within Castries are being 

advised against placing signs on sidewalks, 

creating a hazard for pedestrians, 

especially those with disabilities. While 

these signs are placed daily by business 

houses to attract customers, the office has 

received numerous complaints regarding 

the placement of business signs on the 

sidewalks in the public right of way. 

The Criminal Code, Chapter 3.01 of the 

revised Laws of Saint Lucia 2013 states: “A 

person who places, hangs up, or exposes for 

sale in any city or town any goods, wares, 

merchandise, matter or thing whatsoever, 

so that the same project or projects into 

or over any footway, or beyond the line of 

any house, shop, or building at which the 

same is or are so exposed so as to obstruct 

or inconvenience the passage of any person 

over or along any footway is liable on 

summary conviction to a fine of $1,000.” 

Castries Mayor Peterson Francis said that 

the signs are not simply an aesthetic 

concern, but can also create problems for 

people with disabilities who must navigate 

around them: “We continue to see signs 

placed to the center of the sidewalks 

hindering pedestrians. I have seen persons 

with disabilities and wheelchairs having 

difficulty trying to maneuver on the 

sidewalks. It is of the utmost importance 

that all pedestrians have full and 

unobstructed use of the sidewalk.” 

Styrofoam and Plastics 

(Prohibition) Act Passed 

by Parliament


In keeping with the government’s 

promise to continue plans to reduce the 

dependence of single-use plastic on the 

island, Parliament passed the Styrofoam 

and Plastics (Prohibition) Act on June 11, 

2019. This is an important instrument 

that will assist in the enforcement of a 

reduction in single-use plastic and promote 

environmental sustainability. 

The Act will take effect on August 1, 

2019, with a ban on the importation of 

All Styrofoam® and selected single-use 

plastic food service containers. Therefore, 

any Styrofoam® and selected plastic food 

service containers arriving in Saint Lucia 

after July 31, 2019, will not be released 

by the Department of Customs and Excise. 

The act provides further details on the 

items that will be restricted as of August 

1, 2019 and August 1, 2020, with a twelve 

-month phase-out period for phase 1 and 

2 respectively. The Styrofoam and Plastics 

(Prohibition) Act will soon be in the gazette 

and available for public perusal. 

All importers are encouraged to declare 

their stock of Styrofoam and single-use 

plastics to the Department of Sustainable 

Development, as of August 1, 2019. 

For more information please call the 

Department of Sustainable Development 

at 468 5833. 

Excellent Stores Launches 

Gift Registry Service 

Excellent Stores St. Lucia officially 

launched its Gift Registry Service allowing 

individuals to create and share the perfect 

gift list for all of life’s special moments 

– from weddings and house warmings 

to baby showers and christenings 

to birthdays, graduation, anniversaries 

and retirement. 

Setting up a Gift Registry is a simple fourstep 

process and is absolutely free. It 

begins with a visit to Excellent Stores. With 

assistance from a Gift Registry Associate, 

individuals can create their gift registry 

choosing their “favourites” from the wide 

selection of available items. 

The gift registry is then uploaded to www. 

myexcellentstores.com and the full gift 

list emailed to the registered individual 

so it can easily be shared. Lastly, family 

and friends now have the opportunity 

to share in the celebration by seamlessly 

purchasing from the gift wish list. 

Registered individuals have the 

opportunity to purchase any remaining 

or unpurchased registry items from the 

wish list at a 10% discount within onemonth 

of the event. At the close of the 

registry, event planners will receive 5% 

of all purchases made; loaded onto an 

Excellent Stores Gift Card. Additionally, 

Excellent Stores Gift Registry offers 

easy exchanges, returns and a standard 

warranty on all applicable products. 

SALCC Partners with Johnson 

and Wales University 

The Sir Arthur Lewis Community College 

(SALCC) continues to make strides to 

provide students with quality education 

through partnerships with reputable 

universities in the region and globally. 

The College recently signed a Memorandum 

of Understanding with Johnson and Wales 

University, an institution with which 

the College has had a longstanding 

relationship. Both parties aspire to create 

a new kind of relationship which will be 

global, strategic, and transformational and 

which will enhance the learning experience 

of their respective student communities. 

The new Memorandum of Understanding 

will: develop pathways to provide 

students from both institutions the option 

of doing semesters abroad (at each 

other’s institutions); develop academic 

collaboration for students and faculty 

exchange programs; explore opportunities 

for joint research programmes; and 

develop academic pathways for the SALCC 

students to pursue undergraduate and 

postgraduate programmes at Johnson and 

Wales University. 

The current life of the Memorandum 

of Understanding is three years. The 

College recently signed an MOU with 

Niagara University focused on the training 

of teachers. 

The SALCC continues to seek pathways that 

will enhance the learning experience, not 

only of current students, but of alumni and 

by extension, the nation. 

UWI Landed Campus Comes 

to Antigua and The OECS 

Come September, the Organization of 

Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) will be 

home to its first landed campus of the 

University of the West Indies (UWI). 

Antigua and Barbuda will be home 

to the 4th landed UWI Campus. The 

announcement was made by the UWI’s 

Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary 

Beckles during a press conference: “I 

am honoured to report that Chancellor 

Robert Bermudez and the council of 

the University of the West Indies have 

formally approved the establishment of 

a UWI Campus in Antigua and Barbuda 

within the wider context of the country’s 

membership of the Organization of 

Eastern Caribbean States.” Professor 

Beckles says. Antigua and Barbuda’s Five 

Island Campus is set to open its doors in 

September 2019. Some 800 students will 

be welcomed to the institution. 

“Like its sister campuses at Mona, St. 

Augustine, Cave Hill and the Open Campus, 

the Five Islands Campus will begin in a 

modest fashion and will no doubt rise to 

magnificent heights in the years to come,” 

Continues Professor Beckles. According 

to the UWI Vice-Chancellor, it is left to 

all within the region to be meaningful 

contributors to the growth of an important 

Caribbean Institution. 


Leadership 

Qualities: 

Perspective Of 

Your Employees 

LEADERSHIP 

QUALITIES: 

PERSPECTIVE OF 

YOUR EMPLOYEES 

By Surren Maharaj 

“Leadership is about being of service to others, not being 

served by others. Be a mentor, not a boss.” — Unknown 

We all have our own views of what constitutes a great 

leader. Some of us see them as forceful and strong, others 

may see them as sensitive and compassionate while others 

may view them as direct and powerful. But, what are the 

characteristics of a true leader? What are our employees 

looking for in their leader? 

In June 2018, a workplace consultancy called The Predictive 

Index did a survey of more than 5,000 people to find out 

what makes a great boss. The conclusion of this survey is that 

employees look for the same traits in their leader as they see 

in themselves. Characteristics like self-awareness, humility, 

passion, and patience are all values employees look for in 

great leaders and traits they look to emulate themselves. 

How can current leaders or future leaders cultivate these 

traits our employees are looking for in their leader? The 

following are a few concepts you can consider: 

1. Employees Want Honesty 

Honesty is the gateway for trust, respect, and inspiration. 

Doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing 

will earn you respect from your employees, and it sets a 

fantastic example for them to follow. 

Our employees are very capable of sniffing out untruths 

and fluff. If you lie to, coddle or tell half-truths to your 

workforce, you are likely to do irreparable damage to 

your reputation as a leader and your company's brand as 

a whole. 

How do you cultivate honesty? Tell the truth even when 

it’s not very pretty. Admitting when you are wrong 

isn’t a sign of weakness but a sign of strength, we are 

all human, and we all make mistakes. Opening-up about 

your vulnerabilities makes you relatable and shows that 

you can be honest even when things are difficult. 

2. Employees Want to Feel Valued 

Giving credit where credit is due is one of the key things 

that great leaders do. Not every great idea comes from 

the executive offices. Success in business takes a collective 

effort. Ensure your employees get all the praises they 

deserve, in so doing you create an environment where 

people feel valued for their opinions, thoughts, and ideas. 

A leader who points out the successes of their staff stands 

to reap the gains of respect and admiration from their 

employees. Sharing the wealth of good news (as well as 

bad) is always a good idea if you want to be a great leader. 

By recognizing their teams’ achievements, great leaders 

encourage both competition and collaboration among 

team members because they strive to improve their own 

performance and rise to the good examples provided. 

When you call out the achievements of the team, you 

raise the collective up, and your business will flourish. 

Simply put “Praise in public, correct in private.” 

3. Employees Want You to Follow Through 

Following through on your commitments you make as a 

leader is ranked very high by your employees. By making 

and keeping promises, you demonstrate that you are a 

reliable and trustworthy leader. You set an example for 

the team as well. 

Surren Maharaj (MBA; BA; PCC) is 

the Principal Consultant and Chief 

Coach for Boundless Coaching 

Consulting and the President of 

the Life Coaching Association 

of Trinidad and Tobago. As 

Professional Certified Coach (PCC), 

he is part of an international 

community of coaches and is 

constantly called upon by local 

and regional clients. He has 

designed and delivered coaching 

courses. He is an active Mentor 

with YBTT and one of the Shell 

LiveWire Trainers. His career history includes over 20 years 

of expertise in Leadership and Management in the financial, 

logistics and retail sectors of Canada. He has a Bachelor of Arts 

degree from York University, Canada and a Master in Business 

Administration from Wales Bridge, UK. He can be contacted at 

+1 868 689 4034 / surren.maharaj@gmail.com. 


When you fail to follow through on a commitment it can 

be just as damaging as telling a blatant lie. Demonstrating 

that you only give lip service to something, may cause you 

to lose your reputation that would have taken years to 

build. In some instances, you may never be able to regain 

the trust of your employees. By following through on 

your commitments, you foster an environment of respect 

and value that trickles throughout an organization. 

4. Employees Want a Leader's Respect 

A study by the Harvard Business Review found that respect 

is what employees most want from a leader. Having a 

leader's respect delivers the best outcomes across the 

topics introduced in this article. Health and well-being, 

trust and safety, enjoyment and satisfaction, focus and 

prioritization, and meaning and significance. The biggest 

takeaway is that employees who feel respected by their 

bosses end up being 55 percent more engaged at work. 

So how do you develop respect as a leader? First, you need 

to become self-aware. Know where your shortcomings 

and blind spots are. Once you are aware of these, work 

to continually improve them using feedback from trusted 

advisors, mentors, and co-workers to adjust your behaviour. 

Finally, to ensure that your employees feel respected, it's 

crucial to continually take time to reflect on your own 

behaviour and learn from any mistakes you may make. 

Each human interaction is an opportunity for learning and 

improving, and if you approach your work life with curiosity 

and interest, your employees are sure to feel respected. n 

Grant Thornton 

GK Insurance 

Home Owners’ Insurance 

Contractors’ All Risk Insurance 

1 Bridge Street P.O. Box 1860 | Castries, St. Lucia 

Tel: (758) 451 3244 · Fax: (758) 458 1222 

www.ecglobalinsurance.com facebook.com/ecglobalinsuranceslu 


Are You Hiring 

for Volume “Culture 15 Fit”? 

LEADERS' 

CORNER 

Are You Hiring 

for “Culture Fit”? 

By Olivier Bottois 

Having worked in the hospitality industry in seven countries, I’ve 

had the opportunity to hire talent at all levels in different cultural 

environments and still do; and I keep learning. Labor being the 

highest cost to most organizations, staff turnover continues to 

have a direct impact on the bottom line. Employee retention 

remains critical to any organization’s success and profitability. 

Hiring managers often rely on first impression, presentation, 

age, personality, experience, skill set and references. Some 

companies pay for psychometric tests such as “Talent Plus”. 

So why is it that the new hire checks all the boxes and then 

something goes wrong? While hiring who we usually identify as 

the right person for the job with glowing references from past 

organizations, he/she doesn’t end up being the best “culture fit” 

for the new employer. 

The interview process should prioritize culture fit. Interviews 

don’t need to be in a formal setting behind an office desk. To 

get to know candidates as people, take them to an informal 

setting, even for coffee. I find it a good practice to have 

candidates meet their potential teammates as part of the 

interview process to see how they identify working with them 

within the company culture. These are the people within the 

organization who will be collaborating with them daily, so you 

want their feedback, and to ensure there is a mutual positive 

feeling among team members. 

The company culture is defined at the very top by Ownership 

and Boards of Directors. The Founder(s) set the tone in that 

regard and how they specifically want the company run. The 

smaller the organization, the more they may be “hands on” 

and involved in decisions on a daily basis. In larger companies 

the senior managers may see ownership a few times a year 

and conduct their daily business, reporting performance on 

a monthly or quarterly basis. What type of environment is 

your senior manager candidate most comfortable with and 

fit in to? The new hire’s beliefs and behaviors must be in 

alignment with their employer's core values and company 

culture. Often, in addition, the company culture is tied to 

the local culture as an employee’s approach to business may 

differ based on their geographical location. Is the location a 

good fit for the candidate? 

Company culture is the personality of your company. It is 

important to employees because they are more likely to enjoy 

their time in the workplace where they fit in. A good cultural 

fit is when employees enjoy work and their needs and values 

are consistent with those in the workplace. Company culture 

includes company mission, goals, environment, ethics and 

values. If candidates are looking for a company where people 

and product, high quality standards, and investment are a 

priority, company culture will be a big component of their 

decision making when evaluating prospective employers. 

In the hospitality industry one could be very successful at a 5 

star branded hotel where the brand service culture is a fit for 

the applicant, however that same individual with his/her set of 

skills and education could fail at an independent 3 star hotel 

having a very different approach to success and goals. 

Both candidate and employer should identify the culture fit at 

the very beginning of the hiring process in initial conversations. 

Also, some people interview very well and easily get the job. 

Past references give the candidate glowing reviews based on 

the employee success within their past company’s culture. 

Looking at placing a candidate at a specific company I will 

interview the client and ask about their company culture. Past 

success may translate differently in a new culture. 

As a word of caution and while “culture fit" is important, 

companies looking to build more diverse teams should consider 

what a candidate can bring to the table that will add to your 

culture and help move it in the right direction. 

Before you bring someone new onto your family, increase 

the likelihood that person will be a long-lasting, valuable 

employee within your organization by being aligned with 

your cultural values. “Culture fit” is likely to remain one of the 

most important factors for employee retention and long-term 

success. Your culture is only as strong as the people you have 

within your organization. n 

Olivier Bottois is a third generation Hotelier 

with broad Top hospitality Attributes experience in France, 

England, Germany, Canada, USA and The 

Caribbean. of Exceptional 

He is Four Seasons Hotels & 

Resorts Employees 

alumni who led Leading Hotels of 

The World, Relais & Chateaux, Small Luxury 

Hotels and Preferred Hotels & Resorts 

properties as Hotel General Manager. 

After the successful repositioning and 

expansion of Ladera Resort in Saint Lucia 

(2011-2016) as Vice President of Operations & Marketing, Bottois 

joined Marriott "Autograph Collection" in the US. 

He is presently engaged in projects with Lussoria & Associates Inc, 

providing leadership and talent search recruitment services to the 

hospitality industry. 

Engage Olivier on LinkedIn: 

Olivier JP Bottois 


Small business owners from across the island gathered at the Courts Marisule Complex to showcase their products and 

services at the first annual Microloans by Courts Ready Cash Small Business Expo on Thursday May 23rd. The Expo 

accommodated over forty entrepreneurs from varying industries proudly showcasing their jewelry, clothing and craft to patrons 

and media alike. 

The inaugural St Lucia Small Business Expo conceived by Microloans by Courts Ready Cash cements the brand’s promise of 

helping to drive the economic turnaround in St Lucia by reducing youth unemployment and empowering women. 

Microloans by Courts Ready provides not just financial and business development support to entrepreneurs in St. Lucia but also 

offers training, networking and support through coaching and mentoring. Our Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, 

Broadening Horizons offers support through classroom style training with certified industry leaders. Our online learning and 

development platform Unicomer University strengthens our training capabilities and provides courses that can be adapted to our 

local training needs. 

Mrs. Alexandra Duboulay, Chain Manager for Courts Ready Cash (OECS) stated that ‘the expo is geared at giving well needed 

exposure to small business from across the island.’ She went on to note that “our local entrepreneurs are so talented and it is 

amazing to see what they have created from everyday items. Our Microloans provides the well needed financial resources to 

help them go further and also the training needed to take them to the next level. Through our added focus on the female 

entrepreneur we encourage more females to use their talent to build their wealth at concessionary rates.” 

The Expo was welcomed by the local entrepreneurs who indicated that that the two main challenges faced by their business is 

getting financial assistance and marketing their businesses. They stated that the expo not only provided an avenue for them to 

learn about financial assistance available to them but also provided a well needed opportunity to sell their product and gain new 

customers. Noticeably, the Microloans Expo enabled on the spot discussion with the Unicomer team and gave entrepreneurs the 

opportunity to pitch suitable items to the retail giant to be added to our repertoire. 

The expo was funded by Microloans by Courts Ready Cash and was supported by The Small Enterprise Development Unit, Blue 

Waters, CPJ, Peter and Company Distribution and Food Center Limited. 


Lewis Industries Ltd - The 

Building Doctors 

LEWIS INDUSTRIES LIMITED 

Marisule Ind’l Estate, Rodney Bay, Gros Islet 

(758) 450-4060 | lewis@candw.lc 

THE 

YOUR BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING EXPERTS 

BUILDING MAINTENANCE has not 

been on the agenda of many entities 

both private and public due to 

limited knowledge or the financial 

commitment required, and as a result 

there is an exponential increase in 

sick buildings, which become a health 

hazard for building occupants and 

can be a financial disaster for building 

owners. At Lewis Industries, we pride 

ourselves as the building doctor, 

where we provide solutions from the 

bathroom to the boardroom, providing 

services from sanitation, restoration 

and remediation. As building 

maintenance professionals, we realize 

that the general perception of building 

maintenance to most or the upkeep 

of a building is a lot more complicated 

than just a “broom and mop” approach 

and we are ready to champion the 

lead in ensuring that the general 

public understands what maintaining a 

building or structure entails. 

Buildings are enclosed by an envelope 

and this envelope consists of external 

walls, doors and windows. To ensure 

your building does not suffer the “sick 

building syndrome”, one needs to pay 

attention to the general composition 

of the building in order to achieve 

and execute a successful building 

maintenance schedule. The adverse 

weather patterns and conditions due 

to climate change is putting a strain 

on the pockets of tenants and owners 

alike. It is important to note that the 

topography in where a building is 

constructed, the materials used to 

construct the building, the design 

and position of doors, partitions and 

windows are factors that influence 

positive or negative air pressure in 

the building. In several instances, 

little consideration is given for the 

procurement of a professional 

cleaning service or trained cleaning 

Janitorial cart with color coded wash 

cloths to avoid cross contamination 

Before 

After 

Porcelain Tiles 

Before 


After 

Wooden Floor 

Before 

After 

Concrete Stone Floor

technicians to advise on the frequency 

of routine or scheduled regular or 

deep cleaning services. 

The construction industry has room 

for a lot more versatility with regard to 

the advancements in technology that 

influence the design and structure 

of a building, however, the building 

owner or tenant is responsible for 

implementing a building maintenance 

plan to combat the impact of climate 

change, which can determine whether 

the building stays healthy or suffer 

from the sick building syndrome. 

Population growth directly affects 

demand and supply of buildings, 

whether domestic, industrial or 

commercial, and can also lead to 

economic benefits, but to what cost 

when the health of the occupants 

within the building is at risk. Greater 

emphasis needs to be placed on 

building maintenance, just as much as 

is placed on the design and décor. 

There must be a building maintenance 

plan for buildings with high or full glass 

panes, or located in areas where they 

are vulnerable to humidity, too much 

natural light, too little ventilation or 

too much direct heat from the 

sun. Let’s make a comparison 

with a sick building and a 

human being. E.g. one gets sick 

and visits the doctor, only to be 

diagnosed with an illness that 

either requires medication or 

surgery. Once in recovery, 

the person has the obligation 

to maintain a regimen to stay 

well. A sick building is no 

exception. Alternatively, if 

someone has routine checkups 

(either bi-annually and or 

annually) with a doctor and 

is given a clean bill of health, 

they still have an obligation to 

care for themselves through 

proper diet, exercise and 

work-life balance. A building 

should not be treated any differently. 

All buildings require routine cleaning, 

and scheduled deep cleaning, which 

is where your cleaning doctor, Lewis 

Industries, can assist with our team 

of professions. 

Kaivac's Multipurpose 

No-Touch Cleaning System 

Its multipurpose functions allow for deep 

cleaning of restrooms, kitchens, hallways, 

carpeted areas, stairwells, classrooms, 

gyms and fitness areas, medical facilities 

and general buildings. 

Mold is one of the major causes 

of sick buildings. We now see 

an exponential increase in mold 

and mildew in buildings, some 

as a direct result of excessive 

moisture. Mold remediation is 

a special skill, its not just about 

cleaning the spores, some of 

which are still alive and can 

spread to other areas in your 

building. We must first realize 

there are internal air quality 

inspectors who maybe able to 

identify the type of mold, but not 

necessarily the root cause of the 

mold. The remediators are those 

who are best placed to determine 

how to remedy. Case in point, 

the lab technician identifies 

you have a tumour through 

the testing phase, but they are 

MOLD & MILDEW 

not the ones who remove the 

tumour. The treatment of mold is 

beyond the scientific jargon; it’s 

the total elimination and routine 

cleaning maintenance services 

that determines the desired 

outcome, because if the mold is 

not remediated effectively, there 

is the risk that it can resurface and 

exponentially increase and spread 

to non-affected areas. Once the 

testing has been completed and 

the type of mold or allergens 

identified, that’s where Lewis 

Industries comes in to execute, as 

qualified mold remediators. 

At Lewis Industries, we pride 

ourselves for over 30 years as 

being the premiere company in 

cleaning, building maintenance, 

floor restoration, mold and mildew 

Before 

Before 

remediation, and the sale of green 

products for cleaning, sanitation 

and restoration services. 

Find us on 

After 

After 


ECONOMY & TRADE 

Caribbean Governments 

Role in Stimulating Social 

Entrepreneurship 

Caribbean Government’s 

Role in Stimulating Social 


Caribbean Governments' Role in Stimulating 

Social Entrepreneurship 

by Nirmala Maharaj 

In 2016, the Thomson Reuters Foundation together 

with the Deutsche Bank, UnLtd and the Global Social 

Entrepreneurship Network conducted the research on the 

best countries for social entrepreneurs. 

The survey polled experts on social entrepreneurship 

(academics, social entrepreneurs, investors, policy makers 

and support network staff) from 45 of the world’s biggest 

economies as ranked by the World Bank to find out which 

countries are creating the best environment for social 

entrepreneurs. Iran was dropped from the list as this 

country was unable to guarantee the necessary sample 

of experts. In total, 880 experts were surveyed with 619 

responses, which corresponds to a response rate of 70 

percent. Of the respondents, 48 percent were women. 

The questions included: 

1. Conditions are favourable for social entrepreneurs to 

start and grow their businesses 

2. Government policy supports social entrepreneurs 

3. t is easy for social entrepreneurs to get grant funding 

4. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to access investment 

(debt and / or equity) 

5. Social entrepreneurs can access the non-financial 

support they need 

6. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to sell to government 

7. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to sell to business 

8. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to sell to the public 


9. It is easy for social entrepreneurs to attract staff with the 

required skills 

10. The general public understands what social 

entrepreneurs do 

11. Social entrepreneurs can make a living from their work 

in my country 

12. Social entrepreneurship is gaining momentum 

13. Women are well represented in leadership roles in 

social enterprises 

14. Women leading social enterprises are paid the same 

as men 

The results revealed the best 10 places to be a social 

entrepreneur were: 

1. United States 

2. Canada 

3. United Kingdom 

4. Singapore 

5. Israel 

6. Chile 

7. South Korea 

8. Hong Kong 

9. Malaysia 

10. France 

One of the questions polled to the experts were, 

“Government policy supports social entrepreneurs.” 

Social entrepreneurs such as Muhammed Yunus, Founder, 

Grameen Bank in Bangladesh (started in 1983) or Tulsi 

Ravilla, Executive Director of Aravind (started in 1976) 

in India started their social entrepreneurial journey by 

providing their social good to a village. For these social 

entrepreneurs, their vision was to provide universal access.

In Bangladesh by 2015, Grameen had 2,568 branches, with 

21,751 staff serving 8.81 million borrowers in 81,392 villages. 

On any working day Grameen collects an average of $1.5 

million in weekly installments. Of the borrowers, 97% are 

women and over 97% of the loans are paid back, a recovery 

rate higher than any other banking system. Grameen's 

methods are applied in projects in 58 countries, including 

the US, Canada, France, The Netherlands and Norway. 

By 2013, the Aravind eye hospital was providing 2.5 million 

examinations and 300,000 surgeries annually. Aravind’s 

model is built on operational processes for volume driven by 

technology and tiered pricing where those who can afford 

to pay for its vision corrective services ensure the hospital’s 

financial sustainability and subsidize the 55% of the poor 

and extremely poor Indians who receive surgery for free. 

With dividends providing universal health care or 

education or generating employment, governments 

should be embracing these novel practices brought to 

their country’s development. However, the research 

conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation together 

with the Deutsche Bank, UnLtd and the Global Social 

Entrepreneurship Network revealed that the growth of 

social entrepreneurship in the 44 countries polled were 

hindered by a lack of understanding of this emerging value 

adding social good sector. For instance, corporate legal 

forms do not recognize the dual-purpose business models 

and tax systems rarely distinguish between companies 

that benefit society and the environment and those that 

damage it. From my research thus far, social entrepreneurs 

in the Caribbean region face similar challenges. 

If we are to advance as a country and as a region that 

embraces social entrepreneurship, it is vital that government 

recognizes and supports this type of entrepreneurship BUT 

with humility. 

Annually natural disasters affect Caribbean countries. 

This can be in the form of drought, flooding, hurricane, 

earthquake to name a few. In the aftermath, everyone comes 

together to provide solutions. Natural disaster calamities 

have shown individuals, organisations, non-governmental 

organisation, faith based organisation all have the will 

power to provide social dividends. This should not only be 

in a time of calamity. The spirit of doing good should not 

disappear as the sun shines again or the water declines 

or the breeze blows gentle again. As Schwab Foundation 

Social Entrepreneur Martin Burt said, “We all need to be 

a little bit humbler and work together, because right now 

everybody’s working in a completely uncoordinated way 

while the problems get bigger and bigger.” 

Government directorates should be asking the question: 

How can I (meaning the government) harness the talent and 

passion of all the groups so that their innovations can become 

universal in education, public works, health, housing? 

Herein lies a HUGE opportunity to forge new alliances 

between government and citizenry who have the ideas and 

will power to improve the quality of life but are constrained 

by the bureaucracy and the purse to innovate for large 

scale impact. 

Government can play a critical role in breaking down 

silos that hinder growth by being a catalyst for longerterm 

sustainable initiatives, by serving as a unifying 

force to policy that will promote the communication and 

coordination amongst the social entrepreneurs, investors, 

policy makers and other stakeholders. 

Government has the golden opportunity for social 

entrepreneurs to advise them on the opportunities to 

improve standard of living (not the other way around). 

Therein lies the Humility. Government needs to take a 

moment to understand how social entrepreneurial models 

work and their needs. It means putting aside the protocol 

and not insisting on being on the stage to credit the 

“winning” or “blaming for the calamities.” 

Government needs to ask of social entrepreneurs: 

1. What kind of support do you need that you are not getting? 

2. How can we help you access the capital providers and 

mentor networks you need to scale impact? 

3. How can we help you create a social entrepreneurial 

network similar to Ashoka, Echoing Green or the World 

Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community? 

While social entrepreneurs can do their part, there is need 

for one of the stakeholders – government – to step in and 

step up in the game of fostering an enabling environment 

for these novel social good practices. n 

Nirmala Maharaj is passionate 

about developing a strong, 

integrated relationship with 

academia, government, 

private and non-governmental 

organisations that will 

nurture, develop and grow 

social entrepreneurs in the 

Caribbean region. As a social 

entrepreneur guru, she is a 

writer in this subject area in 

her column of the Trinidad 

Guardian entitled – About Social Entrepreneurship. Her 

doctoral research is also in the area of social entrepreneurship. 

She is the Director, Internationalisation and Institutional 

Relations at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business 

(UWI-ALJGSB). Her research contact details are +1 868 689 

6539 or you can e-mail her at socialprogressinst@gmail.com 


AIASL - 2018 Awards 

Ceremony 

A I A SL 

Association of Insurance Advisors of Saint Lucia 

ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE ADVISORS OF SAINT LUCIA 

2018 

Awards Ceremony 

The Association of Insurance Advisors of Saint Lucia held their Gala Awards Ceremony at the Sandals Golf and 

Country Club on Saturday June 08, 2019. It was a night dedicated to celebrating the achievements and hard work 

of our industry advisors. AIASL took the opportunity to invite some distinguished guests in the likes of: Mrs. Alicia 

Wells-Birch-President of the Caribbean Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (CARAIFA). Mr. John Calixte 

Leon –Director of Financial Service Regulatory Authority. Mr. Claudius Francis – President of the Insurance Council 

of St Lucia, and Mr. Sherlon Leon – Human Resource Manager, Sagicor Life who delivered an insightful speech. 

Top Producing Manager 

Jennifer Ephraim 

Top Producing Agent 

Joseph Abraham 

Persistency Awardees 

LR: Jahan Chastanet, Claire Charlery, Herob Morris, Natacha Clovis, Mindy Alexander, Pius Auguste, Candice 

Mohammed, Jennifer Ephraim, Kizzy Flood, Marcia Francois-Alexander, Iantha Serieux, (Not Pictured: Christa Eudovic, 

Sabina Charles-Kirton, Natalie Girard, Zena John, Joseph Abraham, Linda Poleon, Minerva Charles-David) 

BusinessFocus Jul Jun / Aug Jul | | 16

Diamond Awardees 

Gold Awardees 

LR: Kizzy Flood, Joseph Abraham, Minerva Charles-David, Ange Victor 

Silver Awardees 

LR: Zena John, Pius Auguste, Jennifer Ephraim, 

Mindy Alexander, Claire Charlery, 

(Not Pictured: Sean Isaac, Maureen Lionel,) 

Bronze Awardees 

LR: Natacha Clovis, Samantha Joseph, Jahan Chastanet, 

Marcia Francois-Alexander, (Not Pictured: Christa Eudovic, 

Sabina Charles-Kirton, Herob Morris, Linda Poleon) 

Natalie Girard 

Iantha Serieux 

(Not Pictured: Laureen Fenelon, Shena Francis) 

Candice Mohammed 


Welcome Remark by A.I.A.S.L. President 

Mrs. Marcia Francois-Alexander 

On behalf of the executive of The Association of Insurance Advisors of 

St. Lucia, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to our 2nd Annual 

Awards Ceremony. We are here to celebrate the achievement and hard 

work of all of the agents in our industry for the year 2018. 

Colleagues, we are in a time where everything is changing, it seems to 

be the only constant, but I am however encouraged by the quote from 

Andrew Carnegie which reads: 

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. 

The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational 

objectives; It is the fuel that allows common people to attain 

uncommon results.” 

Also, Martin Luther King Jr. describes us most aptly when he says: “We 

may have all come on different ships, but we’re on the same boat 

now.” It is against that background that I would like to highlight the 

achievements of AIASL over the past sixteen months: 

• Regular Board and General Meetings 

• Registration of the Association with the required institutions e.g. 

(Insurance Council, FSRA, Social Transformation, CARAIFA, and bank 

account) 

• Commencement of Salesman Licensing Course and CARAIFA courses 

• Hosting of our 2nd Annual Awards Ceremony 

• Increase in membership; even receiving CARAIFA’s membership 

growth award this year 

• System of providing our members with information on insurancerelated 

matters (e.g. Legislation etc.) 

• Promotion of CARAIFA’s Congresses 

• Attending CARAIFA’s AGM Meetings 

• Presentation by Legal Officer to AIASL members 

• Meeting with Financial Service Regulatory Authority 

• Presentation by NIC officer 

• Presentation by FSRA Officer 

• Installation of membership communication officers etc. 

I conclude with a few words taken directly from the CARAIFA Secretary 

General’s AGM Report: 

Fellow Advisors, the path to success has never been a smooth one. It is 

paved with disappointment and setbacks. There are many obstacles to 

overcome but we cannot allow the challenges to thwart our efforts. as 

we strive toward being better able to serve the people of St. Lucia, we 

must continue to recognize that unity is strength. We must therefore 

support each other and work as a team for the good of all. 

Advisors, let us stop being spectators, looking out for opportunities to 

find weakness and glory in the failures of others. Rather, let us go to 

our field of work and demonstrate to our inexperienced and weaker 

team members how to enhance the quality of their performance. 

Let each one of us be a strong link to this association and by so doing, 

this association will inevitably be indestructible. 

Congratulations to all our awards recipients tonight! I do hope we all 

have a spectacular evening. 

BusinessFocus Jul Jun / Aug Jul | | 18 

Remarks by CARAIFA President 

Mrs. Alicia Wells-Birch 

I bring you warm greetings from the executive of 

Caribbean Association of Insurance and Financial 

Advisors (CARAIFA). Thank you so much for inviting 

me to partake in the Association of Insurance and 

Financial Advisors St. Lucia (AIASL) awards ceremony. 

It is indeed an honour to be here and I wish to extend 

congratulations to you as an association. You have 

managed to stand firm as you are moving swiftly into 

your second awards ceremony. 

Your association has almost tripled in size cupping 

the CARAIFA Membership Growth awards 2019. It 

definitely proves that hard work does pay off and 

AIASL has the right recipe for success. To the awardees, 

receiving an ALASL award is a great honour and a mark 

of excellence in your career. It also demonstrates your 

outstanding contribution to the insurance landscape 

in your country. Although not directly speaking about 

the insurance industry, world renowned Brazilian 

football legend Pelé summed up what we do when 

he said, “Success is no accident. It is hard work, 

perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most 

of all love of what you are doing or learning to do.” 

Your long hours, meticulous clients, missed family 

time and even falling ill in the pursuit of business 

does not go unnoticed. It has come to fruition and 

tonight we celebrate you. To the spouses, partners, 

significant others and children, thank you for your 

encouragement, understanding and support. It 

truly goes a long way. To Branch Managers and 

Unit Managers, your guidance and advice is not 

unrecognized and it is appreciated. Thank you for all 

that you do. 

Again, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be 

present with you on this momentous occasion. 

Congratulations to all awardees and to AIASL. 

Do enjoy the rest of the celebration.

Keynote Speech Extract 

Keynote Speaker 

Mr. Sherlon Leon 

A lot of us have factors in our own minds 

that limit our success. How can we ever 

achieve greatness if we are unwilling to 

do what it takes to be great? 

I am challenging everyone in this room 

to maximize 100% of your potential 

despite all the reasons you have not 

to. A lot of us experience resistance 

when we try to be great – externally 

from family and friends or from life 

situations. Resistance could be the 

reason why many of us do not maximize 

our potential. According to Steven 

Pressfield in the book “The War of 

Art”, resistance is the naysaying force 

that manifests itself many ways, simply 

aimed at preventing us from achieving 

our dreams and goals. 

I want to dare you to be devoted. Devoted 

to excellence, because whenever we are 

committed to something, everything 

changes. I am not counseling you to jump 

at every opportunity that comes your 

way without any thought or strategy but 

rather to be mindful that “the counterfeit 

innovator is wildly self-confident while 

the real one is scared to death.” 

“Fear almost always indicates we are in 

uncharted territory. Success occurs in an 

area of discomfort, unknown, uncharted 

and sometimes lonely.” Your aim is not 

to battle your feelings of fear and anxiety, 

but rather to keep your eyes on your 

goals. I am challenging us to embrace 

resistance and to commit to the things 

and actions that will make us great. We 

need to put in the work. 

Once we have achieved this level of 

commitment, we notice something well 

said by one of my favorite authors; “The 

moment one definitely commits oneself, 

the providence moves too. All sort of 

things occurs to help one that would 

not otherwise have occurre d. A whole 

stream of events issues from the decision, 

raising in ones favour all manner of 

unforeseen incidents and meetings and 

material assistance which no man would 

have dreamed come his way.” 

But I want to raise the stake of the challenge 

not just to commitment but as your theme 

suggests to devotion. Commitment at 

its root speaks to an obligation while 

devotion speaks to the passion. 

I challenge us all to be devoted; to fall 

in love with pursuit of excellence. The 

devoted falls in love with the process/ 

the journey. As they achieve each 

milestone, they are not deterred or 

satisfied because they long for the 

journey. They have confidence that 

feeds on failure and embraces fear. As 

you become deliberately devoted, not 

only will “luck” be more frequent it 

somehow becomes predictable. 

Starting now, aim for greatness because 

you already have what it takes, you need 

to dare yourself to devotion. Goethe 

couplets: “Whatever you can do, or dream 

you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, 

magic and power in it.” 

Event Sponsors 



The 2 nd Annual Alternative and Innovative 

Investment and Financing Options Symposium 

The 2 nd Annual Alternative and Innovative 

Investment and Financing Options Symposium 

The 2019 Investment Symposium hosted by the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Invest 

Saint Lucia and the St. Lucia Development Bank titled “Alternative and Innovative Investment and Financing 

Options” was successfully concluded on Wednesday May 22nd 2019 at the Harbor Club Hotel in Rodney 

Bay with an engaging and powerful luncheon dialogue led by Mr. Egbert Perry of the Integral Group, out of 

Atlanta Georgia, USA. 

The Opening Session was addressed 

by Ms. Karen Peter, the President of 

the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce 

who provided the genesis and 

objective of the Symposium, which 

she located in the Chamber’s Strategic 

objectives and priority Advocacy 

Issues. This was followed by Ms. Nancy 

Francis who represented the Ministry 

of Commerce, while Mr. Nicholas 

Barnard Chairman of the Board of 

Saint Lucia Development Bank, shared 

important information on the role 

and work of the Bank in supporting 

investment in St. Lucia. 

With the stated objective of commencing 

a dialogue on Alternative Financing 

and Investing Options, outstanding and 

excellent presentations were led by 

expert panelist and presenters, where 

insightful and enlightening information 

and food for thought was provided. 

Bank of St. Lucia Investment Services 

and First Citizens Investment Services 

while traditionally competitors, proved 


that they could operate in coordination 

and fluid combination as they shared 

information on both traditional and nontraditional 

instruments. The powerful 

suggestions on how firms could utilize 

the aforementioned instruments in 

practical and beneficial ways was not 

lost on those present who were lavish 

in the praise of the Presenters. 

There was a healthy, robust and 

interesting discussion on Investing 

in Projects and Ideas which, while 

Moderated by Mr. Vincent Boland, 

was led by the young Turks of 

Entrepreneurship on Island, Mr. Denell 

Florius of EcoCarib and Mr. Johanan 

Dujon of Algas Organics. Both of 

these gentlemen have been stars of 

the St. Lucia Business Awards and 

are rapidly moving aggressively to 

the global stage. In fact, Mr. Johanan 

Dujon was featured in the February 

2019 issue Forbes Business Magazine. 

These entrepreneurs are prepared and 

capable of changing the investment 

and business landscape, whether or 

not the traditional frameworks wish to 

change and accommodate them and 

the emerging entrepreneur class on 

island. Their recommendation to the 

young entrepreneurs is to be relentless 

and don’t give up. 

Some very progressive ideas emerged 

from the various panel discussions 

and the insightful panelists such as 

Mr. Zephrin Francis, President St. Lucia 

Civil Service Cooperative Credit Union, 

Mr. Dave Headley of Invest Saint 

Lucia and Mr. Jonathan Johannes of 

1st National Bank of St. Lucia; these 

suggestions included new partnership 

arrangements between banks and 

Invest St. Lucia to collateralize loans, 

rethinking the role of mentors to 

consider them being director and 

even investors as well. The emerging 

opportunities for using locally 

available funds in creative ways also 

got some attention. 

The Luncheon Presentation by Mr. 

Egbert Perry of the Integral Group 

concluded the day’s proceedings 

with a thought provoking and 

impactful discussion on “Challenging 

Conventional Wisdom on Economic 

Development”. Mr. Perry pointed 

out the critical situation of a “race to 

the bottom approach” of Caribbean 

Countries in their pursuit of FDI while 

simultaneously exporting their best 

human resource to “finishing school” 

(university education). This resource 

he argued is then ignored, ignoring

that they have a powerful affinity to 

their Caribbean home nations, and 

their potential as investors is not 

explored or encouraged. 

The discussion which ensued spoke 

to the need for investment in crucial 

infrastructure such as education, 

particularly in STEAM (Science, 

Technology, Engineering, Arts and 

Mathematics), and well-functioning 

institutions. It was also proffered 

that there needs to be strategic 

and deliberately supported local 

investment and control of basic 

industries to secure real independence. 

The need for a long-term vision for 

Caribbean Nations derived from the 

people that goes beyond the fiveyear 

political cycle was expressed 

by participants and the question of 

the need to identify a process and 

approach which was a-political to lead 

such a national agenda assignment. 

The Chamber is extremely pleased 

with the extent and profound nature 

of the discussions which took place 

at the Symposium and promised to 

work with its partners to advance 

action on key areas and ideas which 

have been proposed. Among these 

is an early meeting among Invest 

St. Lucia, 1st National Bank, Bank of 

St. Lucia, the St. Lucia Chamber of 

Commerce Industry and Agriculture, 

St. Lucia Development Bank and other 

interested parties on designing, new 

collateral satisfying models, designing 

new venture capital fund opportunities, 

creating more sustainable mentoring 

and director structures for SME’s and 

planning follow up event actions and 

processes to this inaugural Chamber 

Investment Symposium. n 

Sagicor Life 


ALTERNATIVE SECURITY SERVICES (ST. LUCIA) LIMITED 

Alternative Security Services - 

Proudly Celebrating 10 Years 

PROUDLY CELEBRATING 10 YEARS 

OF SERVICE TO SAINT LUCIA 

Make “Alternative” Your First Choice! 

Alternative Security Services (St. Lucia) Limited is a 

subsidiary of Amalgamated Security Services Limited 

with Head Office located in Trinidad and Tobago. 

The privately-owned security and risk management 

company, was founded in 1983 and serves the Caribbean 

region. The group extended its services to St. Lucia on 

the 24th June, 2009, and officially opened its doors to 

the public in May 2010. 

At Alternative Security Services Ltd., we work with 

clients to customize the perfect service for their needs, 

guided by the highest standards and specifications, 

integrating proven techniques with innovative 

technology and solutions. 

Mr. Errol Alexander - General Manager 

Keeping Our Clients’ Assets Secure 

Alternative Security Services (St. Lucia) Limited began 

offering Cash In Transit (CIT) services locally in 

February 2012. We now have contracts which extend 

from Rodney Bay and Castries and environs in the 

North, to Vieux Fort and Soufriere in the South and 

West of the island. 

We have teams of competently trained firearm operators, 

who undergo regular in-house and range training on 

an ongoing basis to ensure that their skills remain topnotch. 

We also are pleased to announce the acquisition 

of three new CIT vehicles to better equip our staff to 

effectively carry out CIT operations. These operations 

include but are not limited to ATM Replenishment 

Services, and Special Transfers to and from the Airports. 

We proudly service in excess of 20 clients with over 

40 locations ranging from Financial Institutions, 

Government institutions, Schools, Distribution and 

Retail Outlets, Restaurants, Shipping Services and 

more. “Alternative Security” is the service professional 

to call when you need your cash or valuables moved 

safely and securely. 

Visit our Headquarters at Massade, Gros Islet for more information on ASSL’s 

wide range of security services and products. 


Alternative Security Services 

Alternative Security Services 

OUR MISSION 

To engender a feeling of peace, tranquility and wellbeing, 

through a wide range of services to our clients, employees 

and the community, by our highly motivated and committed 

Management Team, and an expertly trained staff. 

OUR GOALS 

• To completely satisfy our quality-conscious clients. 

• To develop and improve the personal skills of all employees. 

• To provide our clients with top quality service at 

reasonable cost. 

• To provide our employees with wages and benefits that 

meet or exceed industry standards. 

• To foster a feeling of peace, tranquility and wellbeing in 

our community. 

OUR GOALS 

• Guard Services: Baton, Canine & Firearm. ASSL provides 

expertise in quality services for home, business and 

property, maintaining the highest industry standards, 

continuous communications and a 24-hour Command & 

Control Centre. 

• Cash Services: Collection, Delivery and Cash-in-Transit 

(CIT). ASSL offers reliable, competent and well-trained 

crews, seamless communications and state-of-the-art 

vehicles for movement of cash and other valuables. 

• Mobile Response: Alarm Services & Panic Buttons. ASSL 

provides 24/7 coverage for alarm services, with response 

from base as well as specific outlying locations. 

Marvin Cherubin, Operations Manager and the CIT team 

Alternative Security Services (St. Lucia) Limited 

Care Services Building, Suites # 2 

Rodney Bay Industrial Park 

P.o. Box Gm 1035, Castries, St Lucia 

Tel: 1 758 450 9171 / 458 4266 / 724 9417 

Fax: 1 758 450 9940 

Email: Ealexander@Assl.com 

www.asslstlucia.com 



Saint Lucia Launches UNDP MAPS Mission 

Saint Lucia Launches 

UNDP MAPS Mission 

The Millennium Summit in September 

2000, one of the largest gatherings 

of world leaders in history, adopted 

the United Nations Millennium 

Declaration, which committed the 

nations to the global partnership 

to reduce extreme poverty through 

the Millennium Development Goals 

(MDGs). The MDGs established for 

the period 2000 to 2015 registered 

imbalanced progress. According 

to the United Nations (UN) 2015 

Report on the MDGs, inequalities 

persist, and progress was not uniform 

across the world. In 2013, upon 

recognition that the time-frame for 

achieving the MDGs would expire, 

the United Nations introduced the 

post 2015 Development Agenda. The 

discussions culminated at the United 

Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 

September 25, 2015 with the adoption 

of Transforming our world: Agenda 

2030 for Sustainable Development. 

Saint Lucia, along with many other 

global leaders, made a commitment 

to promote sustainable development 

by signing onto the Agenda 2030. 

The Agenda 2030 for Sustainable 

Development, has replaced the MDGs, 

a more robust and enhanced set of 


goals that focuses on people, planet, 

prosperity, peace and partnership. 

The Agenda is made up of seventeen 

(17) Sustainable Development Goals 

(SDGs) and one hundred and sixty-nine 

(169) corresponding targets. Countries 

must now take ownership of the SDGs 

and develop strategies. 

The UN developed the Mainstreaming, 

Acceleration and Policy Support 

(MAPS) to guide countries in landing 

the SDGs into national development 

plans with technical expertise from 

the UN systems. Saint Lucia began 

engagement with the UNDP in 2016 

with the aim of developing a SDGs 

roadmap for the country. This roadmap 

will be developed through MAPS 

mission stakeholder engagement. The 

MAPS has three stages: 1. pre-mission; 

2. MAPS mission; and 3. post mission. 

With the assistance of the cabinet 

endorsed Sustainable Development 

Goals National Coordinating 

Committee (SDGNCC) Saint Lucia has 

completed the pre-mission made up of 

the Rapid Integrated Assessment (RIA) 

and the MAPS scoping mission. 

The RIA assisted in identifying Saint 

Lucia’s readiness to implement the 

SDGs by evaluating the country’s 

policy, plans and programmes against 

the targets of the SDGs. The findings of 

the RIA were presented at the MAPS 

scoping mission hosted in September 

2018 by the SDGNCC Secretariat in 

collaboration with the Department 

of Economic Development and the 

Coalition of Civil Society Organization 

for Sustainable Development. The 

Scoping mission not only presented 

the findings of the RIA, but also 

engaged stakeholders in order to 

better understand the country’s needs 

to be addressed in the MAPS mission. 

The scoping mission resulted in the 

identification of the proposed priority 

areas for focus for the upcoming 

mission wherein; 

The UNDP will assemble a UN Country 

Team (UNCT) which will provide 

support for the following planning 

processes: 

• Planning for the National 

Development Plan (NDP) 

• Development of Financing Solutions 

• Monitoring and Evaluation 

Framework: Data, Indicators and 

Statistics 

• Risk Analysis 

• Development of an Advocacy Plan 

and Communication Strategy 

The MAPS process is one that is 

being strategically planned, to ensure 

that it ties in seamlessly with the 

development of the Medium-Term 

Development Strategy. It will also 

feed into the National Development 

Plan process as well and will require 

the involvement of the Parliament of 

Saint Lucia. The Department of Economic 

Development and the Department of 

Sustainable Development work closely 

going into the MAPS mission, given 

the importance of mainstreaming 

the SDGs into the country’s national 

development processes. With this 

partnership, the prioritization of 

the SDGs during the MAPS mission 

will ensure that the SDG Roadmap 

and the MTDS/NDP are SDG 

sensitive/conscious. n

CDB Calls For Embracing The 

Opportunities In Agriculture 

To Reduce Poverty 

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) presented 

CDB calls for embracing the opportunities 

yesterday a study on the status of agriculture in the 

in Caribbean agriculture as part of to the reduce 49th Annual poverty Meeting of the Bank’s 

Board of Governors in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 

The study highlights the critical role that agriculture plays 

to end poverty and build economic resilience. 

CDB calls for 

embracing the 

opportunities in 

agriculture to reduce 

poverty 

“Growth in agriculture is the most efficient way to lift 

poor people in rural areas out of poverty,” said Luther St. 

Ville, CDB Senior Operations Officer (Agriculture). 

In the joint publication with the Food and Agriculture 

Organisation of the United Nations, entitled “Study on 

the State of Agriculture in the Caribbean”, CDB shows 

that the Region has undergone dramatic changes in 

past decades. Since 2000, the food import bill of CDB’s 

Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) has more than 

doubled from USD2.1 billion to USD4.8 billion. Food 

imports account for 60% of the food consumed in the 

Region. On the other hand, food exports of traditional 

crops dropped from 60% in 1990 to less than 20% in 

2018. At the same time, agri-processed food exports 

increased from about 10-15% to 50%. 

The picture is mixed across the Region. While the four 

BMCs Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, and Suriname are heavily 

dependent on agriculture, which accounts for 12%-17% 

of gross domestic product (GDP) and represents 10%- 

50% of employment, the contribution of agriculture is 

marginal in 10 BMCs, where the sector accounts for less 

than 4% of GDP. 

The study concludes that the agriculture sector needs to 

overcome a number of challenges if the agri-food system 

is to become more competitive, inclusive, and sustainable. 

Productivity growth in the Caribbean is low. The value 

per worker has remained stable at less than USD25,000 

for the last 30 years. In contrast, the value doubled 

in Europe and tripled in the United States over the 

same time period. Natural hazards also play a major 

role: while 40% of the sector is frequently hit by mild 

draughts and 10% by severe draughts, less than 5% of 

the farmers have irrigation. 

In order to transform the agriculture sector, CDB proposes 

to identify the key constraints along the value chains and 

to strengthen the system in an integrated manner. CDB will 

also promote science and innovation in order to develop 

modern agricultural good practices while incorporating 

technology in the production processes. In addition, CDB 

will support the strengthening of capacity in climate 

smart agriculture to make the sector more resilient.n 

Coco Palm 



Chamber of Commerce 

Discusses Business with 

Southern Members 

Chamber of Commerce Discusses 

Business with Southern Members 

Attendees revealed the critical issues affecting their business 

operations to the Chamber at a workshop titled “What Keeps 

You up at Night” hosted at the NSDC in Vieux Fort. Though the 

attendee numbers were not as high as the pre-registration 

numbers, the quality of discussion was in no way compromised 

as serious concerns were brought to the fore. 

Poor Access to Finance, Human Resource Issues, Quality of Utilities 

and Quality of Government Services emerged as those issues 

which were most severely affecting the business community in 

the south of the island. 

After participating in a “Jenga” Ice Breaker, attendees threw 

themselves into the process of identifying and prioritizing 

concerns and then proposing and agreeing on possible action 

to be taken to alleviate the challenges identified. Led by the 

Executive Director of the Chamber, Brian Louisy, participants were 

encouraged to work together and debate the concerns regarding 

their business. 

The Session also proved to be an extremely valuable networking 

forum as members of the business community got the chance 

to meet a number of business people who they had not met 

before. The attendance of three Chamber Board Members at the 

event and mixer was also noteworthy as Head of the Chamber 

Membership Committee Cheryl Renwick participated in the entire 

session. Meanwhile, President Karen Fontenelle and Director 

Donna Hinkson were able to join the gathering for the mixer. 

The recommendations coming out of the Workshop will inform 

the work program of the Southern Membership Committee 

of the Chamber. All of the areas identified at the workshop are 

consistent with Strategic Mission Driven Areas of the Chamber as 

articulated in the Chambers’ 2019-2022 Strategic Plan. Thus, it is 

expected that it will not be too challenging for the Chamber to 

work with the Committee to tailor more of its work to meet the 

specific concerns as identified. 

A follow-up meeting of the Southern Membership Committee is 

being planned for early in June where a work plan will be developed 

and agreed. The Chamber wishes to thank Windward and Leeward 

Brewery Ltd., Essential Hardware, Goddard Catering Group, Scotts 

Sports and Awards and Saintlu Wood Working Ltd., for sponsoring 

the workshop and Business Mixer which followed. n 

Women Drivers on 

The Road 

Women Drivers on The Road By Ann Marie Herman 

Women are seemingly becoming more powerful in the 

automotive industry. They are becoming influential 

in auto buying and have increased their ownership of 

4-wheeldrives and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Sport 

utility vehicles are capturing the overall market share lead 

among female new vehicle buyers. Women shopping for a 

new car or truck now favor SUVs over any other type of 

vehicle. Traditionally, women have preferred the popular 

midsize car, and comparatively, SUVs have led among male 

new vehicle buyers since 2000. But it’s time to leave your 

stereotypes at the door. 

Statistics have shown that female drivers appear to have 

a safer driving record and lower claims frequency when 

compared to their male counterparts. Female drivers have 

tended to exercise more care and better judgment and as 

such have generally earned themselves more underwriting 

considerations from insurers. 

Here are some things to consider about us female drivers: 

• We are the fastest growing segment of new and used car 

buyers today. 

• Nearly all female car buyers plan on being the principal 

driver of their new vehicle. 


• We will shop an average of three dealerships for best price 

and best treatment. 

• Female buyers place more importance on safety, 

dependability, functionality and economic factors. Style 

and performance ranked last in consideration and factors 

if budget allows. 

• Female customers tend to be more inquisitive and detailoriented 

than their male peers. While most men tend to 

offer a diagnosis of the vehicle's problems, women, on the 

other hand, describe the symptoms. 

• Trust is by far the most important factor to the female 

service consumer, and convenience is secondary. 

Women are more inclined to purchase cars that they 

consider fun-to-drive and that are well built. In contrast, 

men prefer vehicles that are a good value for the money, 

comfortable, have nice exterior styling, good fuel economy 

and display a certain image. 

Next time you pass an SUV on the road, perhaps you will 

look over and notice that it is not a male driver but rather 

a female and realize she is not alone. There's a growing 

number of female SUV drivers on the road and that trend 

is expected to continue well into the next decade. Are we 

ready? Yes, we are. n

KM² Solutions Joins the Global 

Impact Sourcing Coalition (GISC) 

Regional Rum Producers to Include Warnings on Labels 

Regional Rum 

Producers to Include 

Warnings on Labels 

L-R: Raphael Grisoni, Managing Director of Mount Gay Distilleries; 

Hon. Sandra Husbands, Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Trade; 

Vaughn Renwick, Chief Executive Officer of WIRSPA 

Rum producers from around the region 

met in Barbados to discuss how to promote 

responsible drinking and to reduce the 

harmful use of alcohol. The harmful 

use of alcohol has been recognised as a 

contributing factor to Non-Communicable 

Diseases (NCDs) and in recognition, the 

industry set up at task force in 2018 to 

see how best the industry could support 

the efforts of the regulatory agencies and 

health sector to encourage responsible 

drinking as part of a balanced active 

healthy lifestyle. 

Coming out of that meeting they have 

announced a major initiative to introduce 

new labels in domestic and regional markets 

that contain visual guides against drinking 

and driving, underage consumption and 

drinking during pregnancy, all areas of 

concern both for producers and for the 

health sector. 

Announced by Raphael Grisoni, the 

Managing Director for Mount Gay 

Distilleries and the Barbados Director 

for the West Indies Rum & Spirits 

Producers’ Association (WIRSPA), the new 

provisions will also provide responsible 

drinking messages and calorie per serving 

information to assist consumers in making 

the right choices about how they drink. 

The producers also announced the 

adoption of a new code of practice for 

the advertising and marketing of their 

products. This comprehensive revamp of 

their existing 10-year-old code sees major 

new guidance on the responsible use of 

social media channels that correspond to 

international best practice. 

“It gives me great pleasure to make this 

announcement” said Mr. Grisoni. “We have 

worked hard over the past year to achieve 

these commitments, which, while already 

in place for some companies, will see an 

across-the-board upgrade in the way we 

communicate these issues to consumers.” 

Commenting on the initiative, Chairman 

of WIRSPA and head of the Guyana 

conglomerate Demerara Distillers, Mr. 

Komal Samaroo, stated “As indigenous 

brands firmly rooted in the communities 

in which we serve, we have a responsibility 

to do the best we can in ensuring persons 

consume our products responsibly. This 

initiative goes some way towards that.” He 

further added, “As we work to implement 

these commitments over the next 24 

months, we hope that we can continue to 

work in partnership with our governments 

to reduce harmful drinking and its impact 

on society.” n 

Source: WIRSPA 

Essential Hardware Ltd 


Caribbean Awning Ltd: 

The Importance of 

Shutters 

Email: awning@candw.lc 

Tel:+1758 457 7466 Fax: +1758 453 1882 

Caribbean Awning Ltd 

THE IMPORTANCE 

OF SHUTTERS 

Who can forget “Hurricanes Irma and Maria” which 

proved to be disastrous for Dominica and Tortola? We 

cannot help but remind people of the importance of 

having Hurricane Shutter protection for Residential, 

Commercial Buildings as well as Schools and Churches. 

The forecast that the weather systems are rapidly 

changing should be foremost in the minds of persons 

constructing homes and businesses. Most new homes 

in Florida are built with hurricane shutters; and in 

some Caribbean Islands, it is becoming increasingly 

difficult to secure appropriate insurance protection for 

Homes built without Hurricane Shutters. 

more important considerations after all, the 

restoration costs to an individual or company in the 

aftermath of a hurricane are usually significantly 

higher than the cost of installing shutters in the first 

place. 

Shutters are important for protection and security, 

serving a dual purpose. Shutters protect your home 

and business place during hurricanes and even act as a 

deterrent to burglars. The cost of installing shutters 

may appear to be an additional expense, but it is better 

to be safe than sorry. Security and peace of mind are 


Caribbean Awning Production Company has installed 

thousands of shutters throughout the Caribbean over 

the past twenty years and has maintained the same 

staff over the period making our Company one of the 

most professional Companies in the Caribbean. The 

Company offers a range of Custom-Made Hurricane 

Shutters which are attractive and easy to operate: 

• Rolling shutters are designed to allow each blade 

to roll up inside of the hood Capacity. They are 

made up of extruded aluminum slats for tougher 

applications. They can be motorized with remote 

control. There are several variations to take into 

consideration when ordering a Rolling or 

Accordion shutter. 

• Accordion shutters give greater strength and are 

more ideal hurricane Shutters, designed to 

withstand winds and potential impact in a 

“Category 5” hurricane. These shutters are 

manually operated. 

These aluminum shutters are Florida - Dade County 

approved and meet international building standards. 

However, the installation of the shutters is only as 

strong as the surface it is installed on. 

Caribbean Awning Production Company Ltd is 

expanding into the service and manufacturing of 

Galvanize Steel Welding, offering products such as 

Estate Gates, Folding Gates, Sliding Gates, Double 

Swing Gates, Burglar Bars and lots more. We also 

offer gate openers 220 volts with security features. 

For more information contact: - 

Caribbean Awning Production Company Ltd 

St. Lucia 

Tel: 758-457-7462 

Email: awning@candw.lc 

Caribbean Awning Grenada 

Tel: 473-414-7466 

Email: caribbeanawning@gmail.com 

Estate Gates & Gate Opener System 


BUSINESS TECH 

New Business Model Inevitable for 

Caribbean New Business Utilities Model 

Inevitable for Caribbean 

Utilities 

New Business Model Inevitable 

for Caribbean Utilities 

Caribbean utility leaders meeting at 

the 2019 CARILEC CEOs and Leadership 

Conference in Saint Lucia agreed that 

utility companies need to embrace a 

new business model built on Digitization, 

Decarbonization and Decentralization 

(the 3Ds). Utilities are uniquely placed 

to lead the transformation of the 

energy sector, which is currently being 

impacted by emerging technologies, 

and experiencing a shift towards 

integration of more renewable energy 

sources, delegates discussed. 

The conference, held May 21 to 24, 

was jointly hosted by the Caribbean 

Electric Utilities Corporation (CARILEC), 

an association of energy solutions 

providers within the region, and 

St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited 

(LUCELEC). The conference also 

celebrated CARILEC’s 30th anniversary. 

Utility leaders, service providers and 

global corporations, represented 

twenty-five countries from the 

Caribbean, North America and 

Europe. Under the conference theme – 

“RETHINKING? Disruption. Resilience. 

Sustainability.” – delegates explored 

global trends and opportunities in 

the renewables sector, technology, 

and investment demands driven by 

climate change. 

In his welcoming remarks, Acting 

CARILEC Chairman Eddinton Powell, who 

is President and CEO of FortisTCI Limited, 

noted that utilities have a responsibility 

to lead Caribbean economies toward a 

new energy landscape. 

“As Caribbean utility leaders, we can, 

and we must integrate more renewable 

energy solutions in our delivery of 

service. Similarly, we can and we must 

be at the forefront of the electrification 

of the ground transportation sector,” 

Mr. Powell stated. 

He added, “These are critical imperatives 

for the Caribbean, if we are to reduce our 

dependency on traditional hydrocarbon 

fuel sources, much of it imported to the 

region, with all of the uncertainties that 

this entails. With an energy economy 

led by renewables and a transformed 

and electrified transportation sector, 

we can open the way for even greater 

entrepreneurship, and ultimately wealth 

creation, throughout the region.” 

Keynote speaker, President and CEO of 

Wärtsilä Corporation Mr. Jaako Eskola, 

sounded a championing note with 

respect to the transition to renewables. 

He disclosed that Wärtsilä’s corporate 

vision in its energy business is to 

support the move to 100% renewables. 

According to Mr. Eskola “rapid cost 

reduction -both capital and operating 

costs – of wind and solar is steadily 

making it economically feasible to 

deploy these technologies especially in 

conditions such as you have here in the 

Caribbean. I feel that the time is not 

far away when wind and solar power 

generation will assume the mantle of 

least cost generators of electric power.” 

CARILEC CEOs and business operators 

in attendance applauded a pledge 

articulated by Wärtsilä’s CEO, a 

corporation ranked as one of Most 

Sustainable 100 Corporations in the 

World (2018). “We are ready to assist 

you in modeling your power systems, 

help you to develop the best strategy 

for defining your generation mix, help 

you understand the impacts of wind 

and solar generation, and together 

develop the best suited integrative 

strategy including storage technologies 

and flexible power.” 

Speaking on behalf of the government 

of Saint Lucia, the Hon. Stephenson 

King, Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, 

Energy and Labour described the 

attainment of 30 years by CARILEC 

as a toast to the vision that brought 

the Corporation into being and to its 

longevity, as evidence of the accuracy 

of that vision. “In like manner, CARILEC 

must recognize that since energy is a 

critical driver in economic development, 

CARILEC and its members are essential 

partners in that development. Thus, 

given the challenges of the extreme 

threats of climate change for 

Caribbean economies, much depends 

on a new vision for the future of our 

region’s energy sector that is tailored 

to these times.” 

Conference sponsors included Wärtsilä 

Corporation, Aggreko, Eagle LNG, 

Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian 

Contractor (BWSC), Sol Caribbean, 

New Fortress, CIBC First Caribbean 

International Bank, Electronic Power 

Design, Sensus, Digicel, and MSHS. n 


Decarbonization, Vehicle Electrification 

Vehicle Electrification 

and Energy Access 

and Energy Access 

Three energy trends are shaping today’s rapidly evolving power 

industry, but it’s impossible to tease apart their impacts. The 

trends — decarbonization, vehicle electrification, and energy 

access—intersect and interact while they bring about a 

dramatic global transformation. 

THE TREND: De-carbonisation – Dropping Costs and Increasing 

Penetration of Renewables. 

In response to climate change, the power sector is working to 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the steady adoption 

of renewable energy. Increased acceptability, favorable policies, 

and falling costs are all contributing to renewables’ rise. 

The TREND: Vehicle Electrification – Balancing Demands 

Reasons for buying electric vehicles are vary from lower 

fuel costs to reduced environmental impacts. Worldwide 

registrations of electric vehicles hit 750,000 in 2016, with China 

accounting for more than 40 percent of EVs sold and the United 

States only half that. China’s predominance is no surprise, 

given that coal-fired plants have left the country choked 

with environmental pollution. Utilities can expect a defining 

moment in their futures: a jump in peak electricity demand 

due to Electric vehicles. By the 2020s, the cost to operate an 

electric vehicle should be on par with that of greenhouse-gasemitting 

internal combustion vehicles in all but regions with 

the most coal-heavy power generation. 

THE TREND: Energy Access – Bringing Electricity to Over 1 

Billion People 

Currently, 1.1 billion people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and 

south Asia, still do not have access to electricity. City dwellers 

are mostly covered, but some 27 percent of rural residents 

lack electricity. This deprivation hampers their economic and 

social development. Achieving universal energy access is a 

2030 UN Sustainable Development Goal. Providing energy 

would improve the quality of life and economy of these 

communities by allowing shops and businesses to stay open 

after dark, improve health care access, and even make simple 

things possible, like study and sports after school. But meeting 

the UN goal requires not just bringing in electricity, but also 

improving energy efficiency and increasing clean energy. 

These energy trends promise to drive out carbon emissions 

from the power supply, deploy cost-effective technologies to 

generate electricity, change the equation for greenhouse gas 

emissions and oil demand, and bring electricity to 15 percent of 

the world’s population. As a plant manager, the most important 

way to prepare for this change is to identify opportunities that 

these energy industry trends present—before they disrupt 

your business. n 

CIBC First Caribbean 


BUSINESS TECH 

The Future of 

Business & 

Crypto – Part 1 

The Future of Business & Crypto – Part 1 

By Andrew Ismond 

If you have been paying attention to the money and stock market there is a new form of legal tender that you would have 

been sure to hear about – Cryptocurrency. A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a digital asset designed to work as a 

medium of exchange that uses strong cryptography to: 

• secure financial transactions 

• control the creation of additional units, and 

• verify the transfer of assets 

By contrast, blockchain is a ledger of transactions made up 

of different blocks containing a chain of information. The 

technology allows digital information to be distributed, but 

not copied. That means each individual piece of data can 

only have one owner. 

Blockchain theory originated in 1991 by a group of 

researchers looking to timestamp digital documents so they 

could not be tampered with. The technology wasn't used till 

2009 to underpin the digital cryptocurrency called bitcoin. 

Blockchain can be compared to a spreadsheet that is 

duplicated thousands of times across a network of 

computers. This network is designed to regularly update this 

spreadsheet. This is a basic understanding and explanation 

of the blockchain. 

The information is constantly reconciled into the database, 

which is stored in multiple locations and updated instantly. 

That means the records are public and verifiable. Since 

there’s no central location, it is harder to hack as the 

information exists simultaneously in millions of places. It is a 

distributed ledger that is open to everyone. Therefore, once 

some data has been recorded in the blockchain it becomes 

very difficult to change it. 

Each block contains data with an identifiable code which is 

called a hash and also links to the previous hash that was 

tagged to that block. A hash identifies the block and all of 

its contents and is always unique. It can be compared to 

a fingerprint with respect to uniqueness and the almost 

impossible rule; that it cannot be duplicated. 

Once a block is created its hash is calculated. Changing 

anything inside the block will cause its hash to change. This 

effectively creates a chain of block and this is the reason 


that blockchain is so secure. Furthermore, blockchain is 

even more secure due to the use of its P2P network where 

everyone is allowed to join and can see exactly the changes 

being made to the general ledger. So essentially Blockchain is 

the digital, distributed, and decentralized ledger underlying 

most virtual currencies that are responsible for logging all 

transactions without the need for a financial intermediary, 

such as a bank. 

What does that mean for a business? Many industry 

leaders have already achieved significant business benefits, 

including greater transparency, enhanced security, improved 

traceability, increased efficiency and speed of transactions, 

and reduced costs. Cryptocurrency also makes international 

trade more accessible by removing barriers and restrictions 

to trade, ultimately making it easier to accept payments 

in different currencies. Also, by being an early adopter of 

cryptocurrency, you can gain a competitive advantage over 

your competition. 

As cryptocurrency becomes more widely embraced, 

businesses and individuals alike should be keeping a close 

eye on how this technology develops and considering how 

it can be used to their advantage. n 

Andrew Ismond is a Digital Marketer and 

Creative Director at VisionBuild. With 

over 10 years of experience in business 

development, he brings his skills in 

photography, videography, design and 

business writing to create unique and 

relevant content. His ability to deliver 

results based on creativity and relevance 

is what makes him great at what he does. 

Always willing to contribute to growth 

and success, his vision takes any business to the next level. To him 

it’s not just about business but educating and teaching what he 

has learnt throughout the years to anyone he comes into contact 

The Future of 

Business & Crypto 

– Part 1 

with. When he isn't working, having family time or partaking in 

one of his hobbies, he researches new avenues to create more 

attractive revenue streams and returns for his clients and partners.

Blockchain Technology Being Explored as Tool to Drive Agricultural Trade in 

The Caribbean 

Blockchain Technology Being Explored as Tool 

to Drive Agricultural Trade in The Caribbean 

Through the CARICROP project, academics, integration 

organizations, government entities and IICA are analyzing 

the use of blockchain technology to guarantee market 

transparency, create more profitable trade associations and 

promote agricultural trade in the region. 

Blockchain technology is a continuously growing list of 

transactions records. As the transactions are shared, verified 

and validated, blockchains are able to operate without the 

need for centralized control and with high levels of security. 

Experts from the University of Edinburgh (UoE) and specialists 

from the Jamaica and St. Lucia Delegations of the Inter- 

American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) met 

with young entrepreneurs from the agriculture and technology 

sectors, producer associations, supermarkets, as well as 

hoteliers and politicians to explain the concept of blockchain 

and its challenges and implications for agroindustry. 

Larissa Pshetz of the UoE explained that, “Blockchain 

enables greater transparency, while facilitating a more direct 

relationship between various links in the supply chain and 

eliminating the need for numerous intermediaries, thereby 

empowering producers and consumers.” 

Pshetz maintained that blockchain’s potential to improve 

food supply chains is considerable, given its capacity to 

guarantee that data cannot be altered, since it distributes and 

synchronizes records in multiple locations.” 

While in St. Lucia, the team met with Ezechiel Joseph, the 

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural 

Resources and Cooperatives, who expressed a keen interest 

in understanding how the CARICROP project could help to 

resolve market supply and demand problems, as well as to 

provide increased market opportunities for producers. 

Members of the tourism sector—the most important sector 

in the Caribbean—commended the initiative, particularly to 

the extent that it may provide an opportunity to strengthen 

ties with producers, and also emphasized the importance 

of guaranteeing the reliability and quality of the supply 

of products. 

Other entities supporting the use of blockchain are the 

University of the West Indies (UWI), the CARICOM Secretariat 

and the Eastern Caribbean Trading, Agriculture and 

Development Organization (ECTAD), among others. 

This pilot project will also assess whether other tools could 

be incorporated to produce similar results and will end in 

July, when the findings are presented at a regional workshop 

in Jamaica. 

For more information contact Allister Glean, International 

Specialist in Agribusiness and Value Chains, IICA – allister. 

glean@iica.int n 

SOL EC 

IBS Inc 


BUSINESS TECH 

New Saint Lucian Startup Provides Mobile Payment Solution 

– Squeeze Cash 

New Saint Lucian Startup Provides Mobile 

Payment Solution – Squeeze Cash 

Saint Lucians are now able to use 

their mobile phones and tablets to 

send and receive money and make 

and receive payments as of Saturday, 

June 1 2019. This comes as Squeeze 

Cash Limited, a Saint Lucian startup, 

rolls out the pilot phase of its mobile 

payment solution. 

The app is developed by two young 

developers, Ashley McLean, a UX/UI 

designer, and Sunal Fontinelle, a selftaught 

developer. 

Squeeze Cash allows merchants and 

consumers to transact payments, 

merchants to pay other merchants, 

and for individuals to send and 

receive money from each other using 

a mobile device. 

“After nine months of spending our 

evenings, nights and weekends 

building this app, we’re thrilled to 

finally share our product with the 

public and to offer Saint Lucians the 

opportunity to participate in this 

beta launch of Squeeze Cash. The 

feedback from the pilot phase will 

play a part in helping us ready the app 

for its full public launch and eventual 

regional expansion, allowing Peer 

to Peer (P2P), Business to Customer 

(B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) 

payment transactions,” said Squeeze 

Co-founder and CEO Ashley Mc Lean. 

“We expect merchants to begin 

enabling Squeeze Cash as a payment 

option. Early adopters who join us 

now will be among the first ever to 

shop and pay with Squeeze Cash as 

we progressively roll out,” he added. 

Co-founder and Chief Technology 

Officer, Sunal Fontinelle, stated that 

“throughout the beta, participants will 

get to experience the functionality of 

Squeeze Cash. Beta users’ feedback 

provided via email, support@squeeze. 

cash, and in-app chat will help 

optimize operations for a smooth 

public launch in the coming weeks.” 

Kenrick Quashie, Chief Operations 

Officer of Squeeze Cash, added his 

confidence in the app by declaring that 

“it is ready for the market”. He indicated 

that the company is prepared to start 

small and scale up quickly. 

During the pilot stage, which will last 

for a month, individual users will have 

the following restrictions: 

• While Squeeze Cash payments can 

only be done in Saint Lucia at this 

time, it allows users outside of Saint 

Lucia to send money to users in Saint 

Lucia as a money transfer option. 

• Users may use the money on their 

wallet to conduct transactions or 

they may withdraw to their bank 

account if they so desire. 

Squeeze Cash boasts of being a very 

safe app as its security is managed by 

a Google-owned database. The app is 

extremely user-friendly and palatable 

to the eyes. Any merchant, regardless 

of the size of the company, can signup 

and use the app. 

Merchants and consumers can now 

go to the App Store and Google Play 

Store to download the app on their 

smart phone. They may also visit our 

website www.squeeze.cash/ to learn 

more about Squeeze and its features 

and limitations during this pilot period. 

The company will also begin to 

accelerate its drive to sign up new 

merchants and consumers. n 


Eastern Caribbean Supreme 

Court to Roll Out Next 

Phase of E-Litigation Portal 

for St. Lucia High Court 

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court to Roll Out Next 

Phase of E-Litigation Portal for St. Lucia High Court 

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court 

[ECSC] E-Litigation project team hosted 

a media briefing at the ECSC Sub-Office, 

Renham Building, Castries, Saint Lucia, 

to sensitize the media and the public 

on the next phase of implementation 

of the E-litigation Portal for Saint Lucia. 

The ECSC E-Litigation Portal went live in 

Saint Lucia on Monday, 26th November 

2018 for all new Commercial Division 

and Court of Appeal matters filed on or 

after this date. The ECSC is encouraged 

by the Portal usage statistics in Saint 

Lucia which show that users are taking 

advantage of the benefits that the 

Portal offers since the portal went live. 

The ECSC will be rolling out the next 

phase of the E-Litigation Portal for 

Saint Lucia which will include all new 

matters filed in the Civil Division of the 

High Court (matters being general civil 

cases, probate cases, adoption cases, 

admiralty and matrimonial cases). From 

Monday, 1st July 2019, the court office 

will no longer be accepting manual 

filings for new civil matters filed at the 

High Court. This would mean that the 

portal will now be available in Saint 

Lucia for all new proceedings filed in 

the Civil Division, Commercial Division 

and Court of Appeal. 

This latest roll out of the ECSC 

E-litigation Portal will bring about 

significant savings in time and money, 

while improving case management 

for litigants, practitioners and the 

Court. Some of the advantages that 

are expected for the Saint Lucia High 

Court are ease-of-access, retrieval 

and portability of court documents. 

Going forward, the Court will be free 

from the limitations which paper 

files impose. These advantages will 

bring efficiencies to how the Court 

deals with legal practitioners and 

unrepresented litigants. 

The ECSC’s thrust of providing equal 

access to justice for all has been 

augmented with the introduction of 

the Portal, which provides a range of 

features not previously experienced or 

available to unrepresented litigants. A 

Service Bureau, manned by a member 

of staff from the Court Office, has 

been designed to assist and maintain 

access to the Portal for unrepresented 

litigants. An unrepresented litigant 

who wishes to file a matter can visit 

the Court Office and attend the Service 

Bureau for assistance with the creation 

of cases and the management of the 

filings. The Service Bureau cannot 

provide legal advice, but operates 

in accordance with the "Electronic 

Litigation Filing and Service Procedure 

Rules" and the processes of the Court. 

It must be noted that this latest roll out 

of the Portal means files will be created, 

managed and stored electronically. 

While this primarily affects the Court’s 

functions, it also provides opportunities 

for its users to expand how they 

interact with the Court. The Court 

has liaised extensively with the legal 

profession on the roll out, conducting 

extensive user information and user 

acceptance training sessions. It is the 

belief of the ECSC that this milestone 

implementation phase of the Portal 

will also foster disaster resilience, 

which will in turn boost potential and 

current investor confidence, improve 

doing business ratings, contract 

enforcement and other cross-cutting 

economic and social values. 

Law Firms in Saint Lucia and their 

staff should ensure that they register 

for use of the portal and make 

the necessary payments for their 

accounts to facilitate the filing of 

matters via the portal. Manual paper 

filings will not be accepted by the High 

Court Office so practitioners should 

ensure that they are fully registered 

well before they first expect to use 

the system, if they are not already 

registered. To learn more about the 

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court 

and the e-Litigation Portal please visit 

our website at: www.eccourts.org or 

call us at (758)457-3600. n 

Source: The Eastern Caribbean 

Supreme Court (ECSC) 


RECS - Building Experience, 

Expertise and Reliability 

RECS Construction Company 

Ltd 

BUILDING 

EXPERIENCE, 

EXPERTISE 

AND RELIABILITY 


RECS General Contractors started 

off as a micro-maintenance 

business operated by just Winston 

Cyril. Over the years they have 

evolved into a full-fledged general 

construction company providing 

comprehensive construction services. 

They are the main contractor for 

most of their projects, using subcontractors 

where needed. They are 

also equipped to take on general 

maintenance projects including but 

not limited to landscaping services 

and general maintenance. 

Some of the many services offered by 

RECS General Contractors are: 

• General Construction 

• Office Fitouts 

• General Maintenance 

• Construction Equipment 

& Tool Rentals 

The breadth of services offered 

are extensive as the company has 

grown to adapt to customers’ needs. 

Construction equipment rentals are 

a big part of their business. They 

rent everything from excavators and 

backhoes to concrete mixers. They 

company also rents out small tools 

such as jumpers, wacker plates, 

jackhammers and even scaffolding. 

RECS General Contractors has a 

large repertoire under its belt. The 

company has managed teams as large 

as up to 150 staff on various projects. 

These types of projects have been 

numerous and far-reaching covering 

a range of tastes from industrial work, 

constructing warehouses from scratch, 

to touristic projects like villa and 

hotel renovation and construction of 

swimming pools. 

The company has successfully 

completed many commercial projects 

as well. They do office fitouts – 

transforming internal office spaces 

for many prominent commercial 

clients such as First Citizens, OECS 

and NAGICO (previous offices) just to 

name a few. They shape your office 

workspace into the exact flow and 

layout that you envision. 

The essence of the business is however, 

focused on general construction. The 

owner, Mr. Winston Cyril, has worked on 

a number of upscale residential projects 

but asserts that his company can tackle 

just about any general construction 

project. He is most proud of one of their 

recently completed projects, the GTM 

Office Building at Choc. 

RECS General Contractors actually 

came into existence when a 

passionate Winston Cyril decided that 

he was ready to quit his job to open 

his very own maintenance business. 

The thought occurred to him shortly 

before deciding to move forward with 

the initiative as he was ready to do 

something different. He leveraged 

his network and was able to start the 

business off right away on his last day 

as an employee. 

His goal was initially to provide a 

one-stop-shop where customers 

could have access to all the 

services provided by carpenters, 

masons, plumbers and electricians 

without having to chase down 

individual tradesmen. RECS General 

Contractors has grown and been 

driven to be just that. 

Along the way, Winston Cyril, did 

several construction courses and 

attended many seminars and forums 

to keep learning and understanding 

the trade. He has also moved into 

hiring professionals in the field as the 

demands have increased and has even 

brought on the additional services 

of professionals who outsource. 

These all in an effort to augment and 

supplement the skill-level required in 

the business and for his clients. 

RECS General Contractors ultimately 

aims to deliver projects within TIME, 

COST, QUALITY & SCOPE. The business 

is conducted professionally and 

taken seriously as a career, operating 

ethically and ensuring that you have 

the resources you need to complete 

the job at hand. 

Massade, Gros Islet, 

Box 1902, LC04 101 

Castries St. lucia 

1-758-450-4544 • 1-758-719-9129 

admin@recsslu.com 

www.rescslu.com 

wwwfacebook.com/recsrecsincslu 

Winston Cyril - Managing Director 


Island Insurances - 

Celebrating 1 Year of 

Providing You with Stellar 

Coverage 

Island Insurances Inc 

RODNEY BAY 

Commercial Centre 

(Opposite Harbor Club) 

BusinessFocus Jul Jun / Aug Jul | | 38 

CASTRIES 

William Peter BLVD. 

(Upstairs Church’s Chicken) 

CALL 

458-4311 | 458-1441 

720-4312 | 719-4311 

FAX 

458-0813 

info@islandinsurances.com

Celebrating One Year 

of Providing You with Stellar Coverage! 

Island Insurances Inc. is an authorized 

agent of NAGICO Insurances – the 

largest general insurance company in St. 

Lucia. NAGICO operates in 21 territories 

in the Caribbean, from as far north as 

the Bahamas to as far south as the ABC 

Islands. They are the only Caribbean 

insurer with operations in the Dutch, 

English and French Caribbean. Owned 

and operated by Manager, Mrs. Anne 

Marie Herman, Island Insurances Inc.’s 

primary location was opened in Rodney 

Bay Commercial Centre just under one 

year ago in September 2018. A second 

location quickly opened one month 

later in the William Peter Boulevard, 

Castries. These ideal locations provide 

and son, Leslie Lake. She admits that 

the journey has been both exciting and 

challenging, as she is now an employer, 

which now means that the well-being 

and needs of her team members come 

before her own. 

Coming up on their 1-year anniversary of 

operations, the company is comprised of 

11 dedicated team members across two 

offices. Many of the staff are highlyqualified 

Insurance Industry veterans 

with decades of combined experience. 

The team aims to achieve balance in 

being both people and goal oriented. 

They understand that business is driven 

by production but do their best to ensure 

delivery, working around the clock to 

ensure that customers are covered. This 

efficiency and flexibility reflects care for 

our customers because we understand 

the importance of their needs, and the 

service that we provide. Far from being 

a traditional insurance agency, Island 

Insurances incorporates technology 

where possible to ensure promptness in 

order to reduce wait times. 

When asked what sets them apart, Anne 

Marie confidently states, “Ease of doing 

business with Island Insurances – we 

come to you, we are accommodating, 

we show concern. We want our clients 

to feel cared for.” Whether that means 

Sandy Alexander 

Assistant Manager 

convenience and accessibility in two 

of the island’s major local business 

centres. Nevertheless, Island Insurances is 

equipped and prepared to valiantly service 

their customers’ needs island-wide. 

The fledgling business is the brainchild of 

cousins, Anne Marie Herman and Karen 

Fontenelle-Peter, who sits as the Board 

Chair. On approaching retirement, Anne 

Marie began to seriously consider her 

life’s path. Having worked extensively 

in the Construction and Insurance 

Industries, she felt that she was 

equipped and experienced to take that 

leap of faith that would be required to 

start her own commercial enterprise 

along with her husband, Hilary Herman 

Anne Marie Herman 

Manager 

that their clients’ needs come first. We 

plan to showcase some of our team 

members, highlighting their involvement 

and achievements in the company in 

future communication, which will also 

include our talented HR Professional. 

Insurance is based on trust, and Island 

Insurance Inc. prides itself on building 

that trust with the community by 

being proactive in going above and 

beyond. Island Insurance Inc., saves 

you time by processing paperwork in 

advance, taking care of document 

AGENTS FOR 

Karen Fontenelle-Peter 

Board Chair 

delivering cover notes or assisting with 

bank runs, Island Insurances really goes 

all out for their customers taking the idea 

of professional and courteous customer 

service to the next level. 

Island Insurances provides a wide 

product-suite of NAGICO risk solutions 

ranging from business and personal 

property coverage, motor coverage to 

individual and group health coverage. 

We are all susceptible to the challenges 

of life which is why we must ensure to 

plan for the uncertain future. That is 

where Island Insurances can help you 

– covering YOU really is their business! 

Please do not hesitate to contact us.

MONEY MATTERS 

The Commercial Division of High Court Records 

Another Successful Year 

The Commercial Division of High Court Records 

Another Successful Year 

The Commercial Court has reported 

a steady increase in the number of 

filings over the last three years from 

44 cases in 2016 to 100 cases in 

2018. The Commercial Division of the 

Registry of the High Court has been in 

operation from January 19, 2016. 

The division believes this success will 

boost St. Lucia’s economic growth and 

development by increasing investor 

confidence to embark on new 

ventures because of the efficiency 

of the Justice System. The National 

Competitiveness and Productivity 

Council has been instrumental in 

undertaking a number of reforms 

which have led to increased efficiency 

and competitiveness in the economy. 

In 2014 under the Ease of Doing 

Business Agenda there was a 

need to reform the settlement of 

commercial disputes in St. Lucia, 

thus the NCPC was given the lead 

role in the establishment of the 

Commercial Court. 

Director of the NCPC, Fiona Hinkson 

explained the impact the court 

has made in a short space of time: 

“From a finance perspective we have 

observed that significant amounts 

of funds have been freed up due to 


the quicker settlement of disputes. 

We also observed that settlement of 

disputes which is measured by the 

enforcement of contract indicator 

has led to an improvement for the 

World Bank Ease of Doing Business 

ranking for St. Lucia.” 

Registrar of the High Court, Charon 

Gardner-Hippolyte, who oversees 

the Civil, Criminal and Commercial 

Divisions of the Court, stated that 

prior to the establishment of the 

Commercial Court matters of a 

commercial nature fell in the cue in 

order of priority alongside divorce 

cases, land disputes, adoption, 

probate cases, traffic matters and 

the like. 

“So the whole point of this court was 

to be able to take these matters out 

and to give them separate priority 

and this I think has augured well 

for the business community. I was 

looking at the statistics for the last 

couple of years and we have grown 

tremendously from 44 cases being 

filed the first year to 84 being filed 

the second year and last year we 

filed over 100 cases.” 

She noted this figure gets even 

more impressive when expressed 

in terms of the dollar value which 

goes through the court. From the 44 

cases filed in 2016 over EC$7 million 

went through the court, while 2017 

with 84 cases filed this figure was 

just under EC$50 million. 

“In 2018 the figure was over EC$100 

million and when you think that 

EC$100 million is going through a 

court that has been there for three 

years you think ,wow, we really are 

delivering a quality of service that 

has allowed for the unit to be able to 

grow, that has inspired confidence in 

persons to be able to file their claims 

there and to realize that judgment is 

being given in a speedily fashion.” 

A Legal Officer is now attached to 

the Commercial Division to assist the 

judge in delivering decisions in a very 

timely fashion. The Registrar pointed 

out that matters are usually dealt 

with within a 14 to 21 day period 

with judgments being delivered 

between 3 to 6 months. 

The NCPC Director said, “This type 

of positive result builds investor 

confidence and has a very positive 

impact on the ease of doing business 

climate for St. Lucia.” n

OPIC Acting President 

and CEO Bohigian Leads 

Delegation to St. Lucia 

OPIC Acting President and CEO 

Bohigian Leads Delegation to St. Lucia 

David Bohigian, Acting President and Chief Executive 

Officer of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation 

(OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance 

institution, visited St. Lucia, where he met with Prime 

Minister Allen Chastanet and other senior government 

officials to discuss opportunities for U.S. investment in 

infrastructure, energy, water, and women’s empowerment 

as well as strengthen security cooperation in the region. 

During his visit, Bohigian toured St. Lucia’s main point of 

entry, Vieux Fort, and Cul-de-Sac Bay, home to a crude 

oil marine terminal operated by Texas-based, Buckeye 

Global Marine Terminals. 

“St. Lucia and its Caribbean neighbors are critical 

partners in the United States’ mission to support a more 

prosperous, secure Western Hemisphere,” said Bohigian. 

“OPIC is committed to enhancing its engagement with the 

Caribbean to catalyze private sector investment, create 

economic opportunities that empower communities, and 

foster stability across the region.” 

Bohigian led the OPIC delegation to the Caribbean to 

explore investment opportunities with countries who 

are key partners in fostering stability and security in the 

Western Hemisphere. St. Lucia was the final stop of a fivecountry 

tour of the Caribbean that has included stops in 

the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. 

OPIC’s current portfolio in the Caribbean includes more 

than $250 million invested across projects ranging from 

small business lending, power generation, agriculture, 

and low-income mortgage lending. 

At a meeting with Caribbean leaders to discuss trade, 

energy investment, and security concerns, President 

Trump reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to 

working with its partners in the region to foster economic 

growth, counter predatory investment practices, and 

strengthen security cooperation. n 

Launch Low-Cost Housing Project 

NIC to Launch Low-Cost Housing Project 

Saint Lucians with low to moderate 

incomes are set to benefit from an 

innovative housing project soon 

to be launched by the National 

Insurance Corporation (NIC). 

The proposed low-cost housing 

project being developed by the NIC, 

will help in addressing the demand 

for affordable housing on the island. 

The National Insurance Property 

Development & Management 

Company Ltd. (NIPRO), a subsidiary 

of the NIC, is currently assessing 

properties owned by the corporation 

in order to select an appropriate site. 

Critical factors affecting site selection 

are enabling topography, proximity 

to population centers and access to 

main public transport routes. 

The low-cost housing project is 

expected to form part of a larger 

master-planned development to 

include recreational areas as well as 

light commercial activity related to 

serving the needs of the community. 

In order to ensure that the project will 

be affordable for its target markets, 

the low-cost housing project will 

seek to incorporate innovations in 

construction methodologies and 

materials geared towards overall 

cost reductions. 

Further consideration will be given 

to the desirability of differing types 

of accommodation styles inclusive 

of apartment complexes, duplexes, 

and standalone housing units. It is 

envisaged that financing options will 

be developed to facilitate ownership 

of units. 

The design of the housing units 

will take into account the need for 

sustainability and for resilience 

to natural disasters. It will also 

incorporate rainwater harvesting 

systems and use of grey water 

from buildings to water community 

gardens and serve other nonpotable 

water needs. 

The NIC has been and will continue 

to liaise with other public entities 

notably the St Lucia Development 

Bank and the Ministry of Housing 

to ensure a coordinated approach is 

adopted to address the problem of 

inadequate affordable housing. n 


Harris Paints - 

Solutions Focus 

Harris Paints 



C. O. Williams Const. (SLU) Ltd 

#1 in St. Lucia 

for all your construction needs 

C.O. WILLIAMS PROVIDES A FULL RANGE OF 

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES INCLUDING: 

• Crushed stone quarry products 

• Washed pumice sand products 

• Ready mix concrete 

• Precast concrete products 

• Asphalt and paving 

• Earth works 

• Civil works 

• Road and bridge construction 


FOR A QUOTE CONTACT US TODAY 

C.O. Williams Group of Companies 

Tel: 1 (758) 452 0094 | Email: sales@cowstlucia.com

SPECIAL FEATURE

MAKING OF 

A CAREER IN 

CONSTRUCTION 

Growing Up in Rural St 

Lucia 

MAKING OF A CAREER 

IN CONSTRUCTION 

Growing Up in Rural Saint Lucia 

Steve Jameson was born and raised 

in the close-knit farming community 

of Jacmel. He fondly remembers the 

neighbourhood as being one of the 

safest in Saint Lucia. He is the fourth 

of thirteen siblings with his parents, 

Florie and Joseph Jameson, both being 

hard-working farmers. He admits 

that they were raised during very 

tough times as he recalls his father 

constantly struggling to make ends 

meet for their large family. 

His father, Joseph, had a few small 

tools that he kept on hand such as a 

hammer and an old saw. These were 

used for any maintenance required 

around the house and for farming 

projects like constructing chicken 

coops. His precious tools were off 

limits to the children, and he would 

often warn them as such. This did not 

keep Steve from wanting to use them. 

Having not been afforded the 

opportunity to pursue education 

beyond primary school, he eagerly 

embraced aspects of construction as 

a means to busy himself throughout 

his community. From a young age he 

took on the responsibility of 


constructing latrines for many of 

his neighbours, taking pleasure in 

challenging himself to improve the 

designs and finishings even back 

then – incorporating fancy windows 

and innovative ventilation much to 

everyone’s amusement and delight. 

He credits these early projects as 

solidifying his interest and passion 

in building and construction. It also 

made him realise that he had a 

natural flair for creativity in bringing 

his designs to life. Being well-liked 

in the community, neighbours often 

sought him out to complete their 

small projects. They appreciated his 

sense of taste and aesthetic, as his 

love for what he did was evidenced 

from very early on. 

Not only was the quality of his work 

exceptional, but Steve was the 

community’s darling. He was always 

helpful by nature and did whatever he 

could without even being asked. 

His mother ran a tight ship and was 

strict with her children, always 

retaining full control of her brood. 

She expected them to listen to her 

Steve Jameson 

instructions and doled them out with 

efficiency. Steve jokes that if they did 

not get home at the dictated time, 

they ran the risk of being made to 

sleep outside. By contrast, he does 

not remember his father as being 

strict at all. His father, he felt, was 

more level-headed than his mother, 

and kept his children grounded. He is 

grateful for both of his parents whom 

he loves dearly. 

He reflects that this discipline that 

was instilled in his youth positively 

influenced his adult life. He cautions 

young people that what they perceive 

as authoritarian now, may lead them 

to do something very special with their 

lives later on. He is convinced that his 

parents methods helped him and his 

siblings to be better in a lot of ways 

– having control of their emotions, 

respecting the elderly and others, 

generally knowing how to conduct 

themselves, and understanding the 

importance of doing things the right 

way, to name a few. 

He considers himself to be immensely 

blessed and does not hesitate to say

this openly. He credits his parents 

with instilling great values in him 

and appreciates them for always 

making him feel special despite their 

humble circumstances. For these 

reasons, since childhood he always 

sought to make them proud and never 

wanted to let them down. They had 

unwavering confidence that he would 

make something of himself, which he 

feels he has in fact gone on to do. 

His parents also deeply valued family 

ties, encouraging the children to stick 

by each other no matter what. His 

mother always advocated that they 

should look out for each other even 

when things go wrong, as the bigger 

picture of being family and providing 

support to each other is what is 

always most important. Steve has 

adopted somewhat of a lead in the 

family – doing his best with continuing 

to uphold his parents’ wishes. He has 

come to understand that nothing in 

life comes easy and fundamentally 

believes in the power of hard work in 

pushing to make things happen so that 

his family can all be successful together. 

He attests to having gone through a 

lot of struggle. He recognises that a 

lot of people assume that his life has 

been easy but he explains that he has 

had to make sacrifices to be where he 

is at today. His work always has been 

and continues to be very important 

to him. Steve says, “I take my time 

to produce – I make sure to produce 

with quality. But life was certainly not 

a piece of cake for me growing up.” 

Nuns washing Steve’s feet 

Steve and his daughter, Naila 

Top Stone Fabrication Ltd. 


Construction as A 

Career Option 

Construction of Sandals Bluff 

Construction as a Career Option 

Having had limited access to pursue higher learning at 

the time, Steve Jameson became a farmer on completion 

of primary school in Jacmel. He left school at 15 and 

worked for Moses Henry, a farmer who planted fruits and 

vegetables in the community. He did farming for three 

years until he left Saint Lucia to explore an opportunity 

in Trinidad. 

Steve always believed that he could do better than his 

circumstances. As a young man, he dreamed of being a 

soldier in the British Army as he saw it as opportunity to 

secure a better education toward possibly becoming a 

mechanical engineer. He has always valued education and 

was convinced that knowledge was the key to a better life. 

He laughs heartily remembering his send off to Trinidad, 

saying “I went to the airport like a prince!” An old couple 

from his neighbourhood accompanied him, with the old 

man cautioning him to never turn back; to wholeheartedly 

embrace the opportunity that he was being presented 

with to get better for himself. Steve took him quite literally, 

not even daring to look back from the tarmac at the family 

and friends who were vigorously waving him goodbye. 

On arriving in Trinidad, he soon secured employment 

mixing mortar on a construction site. Within 3 to 4 months, 

he became a Mason. Within the next 3 months, he became 

the Site Supervisor in charge of a group of about 15 men. 

He chuckles remembering his skinny teenage frame, being 

one of the youngest in charge, and a non-national to boot. 

Apart from his parents, Steve credits other persons to 

helping him along his journey. He fondly remembers his 

stint as a tradesman in Trinidad and the persons who gave 

him a break during his most difficult times. He recalls that 

a gentleman named George provided him with housing 

and food despite George’s own meager means. 


Construction in progress 

Young Steve 

Steve discussing a project with technicians

Learning 

on the Job 

- From the 

Ground Up 

Marigot Bay Resort & Marina (Formerly Capella Hotel) 

Learning on the Job - From the Ground Up 

Making the most of his time there, he 

soon started trade school in Trinidad, 

going to classes after working hours 

several days per week – learning 

carpentry and joinery, among other 

things. The days were long with Steve 

often only having time to grab a 

shower at home before heading back 

out to night school. 

It would not be uncommon for Steve 

to treat the whole class to “KFC” on 

a Friday evening, which worked 

wonders for his popularity. Already 

being employed as a Supervisor he 

was by far one of the most liquid 

students enrolled in the school. He 

made friends easily but made a point 

to stay focused on getting as educated 

in his craft as possible. 

He was able to practically apply his 

new-found knowledge on the live 

construction site by immediately 

getting more involved, and purchased 

a number of books to augment his 

education through self-study. A few 

years into his stint in Trinidad, he 

had quickly learned how to read 

blueprints to construct and execute 

project designs independently. It was 

not long before he started getting 

small residential jobs which helped 

further his skill. He eagerly took on 

projects to finish the lower levels of 

two-storey houses and to build roofs. 

He got to a point where he felt that he 

was smart enough and good enough 

to work on his own. He spent 3 years 

in Trinidad before returning home to 

Saint Lucia where he would start a 

small business building cupboards and 

doing fancy finishing work. As always, 

he had the full support of his parents 

who provided him with a workspace 

in the form of an empty house. His 

mother was adamant that he pursue 

self-employment so encouraged him 

in getting his business up and running. 

In no time, Steve developed a healthy 

clientele. Once again, he was fully 

embraced by his community and as a 

result was able to secure a number of 

local jobs. He was also actively involved 

with the community Catholic church so 

Soufriere Gas Station 

Renovation work done on 

building in Soufriere 

developed invaluable relationships with 

the nuns and priests. This resulted in 

additional jobs being secured through 

the church. He is an avid churchgoer 

who believes there is a God and 

does not believe any of his success 

would have been possible without his 

devoted relationship with Him. 

Maher Centre 


BECOMING A 

MASTER BUILDER 

The Dream of 

Becoming A 

Business Owner 

BECOMING A MASTER 

BUILDER 

The Dream 

of Becoming a 

Business Owner 

Steve Jameson has always believed 

in continually improving his skills so 

he applied himself and got better 

and better. He admits that it is his 

life philosophy to continuously learn, 

improve and grow. In assessing his 

situation at the time, he started to 

think about the critical requirements 

to develop his business. He realised 

that it was imperative to have an 

office space where people could 

be assembled to think and to work. 

This was the beginning of Jameson 

Construction Enterprises. 

He set out to build an office in 

Marigot and soon thereafter secured 

his first computer for EC $12,000. 

He hired Ms. Diane Jariah and 

Mrs. Viventia Stephen to do Office 

Administration and Payroll. He also 

hired his sister Ms. Clotilda Jameson 

who worked as a Time Keeper. 

It was not long before he started 

selling plumbing fittings and other 

regularly used items on his own sites. 

He bought those items in bulk 


Preserved mural by Dusnstan St. Omer 

and started the retail component of 

the business. He did a lot of projects 

island-wide and did very well in that 

location with most of his business 

being generated through word of 

mouth. He built a good reputation, 

his clients spread his good work and 

their satisfaction with his performance 

and soon the word was out that Steve 

Jameson was the Contractor of choice. 

Steve notes that the issue of trust 

is extremely important to him. He 

remarks that, “When people take a 

loan to build their projects, they entrust 

that money to you as a Contractor and 

you cannot let them down.” 

He also hired technical people such as 

Petrus, Darwin Daniel, Ned, Cassius 

Gifford, Raphael “Aput” St. Hill, Angus 

“Margo” Mercedes, Fell, Coco the 

Painter, Cuthbert Jameson – his brother 

and right-hand man, Bernard Joseph, 

Gregory Edward, Nicholas Vitalien 

and Hendrickson “Fodie” Augustin. He 

remembers this team as being very 

dedicated, often working at nights, 

throughout weekends and on holidays 

not looking for any compensation but 

to help out the company. 

He got what he considers to be his first 

big break – to renovate the Catholic 

Church in his hometown of Jacmel, a 

job valued at EC $600,000. Until then, 

his jobs were generally valued at 

under EC $100,000. He received the 

opportunity from the Church not just as 

a result of the relationships that he had 

maintained over the years, but because 

he was the best-suited contractor in 

the community at the time. 

He was tasked with renovating the 

old church to make it bigger while 

preserving the existing 800 square foot 

mural designed by none other than 

famous St. Lucian Artist, Sir Dunstan St. 

Omer. Suffice it to say, this was no easy 

task, as much consideration had to be 

given to maintaining the integrity of 

the priceless commissioned artwork. 

His team was able to successfully 

complete the job on time, much to the 

delight of Father St. Rose. 

Renovated Jacmel Church 

Renovation works at 

Jacmel Catholic Church

Capitalizing 

on Priceless 

Opportunities 

From there he got an opportunity with 

Sandals through Kier International as 

a subcontractor. He had a very good 

relationship with the contractor and 

Steve felt valued and appreciated 

through this relationship, as he 

came across someone who saw and 

understood the emphasis he places 

on quality and workmanship. Steve 

says that, “It’s important to realise 

that people are always watching 

and paying attention even when 

you think that they are NOT.” Roy 

of Kier International supported 

the development of Jameson 

Construction Enterprises and assisted 

with its growth. He acquired some 

equipment from Kier International 

when they closed and was fortunate 

enough to be hired by Sandals directly 

to do all of their site maintenance. 

He remembers purchasing his first 

piece of new equipment – a JCB 4CX 

Backhoe – with a loan from Sandals 

that he subsequently paid back. 

He continued working on ongoing 

Sandals projects, building the dam on 

the La Toc golf course, the sewerage 

plant, and changing roofing along 

with a number of other smaller 

projects across the multiple resorts 

on island. At that time, Steve decided 

to augment his professional staff 

as well as his labour force. He gives 

honorable mention to a number of 

persons who were employed under 

Jamecob’s Quality Construction such 

as Shaner Brice, Natalie Antoine, 

Gregory Sydney, Corinne Marius, 

Mervy Thornille, Keith Inglis, Hyllsi 

Joseph, Nancy Byron, Angus Mercedes, 

Bradely Vigier and Dorrina Auguste. 

A huge opportunity presented itself 

when the Sandals Group, directed 

by Mr. Mark Harding, decided to 

build the Sunset Bluff at Sandals 

La Toc. He remembers that Mark 

Capitalizing 

on Priceless 

Opportunities 

Sandals Grande 

Harding expressed confidence in his 

ability to effectively complete this 

project. Mr. Harding stood by him 

every step of the way and gave him 

the requisite guidance as a big brother 

would give his younger sibling. Mr. 

Jameson applauds the Sandals Group 

represented by Mark Harding as being 

a model corporate citizen by giving 

young St. Lucian entrepreneurs the 

opportunities to shine. 

Steve says that when he first looked at 

the drawings he didn’t even believe he 

could do the job because of the scope 

of the project; it was just so big. The 

project was also an extremely tricky 

one, being precariously perched on the 

edge of a cliff. Never being one to back 

away from a challenge, he proceeded 

to break the project down into smaller, 

more manageable components. This 

has always been a skill that came 

Sandals Bluff 


naturally to him. Calling on his faith, he 

realised that he should just tackle the 

job as he would any other project and 

not be daunted by the magnitude of it. 

With 400 men on site – the biggest 

crew he had ever worked with – at 

age 27, he successfully managed and 

completed the job within the one-year 

timeline, within cost, to the Client’s 

Quality Standards and with no injuries 

on site. Given the size of the project and 

the amount of responsibility that was 

bestowed upon him, the job proved 

to be transformative – catapulting him 

into another level of contracting and 

building construction. And poetically, 

the Sandals Bluff project also gave birth 

to Jamecob’s Quality Construction 

Ltd., arguably one of the bravest and 

most daring contracting companies on 

island, completing complex projects 

with ease. 


The Challenges of Being of 

a Young Entrepreneur 

The Challenges of Being 

a Young Entrepreneur 

Looking back, as a then young entrepreneur, he laments the 

challenges he faced with local financial institutions. In his 

opinion, when he first started some banks were reluctant 

to be supportive and encouraging of his obviously thriving 

enterprise. He notes that he was not always able to provide 

the type of unrealistic security that they required of him 

and that not having a well-recognised name did nothing 

to help his cause. Some did realize his vision and tried to 

assist, but some did not. Notwithstanding, he recognizes 

the support of the local banks such as Bank of St. Lucia and 

1st National Bank. 

not feel that he gets the full support that he would like to 

receive. Opting to explore the route of self-financing, he has 

become incredibly self-sufficient and creative in devising 

methods to get projects up and running. 

He implores that despite the challenges they may 

encounter, younger contractors should always aim to do 

what is right and be honorable in their interfaces with 

clients and suppliers. It is imperative to desist from taking 

shortcuts. He acknowledges that there are a lot of problems 

in the industry regarding trust, as clients do not feel that 

contractors generally act in their best interests. 

The only way this can be remedied is with a collective 

approach to changing the dialogue. Contractors and other 

industry workers should do what they are being paid to do, 

ensuring that top quality work is being delivered in order for 

the industry to not only survive but thrive. Taking shortcuts 

only harms one’s reputation in the long run, which inevitably 

turns out to be detrimental to business. Given the natural 

disasters with which our environment is faced, Climate 

Resilience Construction is at the forefront of Jamecob’s 

Quality Construction. Value Engineering is also an approach 

that the company takes, where feasible, so that clients can 

receive more value for their hard-earned dollars. 

He recognises that the industry is certainly not an easy one 

to succeed in and advises that in order to be competitive, 

one must not be afraid of hard work. He intimates that, 

“People’s expectations are always really high, so you have 

to deliver.” 

He wants to advise clients to enlist the services of contractors 

who are stable with a permanent office base. That way, if 

there are any problems, the contractor can always be easily 

located, as there is built-in accountability and responsibility. 

It saddens him to know that not much has changed to 

encourage the local entrepreneurial landscape, as he is 

privy to the reality of many who are experiencing the same 

challenges that he did back then. Budding business owners 

are then left with no choice but to secure alternative means 

of financing such as opening subsidiary companies or are 

forced to self-finance and suffer a much slower rate of 

business growth as a result. He found himself having to 

be inventive by opening other subsidiary companies such 

as Caribbean Hot Wings, Beholder Security, Sign Pro and 

Farming & Development. 

He admits that things are easier for him today in some 

respects, because he has now acquired the means to be 

able to sit at the negotiating table. However, he still does 

The Dream Team - LR: Chico, Tia & Nigel 


Advantages of Linkages 

with Key Stakeholders 

Marina Village 

Advantages of Linkages with 

Key Stakeholders 

It is a known fact that people like to work with people who they not only trust, 

but like as well. Jamecob’s Quality Construction has been fortunate over the 

years to have built relationships with a number of key players in the industry 

who continue to seek out their services no matter the scale of the project being 

embarked on. These fundamental relationships are founded on integrity and 

fostering completely open lines of communication despite how challenging the 

circumstances may be. 

Mark Harding – Senior Project Manager, Sandals Group 

The company has worked very closely with Mark Harding of Sandals. Steve 

describes him as being one of the most genuine people that he has encountered 

in business. While he acknowledges that Mark can get very serious when it 

comes down to his projects, he appreciates his sincerity and loyalty in trusting 

Jamecob to get the job done right every time. Mark consistently gives the team 

the opportunity to work alongside his group. He also regularly provides the 

company with valued referrals, which are the highest compliment one can give. 

Maher Chreiki – Business Mogul 

Steve has done a number of projects for Mr. Chreiki, and claims that he has 

never come across anyone as pleasant. They casually met years ago in a strictly 

social capacity. Friendly banter would always ensue whenever they ran into 

each other – with Mr. Chreiki teasing Steve about his supposedly exorbitant 

pricing saying, “I can hire you tomorrow if you charge me $50 for a yard of 

concrete.” Of course, everyone knew this was an unfeasible figure as the going 

rate for concrete was much closer to $500. This good-natured exchange went 

on for some time until a serious proposition was put on the table in the form 

of the Dayana Center, an office building intended to be erected in the heart of 

central Castries. The two gentlemen figured out a way forward by having their 

respective quantity surveyors hash out the costs associated with the project. 

This arrangement is a major key to their business relationship as it allows them 

to work fantastically together. 

Joyce Destang – Owner & Managing Director, Bay Gardens Resorts 

Steve worked very well with “Ma Destang”, having built the Rodney Bay Medical 

Center as well as a number of projects within the Bay Gardens Resorts. He speaks 

very fondly of Mr. and Mrs. Destang, in reminiscing on the warm relationship 

that they built over time and attesting to the fact that the family has been very 

good to Jamecob’s Quality Construction over the years. 

Other projects of notable mention: 

• Capella – Very large and fancy project 

with a lot of intricacies 

• The Marina Village at Marigot Bay / 

Dubloon Verity 

• Wartsila Project – the extension of 

the power station 

• Sulphur Spring Road for the 

Government of Saint Lucia 

• Ojo Labs – Vieux Fort 

• Numerous upscale private residences 

all over the island 


Dayana Center 

Rodney Bay Medical Centre 


PEOPLE AND 

SERVICE – A 

WINNING 

COMBINATION 

The Benefits of A 

Professional Technical 

Team 

PEOPLE AND SERVICE – 

A WINNING COMBINATION 

The Benefits of a Professional 

Technical Team 

A big aspect of Jameson’s contracting 

business has to do with managing 

people. He has always seen one of his 

strengths as being handling the daily 

tasks associated with any project. He 

is very hands on and genuinely likes 

to spend as much time on site as 

possible. He acknowledges that he is 

not as keen to manage the back-end 

aspect of things. He recognises the 

importance of record-keeping and 

record management in being able to 

assess trajectory. Knowing this as not 

being one of his finer traits, he has 

made a point to hire people who can 

complement his skillset to adequately 

fill in any gaps in the business. 

He applauds his team for being 

competent and dynamic enough to 

adapt to his needs as well as the 

needs of the company and their many 

clients. A spirit of idea-sharing and 

communication is highly encouraged 

to foster dialogue and collaboration. 

He expresses that he is always deeply 

interested in the opinions of his 

team, wanting not only to hear from 

them but also wanting to be guided 

by them. In some regard, he sees 

himself as a facilitator. 


He believes that the role of leadership 

is shaped by the type of people that 

one is trying to lead; which is why 

it is important to surround yourself 

with a team that knows what 

they are tasked with doing and is 

interested in optimal execution. He 

is not interested in leading people 

who do not buy into his vision as he 

wants to be among people who are 

intelligent and driven by a shared 

desire to succeed. 

He has always been a good judge 

of character and has been able to 

quickly analyze people’s motivations. 

He has never been one to look for 

credit as his sole interest is in getting 

the job done well. He admits that it is 

not always easy, but finding the right 

mix of people is crucial to success 

in this industry. He sees himself as 

being the head of the team when it 

comes to making executive decisions, 

however he engages his team as 

much as possible ahead of making 

the final call – wanting to ensure 

that it a not just his decision, but a 

team decision. And ultimately, he is 

pleased with the direction that the 

business in heading in. 

He credits Mr. Sean Bonnett who has 

been with JQCL for the past 20 years, 

for his skills in Business Development 

and Information Services. Mr. Bonnett 

has remained loyal to the Company 

through thick and thin. 

He also recognises the ongoing 

contributions being made by his 

assistant Managing Director and 

Project Manager – Ms. Mary P. 

Augustin, his Construction Project 

Manager – Mr. Ivan Henry, Accountant 

– Mr. Alvin Blaize, Accounts Clerk – 

Ms. Stacey Jean and Administrative 

Assistant – Mrs. Sunita Daniel.

My professional background is 

colourful. I am an Artist by profession 

having secured Bachelors and Masters 

Degrees in Fine Art. I was even an Art 

Teacher once upon a time, teaching 

Tapion School students and others on 

weekends. It was an easy transition 

from Art into IT always having been 

a self-proclaimed computer geek – I 

regularly built servers and computers 

at home in my spare time. 

I started with Jamecob’s Quality 

Construction in 2005 assisting with ITrelated 

jobs. I officially came on board 

full-time in 2008 as an IT Technician. 

At the time the resident IT Technician 

had plans to leave the island so I came 

in to understudy and learn the whole 

system from him in order to easily 

transition and take over when he 

eventually left. 

Over the years as the company 

changed, I now have dual roles 

of IT and Business Development 

Manager. Under the IT umbrella, I 

oversee all of the company’s data – 

encompassing servers, information 

and communications. As Business 

Development lead, I deal with all of our 

satellite companies; which are Beholder 

Security, Sign Pro Multiservices Inc. and 

Caribbean Hot Wings. 

With Business Development, we look 

for avenues where we can diversify 

outside the scope of the construction 

industry but our diversified businesses 

are all tied back to construction. For 

example, with our newly formed 

Sign Pro, all signage comes in after 

construction so it is a complementary 

business. At the end of the day when 

the client’s project is completed , 

they require surveillance and other 

communication apparatuses installed 

to secure their investment which falls 

under the Beholder Security Portfolio. 

At Caribbean Hot Wings we serve a 

huge cross-section of patrons daily 

with our complete menu. And on 

Fridays when our workers want to 

unwind, they all go to Caribbean Hot 

Wings, for affordable food and drinks 

here-by giving back to the company. 

This growth has been driven by Mr. 

Jameson himself, and the people 

he has chosen to go along on this 

SEAN BONNETT ST. REMY 

IT Manager & Business 

Development Officer 

journey with him. A lot of the guys 

who first started out with him now 

have companies of their own so they 

have grown beyond Jamecob’s. I am 

the only one left from the old guard, 

which makes me the longest-serving 

Manager on staff. Mr. Jameson saw 

the potential in me so I was tasked to 

spearhead the Business Development 

& IT Departments. I was never a 

reluctant leader but he made sure to 

challenge me to action and execute all 

of our grand ideas. 

Overall my experience has been very 

good. Everyday working at Jamecob 

is a worthwhile experience. We strive 

as management to keep each other 

on our toes by staying challenged. 

The company culture has evolved 

into being one that is much more 

fast-paced. And in order to ensure 

progress, we’ve sought to bring in 

people who embody the mindset of 

not only wanting to get things done 

but done well. 

Construction is generally a challenging 

industry. In my opinion, you must first 

have a love for it among other things 

in order to be successful. Years ago, 

I set out to do IT in a Construction 

Company but I have grown even 

beyond that. I have great passion for 

what I do, but I am not an Engineer 

or a Project Manager, however I have 

adapted over the years, growing to 

have a commanding understanding of 

all of the inner workings of the business. 

Mr. Jameson and I can both be very 

strong-willed but he has put a lot 

of trust in me and I appreciate the 

freedom allotted to me in terms of 

how I feel the Business Development 

and IT scope of the company should 

be shaped. From the time I joined the 

company I’ve always believe that we 

could accomplish what we set out 

to do. I believe that if you are loyal 

to a company or idea then when the 

challenges come you do not waiver. 

At the end of the day if you set your 

mind to your goals you can achieve 

them. A lot of people fall along the 

way side believing that things are 

not achievable. 

I know that the company can do much 

better than we’re doing. However we 

are doing better than we did years ago 

so I am optimistic about our future. 

As the construction industry changes, 

and becomes more saturated, I am 

confident that we will remain resilient 

and continue to build on our proven 

track record of constructing quality 

buildings and projects locally and 

internationally in the future. 


May 7th, 2019 marked my one-year 

anniversary of having been with the 

Company as Assistant Managing 

Director and Project Manager. I 

coordinate all projects and oversee 

office activities, providing structure 

in the form of implemented standard 

operating procedures. I assist Mr. 

Jameson with running the Company 

and determining projections while 

also assisting Sean with Business 

Development. My main role, however, 

is really to provide support, structure 

and consistency on an ongoing basis. 

It is imperative that Construction 

Companies have the Office Operations 

be aligned with the Project Management 

Cycle. We have taken the initiative to 

make that a reality at Jamecob’s Quality 

Construction. It was an adjustment 

for Support Staff to grasp how they fit 

into the Project Operation as a whole, 

but once they did, it made a huge 

difference in things running smoothly 

across departments. I have regular 

meetings with the staff and I ensure 

ongoing professional development for 

key people in addition to being involved 

in overall planning and assisting with 

budgeting, compliance, technical work 

and engineering. 

Mr. Jameson is driven and set on results 

so we are encouraged to adopt the 

same “make it happen” attitude. As an 

engineer that is always the crux – “How 

do I make it happen?” This expectation 

pushes me to research more and to find 

out how other people did it. I am often 

called on by the Managing Director 

to provide advice and the kind of 

assistance that he needs really requires 

me to regularly put on my thinking cap. 


MARY PATRICE AUGUSTIN 

Assistant Managing Director & 

Project Manager 

Mr. Jameson is a man of vision. He 

is very knowledgeable in his craft 

and knows how to deal with people. 

He knows what he wants for his 

company, his team and his clients and 

he is exceptional at communicating 

that. He consistently motivates us – 

it is not uncommon for him to send 

us inspirational prayers, videos and 

quotes via WhatsApp. He is a natural 

mentor as he takes the time to teach, 

with his influence being evident in 

a lot of the technicians who have 

worked under him. 

One of the things I most admire about 

Mr. Jameson is the amount of trust that 

his clients have in him. It’s a testament 

to that fact that people like to do 

business with people they like. Not 

many contractors have that reputation. 

It motivates me to know that I work for 

someone who is so well-liked and who 

maintains integrity in his dealings. 

What also makes us work well is that 

I caught his vision from early on so 

I have been able to run with it. He 

supports my growth and development 

by constantly engaging in open and 

frank discussions, sharing advice, 

knowledge, past experiences and past 

solutions. He is generally just very 

helpful and supportive of all of us. 

I love the management team that 

we have – we are loyal, passionate, 

knowledgeable and forward-thinking. 

There is support of and for each other. 

When we come to a management 

meeting, we all speak for the good of 

the company. That kind of strategic 

thinking fosters a very positive 

environment. Having that energy and 

passion filter down to the lower staff 

is what sometimes poses a challenge. 

We have positively influenced some 

because we have seen it in action but 

we are still working on full buy-in. 

Overall, the working environment is 

a very positive one but there is room 

for growth. Our long-term vision is to 

operate at international standards but 

to do that it takes a lot of discipline. 

Compliance is a very important part 

of this business so we are putting 

the structures in place now ahead of 

applying for certification. 

I see my contribution as providing 

perspective and a big picture approach 

to managing the business. Having 

worked extensively with clients, 

consultants and agencies, I am 

equipped with knowledge of what they 

look for in a Contractor. I am tailoring 

the activities of the Company to 

match that. Strategic alliances are very 

important to running a competitive 

business in this industry so we must 

set ourselves up to have access to all 

types of resources – financial, human, 

equipment and materials. 

It is very important when you have 

these plans that everybody does their 

part. It is often said that I keep people 

focused and, on their toes, – giving 

reminders, guidance, training and 

coaching to staff. I facilitate us staying 

on track by ensuring that everyone 

has the resources that they need to 

meet objectives. 

There is a lot of confidence placed in me 

to execute competently. Ultimately, I 

would like to see the company being a 

local, regional and maybe one day, an 

international leader in construction. I 

would like to see Mr. Jameson’s legacy 

live on for generations to come so 

that the Company’s vision takes on a 

life of its own.

Baywalk Shopping Mall 

Sun General Ins. Inc 


At the tender age of five years old I distinctly 

remember telling my mother that I wanted 

to become an architect. Back then I did not 

even know what an architect was, but that 

desire slowly developed as I doodled and 

began drawing houses. I never thought 

of being in any profession other than 

construction. It has always been an innate 

desire of mine and I’ve been fortunate to 

have my family, and particularly my mother, 

strongly support my calling. 

I naturally pursued schooling in keeping 

with my interests and became a certified 

FIDIC Project Manager. I acquired extensive 

hands on experience working as an 

Engineering Technician, Project Manager 

and Maintenance Manager, also dabbling 

in entrepreneurship as a Contractor along 

the way. I am appreciative of all the 

experience that I attained as it has proved 

invaluable in not only honing my technical 

skills but my ability to manage people. 

Having worked broadly in the industry, I 

knew Steve Jameson for a while but I got 

my first opportunity to work closely with 

him on the Ojo Labs project in Vieux Fort, 

where he enlisted my services as Project 

Manager. We had a great working 

experience which resulted in us discussing 

future projects as well as his desire to 

expand the business. I saw something 

in Jamecob’s that I had not seen in other 

companies and I soon discovered that 

Mr. Jameson and I share similar 

leadership principles. 

I am of the opinion that project leadership 

has two facets – the relationships that 

you have and the tasks at hand. If I 

accomplish the task with everybody being 

disgruntled then I have not succeeded. By 

contrast, if everybody is happy and I have 

IVAN TREVOR HENRY 

Construction Manager 

not achieved the task then the same 

applies. The two have to marry. Also, if an 

employee I’m managing does not improve 

then something is wrong. Fostering 

improvement is all a part of my success. 

I saw these principles clearly defined in 

Steve in working together on Ojo Labs. 

It was also hard to ignore the incredible 

passion that he has for what he does. I 

saw the company growing in the right 

direction and I wanted to be part of that 

growth. When he eventually approached 

me, I was already anticipating the 

conversation. We had a meeting where 

we discussed what we were both looking 

for and we came to a mutual agreement. 

I have officially been with Jamecob’s 

Quality Construction since October 

2018 and so far, I have no regrets. As 

Construction Manager, I am thoroughly 

enjoying my role. Despite having bad days 

at times, every morning I wake up ready 

to roll. The scale of the projects, while not 

the biggest I have worked on, are far more 

technical. I’ve had to hone in my skills and 

be more aware of multiple facets of a 

project and how they come together. 

In terms of contributing to the company’s 

progression, I am focused on developing 

young technicians. I do my best to 

encourage and support my team in 

operating at their best. I am imparting 

my project management knowledge, and 

helping them understand how to be better 

leaders. That has worked out so well that 

we have a small projects team that those 

technicians have taken control of – and 

they are exceling, having successfully 

completed two projects so far. 

It is heartwarming to know that this 

position allows me to have that sort of 

impact on young people. I often tell them 

“make me proud”, and they respond by 

saying “always”. 

The working environment in construction 

can be volatile but as leaders we have to 

navigate the highs and lows. We are driven 

by timelines so we constantly have to push 

to ensure that we reach our targets. There 

are days when I’m extremely tired, happy 

or upset but overall the atmosphere is a 

very supportive one. I don’t think there is 

another boss like mine. Being very aware, 

he will notice when I’m frustrated and will 

make an effort to assure me. Sometimes 

he will encourage me to step back because 

he sees that I’m overwhelmed. 

I would go so far as to say that the reason 

that I joined the company is because of 

Mr. Steve Jameson. He leads confidently 

and capably, giving me the big picture and 

competently showing me where I fit in so 

that I can work effectively. He is adept at 

ensuring that everybody understands their 

roles. He is my mentor as well because he 

will often teach me new and different ways 

of doing things. 

I can say much of the same for the other 

team members – it’s an incredibly cordial 

working relationship with the senior 

management team. Very often, we bounce 

ideas off each other which is refreshing 

because it is exactly how I like to work. 

We have a “let’s make it happen attitude”, 

wholly influenced by Steve’s fearless 

approach to work. With him at the helm, 

and the rest of us right behind him, there 

is nothing that we cannot accomplish one 

project at a time. 


I am the Company’s Quantity Surveyor 

(QS) and have been for 19 years 

now. Initially I was a full-time staff 

member with the Company, ultimately 

becoming Head QS before moving on 

to start my own business – Alphonse 

Designs & Management Services. 

My interest in the industry was spurred 

by my father’s profession. At the time 

he was the Property Manager for Bank 

of St. Lucia but in his early years had 

completed the Building Technology 

Programme offered through the 

Division of Technical Education and 

Management Studies (DTEMS) at The 

Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. 

On leaving St. Mary's College, I decided 

to follow in his footsteps. I knew what 

his job entailed and had gained some 

exposure having accompanied him to 

a few sites. It seemed appealing and 

I knew even then that I did not want 

to go into a conventional profession. 

Despite being discouraged by a number 

of people, I enrolled in the Building 

Technology Programme. Fortunately, I 

had conviction in my desires and was 

confident in my interests. 

As part of our course of study, we 

were exposed to architecture, 

engineering and land surveying 

however I instantly fell in love with 

quantity surveying. It was very simply 

everything that I liked. It had a bit of 

accounting and math – subjects that 

I had always excelled at, but it also 

required a broad understanding of all 

aspects of construction. I’ve always 

perceived quantity surveying as being 

the accounting component of 

construction and coming from SMC 

with a strong foundation in that regard 

certainly helped. 

After graduation, I had the good 

fortune to start working under a 

mentor right away. Knowing that I had 

taken a liking to the QS profession, 

my father engaged a colleague of his, 

Mr. Cornelius Dolcy – one of the most 

well-recognised Quantity Surveyors 

in Saint Lucia. He took me on as an 

apprentice and gave me my first real 

work experience, throwing me right 

into the thick of it. I thrived and took 

MARVIN ALPHONSE 

Quantity Surveyor 

on all the opportunities that came my 

way with enthusiasm as I was grateful 

to gain hands-on knowledge and 

experience from a well-established 

and respected leader in the field. 

I first met Steve Jameson while 

working on the Sandals Bluff 

Extension at Sandals Regency. The 

company I worked with then handled 

all the quantity surveying for Sandals. 

I was entrusted with being the site 

QS for that project and Jameson 

was the Contractor. That large-scale 

project was fundamental for me 

and gave me a deep appreciation 

for everything I had learnt in the 

classroom. Things completely fell 

into place and it became a platform 

for me to elevate myself. I continued 

working with Mr. Dolcy’s Company 

until shortly after his passing in 1999. 

Losing him was very difficult but I am 

forever grateful for everything that I 

learned under his tutelage. 

Having already established a 

relationship with Steve Jameson, 

the door was open for me to join 

Jamecob’s Quality Construction. It 

was a change of pace going from 

a Project QS representing clients 

and trying to save them money to 

now being a Contractor’s QS where 

I had to essentially ensure that our 

jobs were profitable. I was also 

tasked with other responsibilities of 

doing procurement, quality control 

and cost control. We worked on a 

number of esteemed jobs, adding 

to the QS team over time to manage 

our growing portfolio. It was a 

really good experience with my role 

expanding into management. It was 

a learning curve at the beginning. I 

had a hard time initially signing off on 

work done by junior staff and Steve 

recognised this but he encouraged 

me to trust people and delegate 

work so that I was eventually able to 

manage effectively. 

By 2007 I wanted to develop myself 

further so I enrolled in a BSc Quantity 

Surveying programme through 

the University of Reading. It was a 

very intense course of study but on 

completion in 2011, I felt that it was 

the right time to start my own business. 

My decision was well-received by Mr. 

Jameson. He has always appreciated 

and understood that everybody grows. 

I served my time and I served well so 

he applauded my ambition. I made a 

point to stay close to the company and 

he continues to entrust me with doing 

all of the company’s work. I work with 

other contractors but Jamecob’s Quality 

Construction is my biggest client. 

From the onset, Steve and I had a 

very good relationship. He has always 

believed in giving young people a 

chance to prove themselves. Over the 

years we have developed an innate 

level of mutual trust. It has been 

incredible to watch the company’s 

clientele evolve. Jamecob’s has always 

been an established company for as 

long as I can remember but it has been 

refreshing to see stronger people being 

brought in to fill pivotal roles. The 

company has maintained its structure 

and strengthened its reach. I would 

like to see the current trajectory being 

upheld. I hope that our relationship 

continues to be fruitful with us working 

on even bigger and more challenging 

projects going forward. 


Our Team Behind 

the Scenes 

Our Team Behind the Scenes 

No serious operation would be complete without the right back office support in place to sustain the business. Effective 

back office operations help any company to achieve more in terms of productivity and cost efficiency by competently 

handling all data and information and ensuring the correct flow between front and back office units. Overall operational 

improvement of a company also depends heavily on the back-office operation as it is the pivotal point in helping the 

company identify possible options for optimizing resources. For all these reasons and more, it is imperative that the right 

investment be made to ensure business growth and continuity. This is no different when it comes to Jamecob’s Quality 

Construction. Here is the team behind the scenes ensuring that things run optimally and smoothly: 

ALVIN BLAIZE – ACCOUNTANT 

Alvin has been employed with the 

Company for just about 1 year. As the 

Accountant he is in charge of managing 

finances, purchasing and procurement 

and all things accounting-related. 

Despite it being his first time working 

within the Construction Industry, he is 

finding his footing as the accounting 

fundamentals are essentially the same 

across industries. He says what sets 

this industry apart is that it can be 


tedious at times from the purchasing 

standpoint as materials are always 

needed; so it is imperative to be on 

top of your game. It is not uncommon 

for the Company to have multiple 

projects running at once, adding to 

the pressure of having to manage and 

deliver resources on time. 

He believes that the back office is 

the backbone of the organisation as 

all materials are sourced, purchased 

and paid for through his department. 

This function is fundamental to 

smooth operation on the respective 

construction sites. He welcomes the 

challenges provided by the Project 

Management aspect of the business 

as it has encouraged him to deepen his 

knowledge of accounting for projects. 

He admits that Accounting has 

always been a true passion starting 

as far back as secondary school. It 

has always come naturally to him, 

making the decision to pursue this 

track an easy one. Going forward 

with Jamecob’s, Alvin hopes that he 

can continue to build on his working 

knowledge of the industry and get an 

even better grasp of the projects side 

of things. He enjoys that everyone 

in the Company is dedicated and 

focused on getting the job done 

and, in this light, strives to continue 

improving since as he says, “there is 

always room for improvement.”

STACEY JEAN – ACCOUNTS CLERK 

Stacey has been with the Company 

on and off for 9 years, coming on 

board right after having completed 

her education at Sir Arthur Lewis 

Community College. She has always 

worked in the Accounting Department, 

dealing with wages and salaries, 

reconciliations and postings to name 

a few. She jokes as she acknowledges 

that she is commonly referred to as 

“the Payroll Lady”, but the importance 

of this key function is not lost on her. 

She believes that the role of back 

office is integral to the Company’s 

success. Over the years she has seen 

the scope of projects increase, and 

she hopes that this trend will continue. 

With the implementation of Project 

Management principles, the back 

office has had to adapt and evolve in 

terms of the type of reporting that 

is now required. She is appreciative 

of the learning that she has gleaned 

on the job from past and current 

Accountants, even being motivated 

to start pursuing the reputable ACCA 

designation herself. 

Stacey admits that no company is 

perfect, but that they do their best to 

build positive working relationships. 

“We try to maintain a very close-knit 

working environment,” she says. She 

credits two lessons with fuelling 

her professional journey – being 

continuously open to learning and 

always aspiring to be better. 

SUNITA DANIEL – RECEPTIONIST & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 

Sunita has been with the Company 

for just under 1 year, having started in 

August 2018. She answers the phone 

and interfaces with anyone who visits 

their office in Cul-de-Sac. In addition, 

she provides assistance where needed 

by performing secretarial duties and 

helping the Accounts Department with 

processing purchases. Speaking on the 

importance of her team she says, “if 

we don’t do our part, then the other 

parts won’t function.” 

She works well with others and enjoys 

the opportunities the role provides 

in terms of allowing her to meet and 

interact with new people. Despite 

being comprised of relatively new team 

members, she likes that the back-office 

team works very well together. She 

respects Mr. Jameson and appreciates 

that he is down to earth. 

Striving to constantly stay on top of 

things, she aspires to pursue a better 

understanding of Project Management 

as she is witness to the key role it plays 

in the Company’s success. She sees 

all the potential for ongoing growth 

with the addition of new businesses 

and is hopeful that the Company will 

continue on this successful track. 


Profiles of Long Serving Staff 

A Profile - Long Serving 

Staff 

Angus Mercedes (Margo) 

Started: 2003 

Position: Warehouse Assistant 

Job Summary: Ensures that all tools, equipment and materials stored in the warehouse 

is accounted for, retrieves all supplies from the warehouse to transfer to different sites, 

loads and offloads any supplies into and out of the warehouse, maintains cleanliness 

of all storage containers, surroundings and any other duties as assigned. 

Raphael St. Hill (Aput) 


Position: Mason 

Job Description: Assists in building layouts, framing and roofing structures, uses 

equipment and tools to safely perform basic construction tasks, tearing down, 

rebuilding structures, cutting openings into walls, ceilings, plastering, laying of blocks 

and performing all other masonry functions. 

Winston Felix (Fell) 


Position: Mason 

Job Summary: Assists in building layouts, framing and roofing structures, uses 

equipment and tools to safely perform basic construction tasks, tearing down, 

rebuilding structures, cutting openings into walls, ceilings, plastering, laying of blocks 

and performing all other masonry functions. 

Hendrickson Augustin (Fodie) 


Position: Mason’s Assistant 

Job Summary: Prepares job sites, loading and delivery of materials, uses machinery 

on sites, setting up ladders, scaffolding, providing assistance to carpenters and 

masons and any other jobs assigned. 

Sean Bonnett 


Position: Business Development & Information Service Manager 

Job Summary: Responsible for systems management, creation and procurement 

of all graphics relating to the Company; researches and procures all required 

computer systems for the Company. Responsible for maintaining positive 

company image. Assists in setting up subsidiary companies. 


Leonard Khodra 


Position: Truck Driver 

Job Summary: Transports site workers, carefully follows schedules for deliveries 

and pickups, purchases and transports materials and maintains a positive 

working relationship with suppliers. 

Stacey Jean 


Position: Accounts Clerks 

Job Summary: Processes payroll, coordinates with time keepers to ensure 

employee’s times are correct, prepares and processes NIC/Paye, postings of 

cheque payments, suppliers’ invoices. Reconciles and submits VAT returns, 

ensures receivables are collected and deposited. 

1st National Bank 

Quality Aggregates 


Our Female 

Professionals - 

Breaking the Glass 

Ceilings 

Our Female Professionals - 

Breaking the Glass Ceilings 

Our Female Professionals 

Historically speaking, the Construction 

Industry has been dominated by 

men. This applies both regionally 

and internationally. Given the nature 

and culture of the industry, this fact 

certainly does not come as a surprise. 

Women have generally been thought of 

as the fairer and more delicate sex so 

were not encouraged to pursue what 

was once seen as brute work. In recent 

times there has been a marked change 

in the statistic, with misconceptions 

about gender-specific roles gradually 

diminishing. There are a growing 

number of women choosing careers in 

construction. While women still are far 

from surpassing men in numbers, there 

are admittedly a lot more women on 

sites than there used to be. 

This movement is spearheaded by 

increased awareness with young girls in 

schools being educated about the broad 

career opportunities that are readily 

available to them. Women have been 

utilizing the benefits of education on 

a global level with a steady increase of 

women enrolled in primary, secondary 

and tertiary level education. Fortunately, 

one of our very own local enterprises is 

encouraging women to pursue careers 

in the Construction Industry. Jamecob’s 

Quality Construction is a proponent for 

females who are interested in this career 

track. Mr. Steve Jameson ascertains that 

the industry is actually very well-suited 

to women’s strengths of being focused 

and organized. He advocates for women 

to consider and explore the industry as 

a viable option. Jamecob’s currently 

employs a number of qualified women 

on its construction sites. Here are the 

profiles of two dynamic women who 

are changing the face of the industry: 

Mary Patrice Augustin – Assistant 

Managing Director & Project Manager 

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil 

Engineering but most of my work 

life has been Project Management. 

I started off with Diwi Consult as 

an Assistant Engineer and Quantity 

Surveyor. After that I joined the 

Ministry of Infrastructure as a Zonal 

Engineer, quickly moving up the ranks 

to become a Project Coordinator 

for major funded capital projects. I 

performed the roles of both Civil 

Engineer and Project Coordinator for 

about 10 years in that capacity. My 

last stint was as a Consultant - Project 

Coordinator of the Hurricane Thomas 

Recovery Project funded by the 

Caribbean Development Bank. 

It may come as a surprise that I 

initially wanted to be a Commercial 

Airline Pilot. The subjects that I 

studied were always very technical – 

Physics and Mathematics, but I also 

did Business and I’ve always loved 

Science. Project Management came 

about by coincidence and out of 

necessity in working with the Ministry 

of Infrastructure as it was required 

by my job. I did quite a number of 

courses and became very well-versed 

having studied the subject locally, 

regionally and internationally in 

Singapore and China. 

In construction we have this tripartite 

arrangement – client, consultant, 

contractor. I had already worked for both 

clients and consultants so I wanted to try 

my hand at the contracting arm. After I 

joined the Company, it struck me that as 

an engineer I had a certain apprehension 

toward working with a contractor 

regarding quality. There is seemingly 

always an ongoing battle between 

contractors and engineers when it comes 

to quality. In Project Management you 

have to meet quality standards within 

cost, time, health and safety and other 

parameters. One of things I have grown 

to like and really admire about Mr. 

Jameson is his commitment to quality. 

This was one of the things that made 

me feel comfortable since we are on the 

same page. 

My experience as a woman working 

in the industry has been positive. 

Normally it is just me and the boys. 

For my entire technical career, I have 

always been fully supported by my 

male counterparts. I know sometimes 

women can feel apprehensive about 

entering the technical fields but I think it 

is one of the best industries for women 

to work in. The modern woman is very 

detail-oriented and focused, which is 


well-suited to this type of work. We 

have young female employees who 

work on our teams now. They are very 

disciplined, always on time, getting 

things done quickly and efficiently. 

Having been employed in this particular 

role, I have been exposed to interfacing 

with a wider variety of people. I am 

learning the importance of taking my 

time to build rapport and relationships. 

I am focused on ensuring that there is 

an atmosphere of trust, which is a vital 

component in building relationships 

and by extension, gaining access to 

additional opportunities. In my opinion, 

building relationships has to do with 

keeping my word, maintaining my 

integrity and ultimately delivering on 

what I say I am going to do. 

Nancy Byron – CAD/Logistics 

Technician 

My interest in construction began at 

an early age, I was probably eight or 

nine when I followed my grandfather 

around while he worked on the 

family house. I grew curious about 

construction and upon entering the 

Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary 

School I chose all the subjects that were 

classed as boys’ subjects. I furthered 

my studies in Construction Engineering 

at SALCC. Upon graduating from the 

aforementioned, I did not stop there. 

I completed a few courses in Project 

Management and pursued a Bachelor’s 

Degree in Construction Management. 

I have been employed in the sector for 

a period of sixteen years with hands 

on experience in project conception, 

design, supervision, construction 

management and maintenance. In this 

regard I have had the opportunity to 

supervise projects where I have been 

an integral part of the design team. 

One of my core competencies is the 

management of construction projects 

and cost estimating. Most of my tenure 

has been under the tutelage of a Civil 

Engineer/ Project Manager. 

Based on my experience I consider myself 

to be self-motivated, task-oriented and 

self-directed. Through the years of my 

employment I have recognized that 

success is underpinned by continuous 

professional development. However, 

most of my development has been on 

the job training and self taught. 

My early days working in the 

construction industry came with no 

discriminations, as I was awarded 

the same opportunities as my male 

counterparts. However, the challenges 

came with handling work forces which 

consisted entirely of men. Some of 

them did not agree with having a freshfaced 

female straight out of school 

telling them what to do. I was timid at 

first, being a very reserved individual, 

but as I gained more experience and 

confidence, I was able to raise my 

voice and give instructions as needed. 

I officially began my tenure with 

Jamecob’s in July 2018. Although I 

was previously employed as a Site 

Manager, I accepted the offer to work 

in the position of AutoCAD / Logistics 

Technician because of my love for the 

process in seeing the projects develop 

from concept to finished product. 

Presently, I also serve in the capacity 

of Finishes Supervisor and assist the 

Construction Manager in the day to 

day running of the project. 

My main contribution to the Company is 

to assist with gathering information that 

is pertinent with the day to day running 

of any construction project. So far with 

the assistance of the project team I 

have implemented a few spreadsheets 

to ensure the project is properly 

documented. We still have a long way to 

go but as long as there is teamwork the 

goal of the Company will be achieved. 

Steve with female construction workers 


Looking to the Future 

- The Next Generation 

Becomes Involved 

Steve with sons, Steven and Nigel 

Looking to the Future – The Next Generation Becomes Involved 

Jamecob’s Quality Construction is not unlike most family owned and operated businesses. While the business was founded 

by and is currently directed by Mr. Steve Jameson, he has sought to include his immediate and extended family in the 

business in varying capacities. Over the past 30 years, the Company has employed siblings, cousins and of course his very 

own children once they became of age. We had the good fortune to sit down with youngest five of Steve Jameson’s brood 

to discuss their interests and hopes for Jamecob’s Quality Construction. There is no denying that the business has been an 

integral part of all of their lives, and for most will continue to be instrumental in shaping their futures. 

NIGEL JAMESON 

Nigel has been working with the family 

business for close to 4 years now. He 

operates as a Supervisor overseeing 

small projects with a small close-knit 

team. He is well-versed in all aspects of 

construction having been exposed to 

the industry from a very early age. He 

has always been interested in working 

in the business. 


“From the time I was 8 years old, 

my father would bring me on the 

construction site. I was always 

fascinated by the heavy equipment and 

always wanted to operate them and so 

I did at a very young age. Working in 

the business was a natural evolution 

for me. There was never anything else 

that I wanted to do. I love seeing a 

project go from being a blank canvas 

to the finished product. My knowledge 

so far is from Secondary School where 

I did Technical Drawing and Building 

Technology. I also commenced Tertiary 

Level education as an undergraduate in 

the field of Construction Engineering. I 

have acquired hands-on knowledge by 

working on site where I get to associate 

myself with other technical staff. I look 

forward to completing my Associates 

Degree and one day furthering my 

studies at University in Construction 

Engineering, because I understand the 

importance of education. Now that I 

have gained so much experience on the 

field, I know it would be a plus for me. 

My father and I have a very close 

relationship; we do practically 

everything together from working 

to having lunch. We have a lot in 

common in terms of our zeal and the 

enthusiastic energy that we bring 

to work. He has taught me so much. 

We have a very good understanding 

of each other. He has always been 

present for each and every one of us 

– its one of the biggest things that I 

appreciate about him. And now that 

I have a son of my own, I want to be a 

that kind of father to him. 

My siblings and I try to maintain 

the same kind of closeness since he 

has always encouraged us to do so. 

I would ideally love for all of us to 

eventually be actively involved in 

the Company. 

When it comes to the business, I am 

very thorough and focused on getting 

things done the right way. I have seen 

how my father has operated over the 

years and I try to emulate his methods, 

but we sometimes have different 

ways of doing things. I have always 

been a straight-forward person so I 

believe in engaging in open dialogue, 

and being as direct as possible, which 

can work against me at times but I am 

still learning. 

Overall, the business is moving in 

a very positive direction. My father 

has always said that he wants to put 

everything in place for the business 

to persevere. I have every intention 

of continuing his legacy and making 

him proud.”

NAILAH JAMESON 

Nailah is a resident Quantity Surveyor 

at Jamecob and is furthering her 

knowledge of Project Management. 

She has been employed with the 

Company for 10 years now. Much like 

her bothers, Nailah was exposed to 

construction sites from a very early 

age but navigated more toward the 

measurement and quantitative side of 

the business. 

“I was always someone who gravitated 

toward accounting and money 

management. I was influenced by 

being around the Quantity Surveyors. 

If you don’t understand the costs 

then you cannot understand the 

business. So this has always been the 

foundation of construction for me. I’m 

also looking at Project Management 

now, getting a better understanding 

for the overall knowledge areas of 

the business – costing, procurement, 

stakeholder relationships, integration 

and initiation. It’s a diverse business.” 

She believes that working with family 

is not unlike any other business, other 

than having to remember that they are 

all family at the end of the day. “If we 

understand that, then at the end of 

the day we will all be fine.” 

“When it comes to my father, I don’t 

always get the response that I am 

looking for. Being the only daughter 

currently working in the business I 

sometimes feel that there is extra 

pressure to perform. My strengths 

that I bring to the table are flexibility 

in dealing with people and constant 

willingness to learn and improve 

in business and in life. I try to fit in 

everywhere and do my best to help 

everyone relate.” 

“My father always says to “do your 

best today” – and that is something 

that has always stuck with me. I find 

this advice helpful as I am guilty of 

taking on a lot, so I try to do one 

thing at a time and have every day 

be a new day.” 

Nailah wants to see Jamecob’s 

evolve into being a really big entity – 

moving more into regional and even 

international business. She thinks 

there is also scope for growth in the 

retail and wholesale markets so hopes 

to see that aspect of the business 

become a reality some day. 

JASON JAMESON 

Jason is Steve Jameson’s youngest 

son. He is currently pursuing a 

Bachelor’s Degree in Management 

at the University of the West Indies 

in Barbados and hopes to graduate 

in 2021. After graduating from the 

Division of Technical & Management 

Studies (Sir Arthur Lewis Community 

College), Jason worked with the 

Company as an Office Assistant and 

Procurement Officer for 5 years before 

leaving to pursue his studies. He has 

always been interested in the subjects 

of Business and Management and was 

further influenced to pursue this track 

by the exposure gained from his recent 

work experience with the Company. On 

completing his degree, he intends to 

return to working in the family business 

with the intention of contributing to its 

ongoing success. 

“We have stood the test of time by 

thriving in business for so long. I look 

forward to working with my father in 

the future and to seeing the business 

grow. I am happy to have him as a 

father and particularly, as a manager 

because I can learn from him in a 

business sense. He has been a really 

good role model to me. 

I enjoy the dynamic of working with 

family. My siblings and I love each 

other. My father has always pushed 

us to work well together in addition 

to studying to further our education. 

He did not get extensive formal 

education so he encourages us to take 

advantage of the opportunities that 

are available to us. 

My father’s personas as father figure 

and business owner are one in the 

same to me. I see him as being very 

specific, knowing what he wants and 

being convicted in his vision for the 

business. It is interesting to see him 

work because he knows exactly what 

he wants to achieve. His influence on 

me has been the same. I try to be like 

him in terms of adopting his personality 

and business-savvy. One day I hope to 

accomplish even a fraction of what he 

has achieved.” 


RÉJAN JAMESON 

SHEERKIM JAMESON 

Sheerkim is Steve Jameson’s youngest 

child. She has worked at Jamecob’s 

Quality Construction part-time as 

an Administrative Assistant during 

her summer breaks. She is currently 

studying International Development 

at Humber College in Toronto, Canada. 

Rejan is currently studying Civil 

Engineering at the University of the 

West Indies in Trinidad & Tobago. She 

has worked at Jamecob’s Quality 

Construction part-time as a Site 

Assistant during her summer breaks. 

“I’ve always been interested in 

construction and architecture. I 

opted to do engineering instead of 

architecture because I wanted to have 

a broader base in the industry. My dad 

is in the field and he exposed me to 

the industry so that helped. I find the 

buildings and structures fascinating. I 

am intrigued by everything from what 

keeps the building up and the process 

“I don’t technically fall into the 

bracket of construction, but I 

believe construction has a place in 

International Development. There 

is a way to intertwine the two so I 

plan on figuring that out. I see myself 

coming back to help out in the 

business, perhaps in administration 

or human resources. 

Certain aspects of the industry have 

always been appealing to me. I’ve 

witnessed my father participate in 

volunteerism where he has helped 

construct primary schools around the 

island. I also tried to put the business 

in touch with non-profit organisations 

so I hope that we can take on more of 

that kind of work. 

Construction seems to have always 

been another sibling since it gets so 

much of his attention but regardless 

of that my father has always been 

of going from digging up a trench to 

building columns and beams. 

I am still uncertain of my plans once 

I graduate because Trinidad offers 

work opportunities so I will need to 

decide. I am also considering doing my 

Masters in an energy efficient aspect of 

engineering. It is definitely a possibility 

that I may return to work with Jamecob. 

My father is very intelligent and 

achieves anything he sets his mind 

to. He has made huge strides in the 

construction industry and I admire that 

as his daughter. He taught me to work 

hard for what I want so I intend to do 

just that.” 

very present in all of our lives. And 

despite not being directly interested 

in construction, he has always told 

me to go as far as my feet can take 

me. He motivates me and made 

sure to impress the value of family 

upon us – always promoting that we 

stick together. 

I find that Jamecob has really 

grown in the past 2 years. I see a 

more modernized approach being 

implemented and there is a lot more 

networking going on outside of 

St. Lucia. While we try to preserve 

our culture and our country in 

general, there is still a lot of room for 

growth construction-wise and I see 

the Company leading the charge in 

that respect. 


Renee's Construction 

Agostini Insurance 

For all your 

insurance needs, 

call us for the best 

rates on the 

Island!! 

• Renovation • Design & Build • Build Construction 

• Civil Engineering Works • Construction Management 

RENEE’S CONSTRUCTION 

Cedars Rd 

Box GM819, Castries 

T: (758) 452-1681 F: (758) 452-6518 

renee.construct@gmail.com 

www.reneesconstruction.com 

J E Bergasse Building | 1st Floor | Vide Bouteille | Castries 

Tel : (758) 456-6580, 456-6588, 456-6585 Fax: (758) 456-6581 

Email : aib@agostini-stlucia.com / www.agostini.com 

The Montessori Centre 

Montesorri Centre 

OF TEACHING EXCELLENCE 

Extra Curricular Activities include: 

French, Spanish, Music, Creative Arts, Tennis, 

IT, Football, Track & Field, Swimming & Dance 

Age range from 

18 months -12 years ( Toddler-Grade 6 ) 

Trained Staff in all classrooms. 

Small class size, individual/ 

small group instruction 

Rodney Heights, P.O. Box 2631, Castries | Tel: (758) 452-8114 | Fax: (758) 452-9409 

montessoricentreslu@gmail.com | themontessoricentre.org 


Testimonials 

Having spent the last 3 years implementing business and 

investment plans in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean region 

on behalf of a number of investments and companies from 

UK, Europe and China, I am so fortunate to have gotten to 

know JQCL and its founder and MD Steve Jameson through 

numerous development projects in Saint Lucia with the firm. 

The vision, the quality of the management and services 

of JQCL are very competitive and attractive to global 

investment, and for international companies to invest and 

set up business in Saint Lucia. 

It is my honour and privilege to be a business ambassador 

for JQCL in UK, Europe, China and the Far East while I still 

play a key strategic role for some of the major companies 

in those countries from material and machinery supply to 

capital investment and assets management. From my point 

of view JQCL has the same quality and competence with 

those large domestic European and Chinese companies as 

well as multinational companies. 

JQCL’s owner and management has a vision for growth 

not just as a quality local construction company, but by 

expanding throughout the entire Caribbean Region. With 

construction as a core business, the company also has 

ambitions and plans to enter into major PPP infrastructure 

projects, assets development and management, waste 

to energy, water treatment, green and renewable energy 

and battery storage, by benefitting from investment and 

technology resources through partnerships with major 

global companies. 

The following companies already cooperate directly with 

JQCL in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean region through their 

UK/Europe and Chinese offices, aiming to establish a strong 

partnership with JQCL in developing the business and 

investment portfolio in St Lucia and the Caribbean Region. 

Plant, Manufacturing and Material Suppliers: 

ADTO Group founded in 1998, is one of the largest steel tube 

& scaffolding R&D, manufacturing and trading companies in 

China. The company has undertaken many major projects in 

China in collaboration with China Construction Group and 

Testimonials 

Strategic Partnerships - A Critical Component 

By Mr. Youcheng Su, Head of Management for Overseas Business, Decai Decoration Company Ltd. 

Hunan Construction Engineering Group. The group has 8 

subsidiaries and 4 manufacturing plants. 

Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co., Ltd. 

is a Chinese manufacturer of construction machinery and 

sanitation equipment, with headquarters in the Zoomlion 

Science Park in Changsha, Hunan. Zoomlion is one of top 10 

construction machinery enterprises in the world. 

Anhui HELI Co. Ltd was listed on the Shanghai stock exchange 

in 1996, with registered capital of 514 million yuan, and is 

currently one of China's largest forklift groups to enter the 

world's top 10 industrial vehicles industry. In 2011, it was 

ranked eighth in the world. 

Global Contractor, Procurement and Finance Partners: 

China National Technical Import and Export Corporation 

(CNTIC) is a large-scale, state-owned enterprise with main 

businesses in technology, trade, project contracting and 

project management and procurement integrated services. 

In 1998, the company became a wholly-owned subsidiary 

of China General Technology (Group) Holding Ltd. which is 

under direct supervision of the central government. 

The main business of CNTIC includes import and export 

of key technologies and complete plants; domestic and 

overseas project contracting and project management; 

trade, tendering, commercial and technical consulting, 

investment and financing at home and abroad etc. In the 

past 60 years, CNTIC has accumulatively completed the 

import of key technologies and equipment, international 

project contracting and export of complete plants and 

technologies for over 7,000 projects with total contract 

value of more than USD110 billion covering the areas of 

energy, transportation, communication, petrochemical, 

metallurgy, building materials, machinery, electronics, 

pharmaceuticals, agriculture, forestry and education etc. 

Decai Decoration Group has already emerged as a 

well-known and leading enterprise in the architectural, 

decoration and construction industry in China. It is one of 

the top 10 contractors in curtain walling and interior fitout 

firms in China. 


Testimonials cont'd 

Steve Jameson, Managing Director of Jamecob 

Quality Construction is who one would refer to as a 

home grown contractor. I had the distinct privilege 

on behalf of 1st National Bank of working closely 

with Steve on a few projects as Manager of Projects 

and Service back then. One of the projects which 

comes to mind is our Marigot Bay Branch. We were 

challenged for space from the onset but we needed 

to tap into the tourism niche market there. 

We went out to tender and Jamecob was the 

successful applicant. The consultations held were 

very productive and Steve went about meticulously 

customizing the design to ensure functionality to 

meet the Bank’s requirements. Steve and his team 

worked diligently; the consummate professionals, 

keeping me informed every step of the way. The 

quality of workmanship speaks for itself. You can 

verify by visiting the branch anytime. I am happy 

to say not only did Jamecob deliver on quality they 

also met our required deadline for hand over 

and completed the project within budget much to 

the Bank’s satisfaction. As an indigenous Bank we 

continue to support local contractor Steve Jameson 

(Jamecob) as a financial partner to ensure the growth 

and success of his business. 

I highly recommend Steve Jameson (Jamecob) to 

anyone requiring construction services regardless of 

the size of the project. 

ROBERT FEVRIER 

Executive Manager, Marketing & Public Relations 

1st National Bank St. Lucia Limited 

I have worked as a Professional Engineer on 

several projects that have been constructed 

by Jamecobs Quality Construction Ltd. I find 

this company to be well versed in undertaking 

complex projects and delivering them to 

Technical Specifications. I wish Jamecobs Quality 

Construction continued success in its endeavours. 

PAUL HIPPOLYTE 

Professional Engineer 

I have seen Steve grow from a relatively small 

contractor to one of the biggest contractors on the 

island. Steve has had some hiccups along the way 

but how he has dealt with these hiccups is what sets 

him apart from the others. He didn’t just roll over 

and die. He faced his challenges head on and did 

whatever it took to get back on his feet. 

I visited a Jamecob’s site recently and just from the 

way it was being run you can see Steve “gets it”. 

The site was well-organised and spotless. I always 

preached to young Steve that cleanliness is not only 

next to godliness but it also ensures good quality 

work, on schedule, and on budget. 

Keep up the good work Steve and looking forward 

to working with you in the near future. 

MARK HARDING 

Senior Project Manager, Sandals Resorts Limited 

The Chreiki Group of Companies contracted 

Jamecob's Quality Construction Limited in 2014 to 

construct the four storey Dayana Center in Castries. 

An excellent cordial working relationship between 

Client and Contractor developed from this 

undertaking and Jamecob's Quality Construction 

Limited was contracted to construct another four 

storey commercial center in the city of Castries 

known as the Maher Center. 

To date we have been satisfied with the quality of 

workmanship and professionalism displayed by 

this company and express our satisfaction through 

continued employment of their services. 

MAHER CHREIKI 

Managing Director 

Chreiki Group of Companies 


Testimonials cont'd 

Steve Jameson, is without doubt one of M&C Home 

Depot’s most valued and loyal customers and it is 

always a pleasure to conduct business with him. For 

over 20 years Mr. Jameson has cultivated a lasting 

relationship with our team and has maintained a 

level of professionalism at all times. If you are ever in 

need of a construction company we would definitely 

recommend Jamecob’s Quality Construction as they 

understand the value of time, money and most 

importantly they always provide a quality finish. 

NICHOLAS DEVAUX 

Director, M&C Home Depot 

As a first time home-owner, my experience with 

Mr Jameson far exceeded my expectations. His 

constant communication throughout the project, as 

well as his commitment ensured that I received my 

beautiful home in a timely manner 

ROSANA SONSON 

Client from Plateau, Baboneau 

I was first employed with Jamecob’s Quality 

Construction at age 17. That was my first full-time job 

in Construction. I started off as a Carpenter, went and 

did further studies and came back as a Technician. All 

in all, I worked with them for about 10 years before 

leaving to start my own business. 

It was a very good experience for me because I got a 

lot of exposure and learnt a lot. I worked on a lot of 

major projects and was exposed to commercial and 

industrial work. 

Steve is a good guy. He is kind, soft-hearted and a 

people’s person. He keeps his cool and can be on the 

quiet side at times. What I admire the most about 

him is his ability to withstand pressure. This industry 

can be really tough and challenging – having worked 

on big projects myself, like Harbor Club, and multiple 

projects at a time I have a deep appreciation and 

understanding of Steve’s strength. Honestly, he has 

done well for himself and I am really proud of him. 

Jamecob’s Quality Construction does good work. I hope 

that they continue growing and aiming for the best. 

CASSIUS GIFFORD 

Owner, Gifford Construction 

Jamecob’s Quality Construction Ltd of Cul de Sac in the Quarter of Castries, has been 

the General Contractor on many projects on which Interisland Architects and Planners 

Ltd (IAPL), was Architect and Contract Administrator. 

Under the astute leadership of CEO, Steve Jameson, the company’s team of loyal and 

committed staff have always been orderly, timely, co-operative and flexible in achieving 

critical deadlines and executing and completing of assignments. 

Without a doubt, I would recommend Jamecob’s Quality Construction Ltd for any 

General Contracting Works in Saint Lucia and the wider Eastern Caribbean Region, in 

the future. 

MARK HENNECART 

Registered Architect, Director 

Interisland Architects and Planners Ltd 


Projects Executed by 

Jamecob's Quality Construction 

National Hospital 

Retaining Wall 

Sulphur Springs Road 

Live Construction Site 

Bel Jou Hotel 


Inside Out - Living the good life Inside & 

Out 

Massade, Gros Islet | Tel: 450-0122 • 717-0122 | www.insideoutslu.com 

In 2006, Kathy and Loraine, two friends came together 

to create a new concept on design and living. They were 

frustrated with the lack of on-trend, stylish furniture and 

home decor needed to create the type of homes you see in 

magazines and homes around the world. 

What was available was cookie cutter and mass produced, 

making it challenging to have a truly unique look. There 

was a gap in the market. Insideout was born! 


Kathy has a diploma in Interior Design and loves the styled 

life. Loraine is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive 

experience in the business of fashion. Their passion for 

beautiful spaces and global style was something their 

customers shared. It was the perfect fit. 

There is nothing in our store that we wouldn’t put in our 

house. We believe that your home is your sanctuary; it is 

the place to feel relaxed, tranquil, to retreat and be happy.

Inside Out Ltd 

The Insideout design team can assist with your corporate, 

hospitality and home décor projects. If you’re building or 

renovating come and talk to us to discuss your requirements 

and design ideas. We will assist you with the details and 

make sure you achieve functionality, practicality and of 

course beauty! Selecting the right style, finishes, colours, 

furniture, rugs, lighting and accessories will result in creating 

a space to fit your design aesthetics and your dreams! 

Insideout is more than just a store, it’s a journey to living 

the good life inside & out. Services we offer include: 

❈ Design and layout of spaces 

❈ Design Concepts for homes and hospitality projects 

❈ Interior design consultation and project planning 

❈ Furniture and accessory procurement 

❈ Installation and set up of furniture 

❈ Upholstery services 

Kathy Devaux & Loraine Moffat - Owners 

We are committed to helping you create an elegant yet 

comfortable experience; everyday luxury that everyone in 

your home can enjoy. 

Let us help you create a home that you can be proud of. 


ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS New Action Plan 

New Action Plan on Caribbean Health on and Caribbean Climate Change 

Health and 


New Action Plan on Caribbean Health and 


An Action Plan developed by countries 

and territories of the Caribbean, 

establishes a roadmap to ensure that 

health is front and center of national 

climate change planning in the Region. 

The “Caribbean Action Plan on Health 

and Climate Change,” focuses on 

protecting the health of Caribbean 

populations from the effects of 

climate change, such as heatwaves, 

storms, hurricanes, droughts, floods, 

outbreaks of disease, and other issues, 

by strengthening health systems, 

promoting intersectoral collaboration 

between the health and environment 

sectors, and increasing financing. 

In order to achieve this, countries 

and territories of the Caribbean have 

agreed to take national and regional 

actions to strengthen educational 

and research capacities on climate 

change and health; to build climateresilient 

health facilities throughout 

the Region; to improve health 

surveillance; and to develop weather 

and climate-related preparedness, 

response and recovery plans. 

The Action Plan was launched on 

May 2nd by the Director of the Pan 

American Health Organization (PAHO), 

Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, during a meeting 

with the Minister of Health of Grenada, 

Nickolas Steele, and other high-level 

officials in Comfort Bay Home for the 

Elderly, a facility that forms part of 

PAHO’s SMART initiative, supporting 

member states to become more 

climate resilient, in St. Lucia. 

“Climate change is one of the greatest 

threats to the future of our islands 

and the health of our people,” said 

Dr. Etienne. “To this day, many islands 

are still recovering from hurricanes 

Harvey, Irma and Maria which, as 

we all know, caused devastation of 

epic proportions in 2017. It is our 


responsibility to place health in the 

climate change agenda.” 

The plan is the regional outcome of 

the World Health Organization (WHO) 

and the United Nations Framework 

Convention on Climate Change’s 

(UNFCCC) Special Initiative on Climate 

Change and Health in Small Island 

Developing States. It was developed 

and approved during the Third Global 

Conference on Health and Climate 

Change: Special focus on Small Island 

Developing States in Grenada, in 

October last year, which was attended 

by 14 Caribbean Ministers of Health 

and Environment. 

The Action Plan highlights the need 

to facilitate access to climate and 

health financing mechanisms and 

proposes a series of measures, 

including strengthening capacities 

and coordination to access resources 

at a regional level, and developing 

mechanisms to implement multicountry 

projects on climate change 

and health. 

“We know that there are funds 

available to promote climate 

resilience. We must ensure that 

health issues are included in every 

climate change project submitted to 

these funding mechanisms,” said the 

Director of PAHO. 

During the ceremony, Minister Steele 

thanked PAHO for its support and 

leadership in climate change and 

health and assured Dr. Etienne that he 

would continue to support the action 

plan and that he would encourage 

other governments in the Caribbean 

to do the same. He highlighted the 

experiences of Dominica, which 

show how years of development can 

be destroyed in just a few hours. For 

this reason, it is vital that the Region 

acts now to become more resilient 

to climate change and protect future 

generations. 

Dr. Etienne highlighted that due to 

its location, the Caribbean will likely 

continue to face increased exposure 

to climate-related disasters. Not only 

could these events have a direct 

impact on health systems and facilities, 

but they could also lead to “increased 

vulnerability to diseases; stress on 

freshwater supplies; and economic 

decline in vital sectors – such as 

tourism, agriculture and fisheries.” 

The Director of PAHO emphasized 

that the organization stands ready to 

support countries to implement the 

actions proposed in the Caribbean Plan. 

“We have been working incessantly 

to provide capacity building and 

technical support for the development 

of Health National Adaptation Plans, 

to identify adaptation needs in the 

health sector, and to address health 

system vulnerabilities,” she said. 

Protecting the health of Small 

Island States (SIDS) 

The Special Initiative on Climate Change 

and Health in Small Island Developing 

States (SIDS), was launched in 2017 at 

the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP- 

23) of the UNFCCC in Bonn, Germany. 

The initiative responds to requests 

by SIDS and recognizes their unique 

vulnerabilities to climate change. 

The initiative began with the III Global 

Conference on Health and Climate 

Change: Special Focus on SIDS, in 2018, 

which was held in the Pacific (Fiji), 

the Indian Ocean (Mauritius) and the 

Caribbean (Grenada). 

The vision of the initiative is to ensure 

that by 2030, all SIDS health systems 

are resilient to climate variability 

and change. n

SLDB Concludes 

Green Climate Fund 

Caribbean Private 

Sector Engagement 

Workshop 

Saint Lucia has taken another step 

towards joining a number of other small 

island developing states in accessing 

financing from the Green Climate Fund 

(GCF) to assist with mitigation and 

adaptation programmes. 

At the recently concluded Green 

Climate Fund (GCF) Caribbean Private 

Sector Engagement Workshop from 

April 2-4, 2019 in Montego Bay, 

Jamaica, the Saint Lucia delegation 

comprising the Ministry of Economic 

Development, Transport and Civil 

Aviation, led by Acting Permanent 

Secretary Mr Claudius Emmanuel, the 

Saint Lucia Development Bank (SLDB), 

Managing Director, Mr Vincent Boland 

and private sector representative, 

Jade Hutchinson, participated in 

drafting a Regional Action Plan for 

Private Sector Engagement. 

The workshop aimed at supporting 

private sector investment for 

advancing climate change was hosted 

under Jamaica’s GCF Readiness and 

Preparatory Support – Mobilizing 

Private Sector Support for Low Carbon 

and Climate Resilient Development in 

Jamaica and other CARICOM States. 

The workshop was attended by over 

90 persons from National Designated 

Authorities, Accredited Entities, large 

and small private sector organizations 

(national development banks, credit 

unions, insurance companies) and 

private sector umbrella groups in 

the Caribbean. 

At the workshop SLDB highlighted 

the key hindrances that need to 

be overcome to ensure that more 

persons are attracted to and make 

use of climate resilient techniques 

available to them. 

The Managing Director, Vincent 

Boland as part of the panel discussion 

with the officials of the GCF pointed 

out main touch points where he felt 

the GCF could make a difference. 

These included creating or seeding 

investment funds, incentivizing local 

financial institutions through credit 

guarantees, partnering with local 

institutions that are well-positioned 

to help entrepreneurs and startups, 

partnering with larger private-sector 

firms to scale up investments with 

shared commercial and development 

benefits and by providing technical 

assistance to help companies 

strengthen business management 

and advocating for the removal of 

legal and regulatory barriers that limit 

private investment. 

More importantly, Mr. Boland 

shared the Bank’s Green Affordable 

Housing concept, which implores 

that all new developments and 

communities should adopt Climate 

resilient techniques from inception – 

self-sufficient electrical generations, 

rain and waste water harvesting, 

Green (LEEDs) certified construction 

techniques, all of which are aimed at 

causing inhabitants, particularly the 

vulnerable amongst us to withstand 

any weather-related event. 

One of the highlights of the workshop 

was a presentation by Prof. Michael 

Taylor, Climate Studies Group 

Mona (CSGM) of The University 

of the West Indies & Co-author of 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 

Change (IPCC) Special Report. 

Professor Taylor presented the IPCC 

Special Report on impacts of global 

warming of 1.5°C above the preindustrial 

levels and related global 

greenhouse gas emission pathways, in 

the context of strengthening the global 

response to the threat of climate 

change, sustainable development, 

and efforts to eradicate poverty. He 

pointed out that “1.5% is not equal to 

2%” as this would require even greater 

reductions in CO2 emissions possibly 

a 45% reduction would be required 

by 2030 and “net zero” emissions 

by around 2050 to counter this rise 

in temperature. These stark issues 

brought home the true reality for the 

participants, while all recognized that 

we in the small island developing 

states are not the perpetrators we are 

forced to reconcile with the urgency of 

the situation. 

The Saint Lucia Development Bank is the 

leading financial institution in Saint Lucia 

promoting climate change resilience 

and adaptation. The Climate Adaption 

Financing Facility (CAFF) provides 

low interest loans to Saint Lucian 

enterprises in agriculture, tourism, 

manufacturing and service sectors 

along with individual home owners 

to build and maintain physical and 

market resilience. The loans facilitate 

owners to reduce their vulnerability 

to climate change, maintain 

competitiveness and thrive through 

investment in climate smart initiatives, 

implementing green technology and 

retrofitting plant or buildings. 

The Saint Lucia Development Bank is 

an important development partner 

established to support local business 

entrepreneurship, economic and 

social development through business 

consulting services, technical 

assistance and the provision of funding 

through loans, equity financing and 

other forms of assistance. n 


TOURISM FOCUS 

Destination Experience 

is the Key to a Traveller's 

Destination Pleasure Experience is the Key 

to a Traveller's Pleasure 

Destination Experience is the Key 

to a Traveller's Pleasure 

The very first time I stayed at a hotel 

was on a business trip in Barbados. I 

was 19 years old and stayed at a hotel 

in St. James. From 1974 to present, I 

have slept in more hotel rooms than 

one can imagine. In some cases, I was 

a visitor in cities like London, Toronto, 

New York, Miami, Grand Cayman, The 

Caribbean and the ABC Islands. Mostly, 

I vacationed or worked at various types 

of properties either 5-Star hotels or 

guesthouses. I love personalized service. 

From 1983, hotel rooms became my 

residence as I worked at numerous 

hotels in Management positions. 

I realized over the years that hotel 

rooms are meant for sleeping because 

while on holiday, vacationers just 

want to be out and about immersing 

themselves in the destination 

experience, the culture, the people, 

the entertainment and the cuisine. 

Visitors desire to learn of the country’s 

history, its past, its present and 

enjoy memorable moments as new 

discoveries are made. As a constant 

traveler and former hotel executive, 

I always inform participants at my 

training sessions that the destination 

must provide history lessons along 

with an unforgettable experience, that 


etches a feeling on their brain that 

they will always brag about to family 

and friends. 

People travel, not just to get away from 

their normal surroundings for stress 

relief or just to hop on an airplane or a 

cruise liner and escape the daily grind. 

Visiting a destination for the first time 

must be like a classroom experience. 

Travelers want to see something 

different and familiarize themselves 

with the location so that the end result 

can be memorable and become dinner 

conversation or conversation at a social 

gathering. When I share my travel 

experiences with my children, there is 

always a story line, a purpose as to why 

I remember where I went and why it is 

still so significant in my mind. 

Traveling on vacation is not just 

getting on a flight and heading to a 

destination. It’s not just getting to the 

destination with very little overlay or 

flight connections. Today’s traveller 

wants to know why they should spend 

their hard-earned money visiting a 

destination they have never been to 

before. In order to achieve that height 

of demand, a destination must have a 

purpose for wanting to visit. There must 

be that “MUST VISIT” influence. 

Think closely, when a destination is 

mentioned, what comes to mind first. 

“I heard so many great things about 

this place in Dominica or St. Lucia, I 

must go visit”. For example, when you 

think of the Bahamas your first thought 

would be “a visit to Atlantis”. Think St. 

Maarten and you must experience Duty 

Free Shopping. Every visitor has his/her 

unique reason for wanting to go to a 

destination. It could be to experience 

scuba diving, taste the authentic local 

dishes or visit one particular place of 

interest. In St. Lucia for example, it may 

be the Sulphur Springs – the drive-in 

volcano, and the nightlife. 

Marketing a destination must be a wellstudied 

plan. While your destination 

may have 10 places to visit, one must 

identify that “ONE PLACE” that stands 

out. Yes, it could be a water fall, a local 

restaurant, a historical venue or just 

a particular beach with an odd shape 

or color of sand. The phenomena 

of Sports Tourism, Health and 

Wellness are great contributors to a 

remarkable experience. 

Here’s why. The Caribbean Islands all 

have Sun, Sea and Sand. Many have 

mountains, hills and valleys. So those 

are common factors. Green mountain

anges, flowing rivers and rushing 

waves are all part of the islands, with 

some being more blessed than others. 

We have to focus on the product, some 

can be natural, and others can be 

manmade like the products that are 

manufactured locally or just a visit to 

a real indigenous cafe that is over 50 

years old. Every tourism authority 

should work on identifying its country’s 

best attributes and develop those as 

marketing tools. Of course, there is the 

human factor also. How to welcome a 

visitor to your island? Again, it’s all part 

of the experience and it starts with that 

welcoming smile, indicating that we are 

happy to have you here. The island’s 

residents or locals must be aware that 

their contribution plays a great role in 

the development of the destination. 

Guesthouse owners are the best for 

sharing a destination’s history, because 

they are a part of a generation of 

homegrown families who already 

possess the knowledge of the island’s 

history and its people. 

Just recently a Dominican taxi driver 

informed me that guests are always 

asking for him when they visit Dominica 

and it is because of “word of mouth”. 

He says he gives them value for money 

and allows them the time to see and 

understand the island. While other 

taxi drivers rush the visitors during 

their tour, he takes the time to explain 

the various points of interest, takes 

them to places where they can have an 

enjoyable dining experience and allows 

them time to appreciate the beaches. 

He says that at the end of his tour, he 

receives enough tips to cover his day. 

He says proudly, “It’s all about the 

Experience and Customer Satisfaction”. 

Now one may ask, “What is the 

experience”? It is certainly not in 

the Tourism Policy. It is not even a 

problem of not having an International 

Airport. It requires more Destination 

Management by persons who have the 

hospitality and tourism experience at 

their fingertips. It is the END PRODUCT, 

the local produce, the original dances 

and music, the culture and the authentic 

cuisine. But more so, it’s the knowledge 

of the tourism ambassadors. n 

Edward Doway 

is a former 

hotel General 

M a n a g e r 

with 33 years’ 

experience in 

Hospitality and 

Tourism. He is 

the founder of 

4D Hospitality 

Management 

Resources and has served on the Executive 

Board of Hotel Associations in St. Martin 

and Dominica. His company is a boutique 

business that offers a wide range of 

services related to the improvement of 

the tourism service product. He is very 

passionate about sharing his knowledge 

and expertise through training programs 

and writing with his main interest being 

the restructuring of SME’s involved in 

the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. He 

can be contacted at (758) 730 3291 or 

josephed0426@gmail.com 

“Listening - Understanding - Delivering” 

LEYDUN 

CONSULTING SERVICES INC. 

Exel Sign Ltd 

KLEYDUN Consulting Services 

SERVICES 

Before 

• Procurement 

• Cost Estimates 

• Project Planning 

• Project Management 

• Construction Supervision 

• Construction Management 

After 

We undertake 

New Build & 

Renovation Projects 

Bypass Road, Anse Canot, Dennery 

Tel: (758) 518-6221 P.O. Box 1323, 

(758) 384-0732 Castries, Saint Lucia 

Email: info@kleydun.com LC04 101 


TOURISM FOCUS 

New Golf Course to Open in Saint 

Lucia 

coastline. When we walked Bill and Ben’s routing, it just 

seemed like it was one of those places where the coast did 

everything you hoped it would do for golf.” 

The property sits on 375 acres, and Cowan-Dewar’s 

company announced that it would be starting work this 

summer. Cabot Saint Lucia will feature an 18-hole golf 

course called Cabot Point. Resort amenities are expected 

to include a clubhouse, a 50-room boutique hotel, three 

restaurants, retail shops, a spa, and upscale homes ranging 

from US$760,000 to US$10-million. 

The golf course will be designed by World Golf Hall of Fame 

member Ben Crenshaw and his design partner Bill Coore, 

whose U.S.A. firm has drafted some of the world’s top 

modern courses. Set to open in 2021, Cabot Point will be 

their first Caribbean track. 

New Golf Course to 

Open in Saint Lucia 

By Terry Finisterre 

A new golf course is expected to break ground in Saint Lucia 

within a matter of weeks, as one of the most recognised 

names in course development sets sights on the Helen of 

the West. 

Cabot Links, Nova Scotia’s world-renowned golf resort, is 

expanding to the Caribbean. It’s creating Cabot Saint Lucia 

on the northern tip of the island. The resort is to have at 

least one golf course, Cabot Point, which is expected to 

open in 2021. 

George Punoose, a 20-year veteran in developing and 

managing luxury properties, including golf resorts, is 

another principal of Cabot Saint Lucia. He lives in Austin, 

Texas. Cabot’s corporate operations will continue to be 

based in Nova Scotia. 

Mount Hardy has long been associated with golfing. Golf 

legend Jack Nicklaus once designed a course for the same 

property but it never materialised because of the 2008 

global financial collapse. The imminent Cabot Saint Lucia 

would become Saint Lucia’s third golf course, joining the 

9-hole Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Club, which features 

3,300 yards of narrow fairways and rolling hills, and the 18- 

hole Sandals Saint Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate, 

which features 6,744 yards of sprawling green slopes. n 

Canadian entrepreneur Ben Cowan-Dewar created the 

original Cabot Links on an abandoned coal mine in remote 

Inverness, overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Opened in 

2011, it is one of Canada’s top-ranked courses, sits in the 

world’s top 50 of Golf Digest’s World 100 ranking, and is the 

cornerstone of a still-growing luxury resort that has turned 

Cape Breton into the country’s hottest golf destination and 

a global attraction. 

Cowan-Dewar feels the same way about Point Hardy in 

Saint Lucia, a 375-acre site he first visited three years ago. 

“It’s just a site that seemed like it had all of the things you’d 

hope for to build spectacular golf that would stand the test 

of time. It spoke to me immediately. 

“Saint Lucia is such a physically beautiful island, relative to 

some of the flatter islands [in the Caribbean]. It’s renowned 

for its two Pitons, the two mountains that erupt out of the 

ocean. It’s got this really tropical allure, really dramatic 


Ben Cowan-Dewar

SLTA Launches New Social Media 

Campaign #MySaintLucia 

SLTA Launches 

New Social 

Media Campaign 

#MySaintLucia 

Saint Lucia 

Tourism 

Authority 

Appoints New 

Chief Executive 

Officer 

Saint Lucia 

Tourism Authority 

Appoints New 

Chief Executive 

Officer 

The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is pleased to announce 

the launch of #MySaintLucia, a new social media campaign 

that follows two international travel influencers – Morgan 

Oliver-Allen and Grace Erickson on an adventure of a 

lifetime as they explore Saint Lucia. 

The #MySaintLucia campaign runs from June 19 to July 

31, 2019 as part of a strategic plan to highlight the island’s 

most romantic locations. Voted as the World’s Leading 

Honeymoon Destination by the World Travel Awards, Saint 

Lucia provides the perfect backdrop for couples in love. 

#MySaintLucia is comprised of a series of 45 videos that 

take viewers on a journey around the island, in addition to 

a curated collection of photography. The campaign includes 

a sweepstakes giveaway with the chance to win a five-night 

all-inclusive romantic getaway for two to Saint Lucia. 

To enter the sweepstakes, share your personal love story 

on Instagram or Facebook by posting a picture with a loved 

one tagging #MySaintLucia. The sweepstakes are open to 

residents of Canada, the United States, and the United 

Kingdom. A winner will be selected from each country. 

Follow Morgan and Grace as their love story unfolds in 

Saint Lucia. Throughout the series, the couple explores 

the island’s most iconic sites and attractions, including 

Saint Lucia’s famous twin peaks – the Pitons. Viewers will 

experience thrilling rainforest adventures, a variety of Saint 

Lucia’s top wellness offerings, as well as an in-depth look at 

some of the island’s most romantic accommodations. 

“Our goal was to create a love story in Saint Lucia through 

the lens of a real couple. The campaign was designed to 

encourage travellers to personalize what #MySaintLucia 

means to them through their own personal experience.” 

Said Ms. Jackie Mathurin – Senior Marketing Manager, 

Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. 

Follow the love story of Morgan and Grace on all of the 

Saint Lucia Tourism Authority social media channels. n 

Source: SLTA 

The Board of Directors at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority 

(SLTA) has appointed Mrs. Beverly Nicholson-Doty as the 

organisation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mrs. Nicholson- 

Doty has over three decades of industry leadership 

experience, including most recently serving as Commissioner 

of Tourism at the USVI Department of Tourism from 2007 

to 2018. She brings significant experience in marketing, 

sales and strategic planning in Caribbean travel, tourism 

and hospitality. Mrs. Nicholson-Doty has developed deep 

relationships with executives across the airline, cruise, hotel 

and service industries that serve the region, and has created 

partnership opportunities that include public, private, nonprofit, 

non-governmental and community-based entities. 

Mrs. Nicholson Doty’s achievements include the successful 

development of the Ports of the Virgin Islands concept to 

brand and develop a collaborative effort to elevate the 

territory’s port facilities, and the creation of a strategic plan 

for positioning the USVI as one of the top destinations for 

the Meetings and Incentives (MICE) market. She was also 

instrumental in engineering double-digit airline capacity 

growth over a 10-year period. 

The CEO will be responsible for overall management of the 

Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, including oversight of the 

development of the Authority’s marketing and destination 

services, and general administration. She intends to work 

closely with agencies, institutions and individuals within the 

public and private sectors of Saint Lucia at home and abroad. 

“We welcome Mrs. Nicholson-Doty to the organisation and 

look forward to the strategic leadership that she will provide 

implementing and developing our sustainable tourism 

growth strategy,” said Nicholas John, Chairman of the Board 

at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. 

In addition, as CEO, Mrs. Nicholson-Doty will work closely 

with the Board of Directors to achieve overall objectives, 

including coordinating and directing the programmes of the 

Board. In marketing, promotions and publicity, she will be 

tasked to utilize and deploy resources in the best interest of 

the development of tourism to Saint Lucia. 

I look forward to this opportunity. Our team at the Saint 

Lucia Tourism Authority will be focused on developing and 

implementing a strong strategic plan aimed at increasing 

market share, and even more importantly, increasing 

visitor spend for maximum return on investment,” said Mrs. 

Nicholson Doty. n 


TOURISM FOCUS 

Saint Lucia’s National Culinary Team 

bring home the Gold, Silver and Bronze! 

Saint Lucia’s National Culinary Team Brings Home the 

Gold, Silver and Bronze! 

Bragging rights are always more 

admissible when they are rightfully 

earned and those liberties befell seven 

local chefs who, in March, masterfully 

cooked their way into a spot-on Saint 

Lucia’s National Culinary Team (NCT). 

The seven winners, deemed Team A, 

along with an accompanying group 

of backup chefs (Team B) recently 

competed again, during the high 

intensity ‘Taste of the Caribbean’ 

competition in Miami. The tournament 

sees chefs from across the region 

compete head to head. 

For four months, Saint Lucia’s culinary 

team trained under the guidance of a 

team manager, Chef Richard Skinner 

(Coco Palm) and a Mixology coach Alva 

Preville (Coco Palm), in preparation 

for the tournament. On June 20, the 

team left Saint Lucia for Miami and 

during the week that followed, they 

attended workshops, showcases and 

competed against other chefs for the 

top spot in seven categories: beef, 

seafood, pastry, chocolate, junior 

chef, bartending and chef of the year. 

This was a completely new brigade 

of chefs and bartenders that have 

never competed in the Taste of the 

Caribbean event before. Amazingly 

9 of the brigade who went to Miami 

had never left Saint Lucia before. 


Following days of competing and 

nights of deliberation amongst a 

group of top regional chefs, awards 

were presented. Saint Lucia’s team 

took home the following accolades: 

• Juana Alexander and Danny Mann 

(From Marigot Bay Resort & 

East Winds Inn) were the Grande 

Champions of the Contemporary 

Caribbean Street Pork Competition. 

• Vernance Dore (Tapas on the Bay), 

won bronze in the Beef Chef category. 

• Ricardo Josue (Harbor Club) received 

silver in the Seafood Chef category. 

• Emmany Hippolyte (Jade Mountain) 

won gold in the Pastry Chef category. 

• Steffie Marius (St. James Club 

Morgan Bay) walked away with a 

Silver medal for her chocolate dish 

• Junior Chef; Zyhime Cadette (Cap 

Maison) also won gold in his category. 

• Bartender Craig Andes (Sandals 

Grande) was the Best Rum Cocktail 

winner and an honorary mention in 

the Bartender of the Year category. 

• Clayton Julien (Sandals La Toc) 

won bronze in the “Chef of the 

Year” category. 

• Overall, the team won bronze for 

“Team of the Year”. 

While Saint Lucia’s NCT may be nursing 

unrequited expectations, that has not 

stopped congratulatory messages 

from pouring in from across Saint Lucia 

and the diaspora, as seen on social 

media. The team was also welcomed 

home in grand style on the morning 

of Thursday, June 27 as supporters 

congregated at the Hewannorra 

International Airport in preparation 

for their return. 

The SLHTA (Saint Lucia Hotel and 

Tourism Association) and the Tourism 

Enhancement Fund would like to 

thank the National Culinary Team 

members for proudly representing 

Saint Lucia at Taste of the Caribbean. 

As for sponsors, LUCELEC, Digicel, 

Trans Caribbean, St Lucia Distillers, 

Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Piton 

Beer (Winward & Leeward Brewery), 

Monroe College, Massy Stores, and 

Crown Foods Ltd the SLHTA also 

expresses full gratitude for their 

willingness to support a group 

of young, dedicated and ambitious 

Saint Lucians. n

Bay Gardens Resorts Deliver 

Through ‘Dine Around’ Partnership 

Anse Chastanet Resort 

Debuts Total Vegan 

Dining 

Bay Gardens Resorts Deliver Through 

‘Dine Around’ Partnership 

Bay Gardens Resorts has contributed significantly to the 

St. Lucia economy, delivering more than EC$600,000 

(US$222,000) to local restaurants affiliated with its Dine 

Around Meal Plan over the last three years. 

Introduced in 2016, the Dine Around Meal Plan provides 

guests with the opportunity to experience the authentic 

taste of St. Lucia. Guests who stay seven nights or more 

and choose the All-Inclusive meal plan can dine up to three 

times at any of the six participating restaurants, while 

enjoying complimentary round trip transportation arranged 

by Bay Gardens. 

Partner restaurants include: Buzz Seafood & Grill (Seafood), 

Jacques Waterfront Dining (French), Memories of Hong 

Kong (Chinese), Rituals Sushi (Japanese), Spice of India 

(Indian), and Tapas on the Bay (Spanish/Caribbean), all 

located in Rodney Bay Village. 

Sanovnik Destang, executive director of the family-owned 

group of hotels, remarked: “We are thrilled that the local food 

and beverage community has benefited from the popularity 

of this program, which we will continue to strengthen.” 

An estimated 5,000 diners have participated in the Dine 

Around Meal Plan to date. 

“With the plan, we wanted to offer more dining options to 

our guests and this has resulted in wins for all involved as 

we have seen a tremendous increase in demand for our 

All-Inclusive Plan. We are grateful to those restaurants 

which have partnered with us and we look forward to our 

continuing relationships,” Destang added. 

Bay Garden Resorts offers additional dining options at its 

five distinct properties – Bay Gardens Inn, Bay Gardens 

Hotel, Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa, Bay Gardens Marina 

Haven and the new Waters Edge Villas. The restaurants pay 

homage to authentic Caribbean food while incorporating 

an international twist in signature dishes. 

SeaGrapes Beach Bar & Restaurant at Bay Gardens Beach 

Resort specializes in fresh seafood prepared utilizing 

mini coal pots. Hi Tide, Bay Gardens Beach Resort’s main 

restaurant, is famed for elevating Caribbean fusion to lofty 

levels. At Bay Gardens Hotel, Spices Restaurant features 

cuisine from around the region, while Anchor Restaurant at 

Marina Haven is popular for its creole breakfast and threecourse 

lunch. n 

Anse Chastanet Resort Debuts Total 

Vegan Dining 

The highly regarded chefs at St. Lucia's Anse Chastanet 

resort have expanded their culinary offerings by serving 

up an entirely vegan experience for visitors. The storied 

resort transformed the menu at the popular Emeralds 

restaurant from vegetarian to 100% vegan. 

"We saw an increasing demand for vegan meals from 

our guests, so we thought why not develop this concept 

and make it part of our dining experience," explained 

Karolin Troubetzkoy, Executive Director of Marketing and 

Operations of the award-winning Caribbean resort. 

Anse Chastanet offers guests a choice of four menus most 

nights, served in two locations, ranging from modern 

Caribbean to seafood and East Indian-St. Lucian fusion. 

While all menus feature vegetarian and vegan choices, 

Emeralds will now cater exclusively to vegans with a 

modern tapas style menu. 

Choices include Crispy Cauliflower Accras with lime, 

scallion, and St. Lucian mango chutney; and Bread Fruit 

Gnocchi with tomato, lemon thyme and chadon beni 

pesto. 

The menu was created by James Beard award winner and 

consulting chef Allen Susser in collaboration with the 

vegan chef de cuisine at the resort, Frank Faucher. As an 

added bonus to diners, Emeralds plans to regularly host 

international vegan chefs. 

Much of the fresh produce used in the restaurant - 

seasonal and local tropical fruits, spices, herbs, greens 

and vegetables - are harvested from the resort's organic 

farm, also named Emeralds, in the Soufrière hills, about 

20 minutes away from the resort. Guests can visit the 

farm for a guided sensory immersion, accompanied by 

both farmer and chef and enjoy a farm-to-table cooking 

class using freshly harvested fruits and vegetables. 

The farm focuses on growing produce that is not easily 

available on island, and the resort supports farmers in 

the community by purchasing vegetables and "ground 

provisions" that they do not grow themselves. n 


IN THE KNOW 

The Value of a Skilled 

Project Manager 

THE VALUE OF A SKILLED PROJECT MANAGER 

The current economic climate, mainly 

characterised by low economic growth, 

declining disposable income and 

restricted fiscal space, significantly 

impacts the capacity of public 

and private sector entities in the 

realization of strategic goals. In 

these circumstances, organizations 

are compelled to employ innovative 

measures to remain viable. Policies, 

projects and programmes are typical 

instruments used to address the 

challenges faced in the pursuit of 

defined priorities. 

Project Management is a proven 

methodology that provides for the 

systematic assessment, planning and 

delivery of results in a constrained 

environment. The Project Management 

Institute (PMI), defines project 

management as “the application of 

knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques 

to project activities to meet project 

requirements”. This definition conveys 

a degree of deceptive simplicity for 

a system that is rather dynamic and 


By Perle M. Alcindor 

complex. Low implementation rates 

and the failures of some high visibility 

projects bear testimony for the 

underestimation of proper application 

of project management principles. 

Organizations are therefore left to 

contend with the unenviable results 

of project failure that is represented 

by cost overruns and ineffective use 

of limited resources. In light of these 

realities skilled project managers can 

utilize this avenue to improve its project 

delivery machinery to ensure better 

results. Trained and certified project 

managers are more likely to adopt 

project standards and incorporate best 

practices in their delivery formula. 

The standard practice however is the 

assignment of resource persons with 

strong technical skills to manage the 

project delivery systems. In many cases 

the outcome reflects a heavy emphasis 

on the technical components and not 

the full extent of the project delivery 

system or its associated full project lifecycle. 

Lack of adequately skilled and 

qualified project managers involved 

in the development and execution 

of projects is a contributory factor to 

the diminished prominence of the 

application of project management 

standards in our local context. Project 

Management, though not a panacea, 

provides a degree of control of the 

project delivery process that can 

enhance success. 

A certified project manager skillfully 

applies the core knowledge areas, 

processes, tools and techniques to 

do “the right thing, the right way” in 

the definition and execution of project 

strategy. The PMI created a framework 

that incorporates knowledge areas 

and process groups that serve as 

a roadmap for effective project 

management. The knowledge areas 

function in harmony with the key 

process groups (project initiation, 

project planning, project execution, 

monitoring and control and project 

closing). The knowledge areas are:

• Project Integration - defines the systems to manage and coordinate all project processes and activities. This involves 

the definition of the project charter. 

• Project Scope Management - ensures the project has systematically identified all the work required and designed a 

suitable change management system for successful implementation. 

• Project Time Management - defines the methodology and chronology in which deliverables must be completed. 

• Project Cost Management - defines the parameters necessary to provide for the resources required. 

• Project Quality Management - ensures the responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness of projects activities to the 

purpose of the project and its performance. 

• Project Human Resource Management - defines the processes to select the right skills set and to provide the requisite 

environment that drives team performance. 

• Project Communications Management - definition of systems that allows for the appropriate generation, collection 

and distribution of project information. 

• Project Risk Management - an organized method to identify, analyze and define responses for likely events that impact 

project objectives or outcomes. 

• Project Procurement Management - development of suitable processes to obtain goods and services. 

• Project Stakeholder Management - entails the identification of stakeholders, assessment expectations and influences, 

development of appropriate strategies to secure support. 

Cognizant of the tremendous value 

of the effective coordination and 

application of the core knowledge areas, 

the skilled project manager will design 

appropriate systems that incorporate 

human factors, organizational culture, 

methods, organization, information 

management, planning, control 

systems, to effectively manage projects. 

Essentially an effective project manager 

understands that the pillars of project 

success involve: 

1. Development of, and adherence to 

the right process (put simply - the 

right process, done right) 

2. Use of the appropriate tools and 

techniques 

3. Provision of quality leadership 

A cadre of professionals trained in 

project management will promote 

an improvement in organizational 

performance and help demonstrate 

the ability to deliver results in a 

constrained environment. Effective 

project management enables 

organizations to realize intended 

outcomes whilst satisfying stakeholder 

needs for traceability, accountability 

and transparency. People who 

are able to transform visions into 

tangible outcomes are an asset to 

any organization. Project Managers 

have become central in the leadership 

of innovation and organizational 

creativity. Now is the time to invest 

in the development of a cadre of 

persons with the core competence in 

effectively managing projects. Project 

management should therefore be 

part of the repertoire of skills of all 

progressive professionals. 

The Project Management Professional 

(PMP) designation is an internationally 

recognized certification. According 

to the PMI, “the PMP is the gold 

standard of project management 

certification.” Additionally, “the 

PMP validates competence of a 

certificate holder to perform in the 

role of a project manager, leading 

and directing projects and teams.” 

The PMP certification is a notable 

accomplishment for any project 

management practitioner. Companies 

that support and encourage employees 

to become certified project managers 

significantly improve competitiveness. 

Skilled Project Managers form part 

of the winning formula that drives 

strategic changes. 

The PMI is a nonprofit standards 

body and international certification 

authority for project management. The 

organization collaborates with project 

practitioners in the development to 

the Project Management Body of 

Knowledge (PMBOK®), which provides 

the standards and principles to guide 

project management. n 

Perle M. 

Alcindor (BSc., 

IDPM, MBA) 

Ms. Alcindor 

is a resultoriented 

and 

quality-focused 

professional with 

a background 

in Policy 

Administration, 

Project 

Management and Strategic Alignment. 

She has a proven record training in 

Project Management, Strategic Planning, 

Fundamentals of Management and MS 

Projects. She currently serves as the 

Acting Deputy Chief Economist, Economic 

Planning Unit, Department of Economic 

Development, Transport and Civil 

Aviation. 

She has attained a Bachelor of Science 

Degree in Economics/Management, 

an International Diploma in Project 

Management and an MBA with a 

specialization in Finance. She is a certified 

instructor in Project Management for 

the International Business Training 

Association (IBTA). She can be contacted at 

perlealcindor@gmail.com 


IN THE KNOW 

Is Your Safe, Safe? 

Is your Safe, Safe? 

Is your Safe, Safe? 

By Brian Ramsey 

This may seem like a strange headline 

for an article but too often I read 

newspaper articles that state the 

thieves broke in and stole the contents 

of the safe or the thieves broke in and 

escaped with the safe and I am left 

to wonder what made these people 

think that they had a Safe. Sometimes 

I see other newspaper articles that 

state the thieves got into the Vault 

and escaped with the contents and 

I whisper to myself, I doubt they had 

a vault. So, let us start this article by 

first differentiating between a Safe, 

a Strong Room and a Vault because 

whether you recognize it or not, they 

are different things. 

A Safe is a moveable item; even if it is 

affixed in some manner to the floor or 

wall it can be moved. Vaults and Strong 

Rooms are part of the building in which 

they are located. A Vault or Strong 

Room is an actual room into which one 

can walk. The difference between a 

Vault and a Strong Room is the degree 

of protection to the valuables in the 

room. To be considered a Vault, the 

walls, floor and ceiling of the room 

should be made of reinforced concrete, 

8 inches thick and the reinforcing rods 

placed both horizontally and vertically 

in the concrete and either tied or 

welded together. Alternatively, the 

walls, floor and ceiling are lined with 

steel that has a minimum thickness of 

¼ inch and are welded together. The 

door to the Vault or Strong Room must 


be of a material and thickness that it 

is not easy to cut a hole in the door. In 

addition, the frame of the door must 

be designed so that it cannot be easily 

forced away from the wall allowing 

the door to be removed. Also, the 

bolts and hinges of the door must be 

installed in a manner that they cannot 

be easily attacked otherwise the door 

will be removed simply by removing 

the door at the hinge. 

Let us now turn our attention to Safes. 

A safe is essentially a container for 

the placement of valuables that has 

been designed to withstand attack by 

an intruder. Most people will say that 

they have a safe but upon examination 

you find that they simply have a steel 

box with a lock. To be truly considered 

a safe the body and door should be 

of such material and thickness that it 

would be difficult for an intruder to 

quickly cut a large hole and extract the 

contents. It should also be constructed 

in a manner that it would be difficult 

for someone to pry open the door or 

attack the hinges or force open the lock. 

If you recall I started this article 

commenting about newspaper articles 

that said the thieves broke in and 

escaped with the Safe and I indicated 

that one of the differentiators between 

safes, strong rooms and vaults is 

that a safe is a moveable item. Often 

thieves will not extend their time on 

the premises seeking to break into a 

safe depending on its construction but 

will instead simply carry the safe to 

another location where they can take 

their time in an undetected manner 

breaking into the safe. This theft 

technique gives an indication of what 

must be done when installing a safe. 

In the installation of a safe it should 

always be done by bolting it against 

a concrete wall or concrete floor and 

preferably against both. Ideally the 

bolts would be Hilti expanding bolts. 

Sometimes there is no concrete floor 

and instead it is a wooden floor. In 

such a situation a steel plate should 

be placed below the floor and the 

bolts sent through the safe, through 

the floor and into the steel plate. Thus, 

anyone attempting to remove the safe 

would have to literally pull the steel 

plate through the floor to lift the safe. 

Another sad tale that we sometimes 

see is that there was a fire at the 

premises and the items in the safe 

were destroyed. To prevent this some 

companies invest in fire-proof safes 

and then discover after a fire that the 

items in their “fire-proof” safe were 

still destroyed. No safe is truly “fireproof” 

rather some safes are fireresistant 

and they are rated on the 

basis of how long they can internally 

resist exceeding a certain internal 

temperature. That rating can involve 

time periods varying from 30 minutes 

to 4 hours. Even with a fire-resistant 

safe you need to understand what 

the internal temperature will be and

how that will affect the items that are stored in the safe. 

It is possible for there to be a fire and when the safe is 

opened it is found that the paper documents did not burn 

but the internal heat was such that the paper became 

so scorched that the documents are unreadable or the 

computer media was unusable. If the intention is to protect 

paper or computer media from fire then a Media Safe must 

be purchased as this type of safe is designed so that the 

internal temperature of the safe will not exceed 58 degrees 

Celsius (136 degrees Fahrenheit) during a fire. 

So we end this article by asking the question Is your Safe 

safe? – And if you are not sure then you should use the 

points in this article to check. n 

Brian Ramsey has a B.A. in 

Accounting & Management, 

along with an M.B.A. in Finance 

and over 29 years in the 

Caribbean security field. He 

is the Regional Development 

Director for Amalgamated 

Security Services Limited 

which operates in Trinidad and 

Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, 

St Lucia, Guyana, and Antigua 

and is the parent company of 

Alternative Security Services (St. Lucia) Limited. He is also 

the Chairman of the Caribbean Institute for Security and 

Public Safety. He can be contacted at bramsey@assl.com. 

Court Provides Alternative 

Dispute Resolution Option 

Court Provides Alternative Dispute Resolution Option 

The Registry of the Supreme Court Saint Lucia in 

collaboration with Compete Caribbean is campaigning 

for the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), or 

mediation, as the preference for resolving conflict. As such, 

a campaign has been launched to increase the availability 

of and access to mediation services under the legislative 

framework in Saint Lucia. 

Chartered Accountant and trained mediator, Andrea 

St. Rose, said that an environment where there is a process 

in place for the settlement of disputes is very good for 

business. It is also one of the means that the country can 

use to attract investment. 

“An investor would not like to know that you are operating 

in an environment where, if you have a dispute it will take 

years to get resolved. That is a very good selling point for 

Saint Lucia that we have a proper system in place to 

assist with the resolution of disputes. People enter into 

transactions and there will be disagreements so it is very 

important that people are able to take advantage of that 

process to assist them in resolving disputes efficiently 

because time has a value to it.” 

Chairman of the Court Connected Mediation Committee, 

Justice Francis Belle, said mediation is quicker or less 

costly than litigation and it is also empowering to the 

individuals involved. 

“An individual who doesn’t have a lot of resources and time 

for something like court would want to know that they can 

get their disputes resolved quickly and it will not be too 

costly. Individuals who may be involved in small business 

can see themselves as being empowered knowing that 

they can take charge of their situation and resolve their 

disputes by way of mediation with the assistance of a 

well-trained mediator.” 

The campaign will allow for engagement with SMEs, 

including manufacturers, farmers, service providers, and 

other business owners, about how mediation services can 

be made more accessible. n 


IN THE KNOW 

Smoke 

Management 

Smoke – The Silent 

Destroyer 

Smoke – The Silent Destroyer 

By Rohan John Baptiste 

The inhalation of smoke by fire victims is the primary cause 

of death and can hamper egress during evacuation of a 

building. Approximately 50-75% of fire deaths are cause 

by smoke inhalation. In recent fires, smoke layers have 

cause damaged to building structures due to poor smoke 

management systems. 

The smoke layer of a fire contains many toxic and lethal 

gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen 

sulphide, and oxides of nitrogen. Within a few minutes 

of smoke inhalation people can die. Many deaths occur 

whilst people are sleeping as smoke impedes the senses 

and create a deeper state of sleep. The height of the 

smoke layer in corridors, staircases and egress routes can 

slow down the time to escape because of the thickness 

and colour of the smoke. 

The use of such systems to create a smoke free area 

beneath a smoke layer has become widespread. Their 

value in assisting in the egress of people from buildings, 

decreasing fire damage and financial loss by preventing 

smoke logging, reducing roof temperatures and facilitating 

fire-fighting is solidly established. 

For these benefits to be realized it is crucial that smoke 

and heat exhaust ventilators operate fully and reliably 

whenever called upon to do so during their installed life. n 

The control of smoke in sleeping areas and egress routes 

is vital. Warehouses, buildings, social housing and HMO’s 

can be targeted by arson and very often, the reason people 

die in these incidents, poor movement time and buildings 

collapsing, is through the effects of smoke inhalation, 

smoke layer heights and smoke entrapment. 

Smoke control in buildings has been an issue for many years. 

Inadequate smoke extraction systems, poor ventilation, 

poorly fitted smoke curtains if any, and fire doors with 

missing smoke seals are all contributors to these issues. 

An adequate smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems 

(SHEVS) can remove smoke and create a smoke free layer 

above a floor. This can improve conditions to allow the 

safe escape and/or rescue of people, to protect property 

and allow a fire to be controlled while still in its early 

stages. These systems for smoke removal may also serve 

simultaneously for heat exhaust and extract hot gases 

released by a fire in the developing stages. 

Rohan John Baptiste, MSc, BEng. F.S.E, 

M.A.P.E.S.L -- Currently lectures in the 

Division of Technical and Management 

Studies (DTEMS) at the Sir Arthur 

Lewis Community College. He recently 

graduated with an International Master 

of Science in Fire Safety Engineering 

(I.M.F.S.E) and also holds a Bachelor’s 

degree in Mechanical Engineering. 

Possessing a keen knowledge in 

research, analytics and problem 

solving, along with report writing of fire engineering. He is a Fire 

Safety Engineer as well as a Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing 

Consultant. He is also member of the Society of Fire Protection 

Engineers (S.F.P.E) and the International Association of Fire Safety 

Science (I.A.F.S.S.).Contact him at rohan@ridgefirewi.com. 


L-R: Geoffrey Stephenson, Gina Girard, daughter of deceased William Edgecombe, 

Clinton Charlery, Diane Theresa Scotland & Hollis Bristol 

Another Five Inducted Into The 

Insurance Council’s Hall Of Fame 

The outstanding contribution of 

another group of extraordinary St. 

Lucians has been lauded by their peers, 

as the Insurance Council of St. Lucia 

(ICSL) this week paid tribute to and 

honored its latest set of inductees into 

the prestigious Hall of Fame. 

At a gala ceremony held on June 22, 

2019 at Sandals Grande St. Lucian, 

the names of five industry stalwarts 

were announced for induction. The 

five individuals joining the elite club 

of inductees were Mrs. Theresa Diane 

Scotland, Mr. Hollis D. D. Bristol, 

Mr. Clinton Charlery, Mr. Geoffrey 

Stephenson, and deceased Mr. 

William Lionel Edgecombe. 

The ICSL paid homage to the five 

stalwarts, highlighting their diverse 

backgrounds, experience, expertise 

and decades of dedicated service to 

cause and country. The President of the 

Insurance Council, Mr. Claudius Francis 

noted that notwithstanding all of the 

efforts of Council in lobbying on behalf 

of industry personnel and civil society, 

the induction recognition ceremony 

would still be a major achievement, 

irrespective of whether it was the only 

activity that the Insurance Council was 

known for. 

According to Mr. Francis, “Having 

made a significant and lasting 

contribution to the insurance industry 

and therefore also to the wider society, 

it is the industry’s way of saying thank 

you by honoring these selfless and 

outstanding individuals with this 

prestigious Award.” 

The Hall of Fame was established six 

(6) years ago and serves as a catalyst 

for the recognition of the sterling 

contribution of insurance industry 

personnel, who significantly and 

positively impacted the profession. 

In 2013, the Council first inducted 

Mr. George Noon (deceased), Mr. 

Geoffrey Jennings-Clark (deceased), 

Mr. Peter Bergasse (deceased), Mrs. 

Arletta Bailey, Mr. Roderick Clarke and 

Sir Julian Hunte. 

The ICSL’s Hall of Fame seeks to 

recognize those persons who have 

contributed and continue to contribute 

to this industry without thought of gain, 

but towards growth of an industry and 

the people who work within it. 

The Insurance Council of St. Lucia was 

established in 1975 and still maintains 

its function as a body to act as a medium 

for consulting with Financial Services, 

and also lists amongst its objectives as 

being a body to foster the development 

of insurance on the island. The council 

focuses on core activities, of which one 

of them is the Hall of Fame. The Hall 

of Fame Induction ceremony is part of 

Insurance Week celebrations. n 


BUSINESS YOUTH FOCUS 

DevCa 2019 Hackathon: 

Openshores Wins 

On May 30th, 2019, the Saint Lucia leg of the Developing 

the Caribbean (DevCa) Hackathon kicked off with software 

developers converging on the National ICT Centre, at 

Bourbon Street, Castries to be part of this regional event. 

This year, DevCa Hackathons took place in 6 countries 

throughout the region under the lead of the Caribbean Open 

Institute. The regional theme for DevCa 2019 was “Smart 

Communities, Smart(er) people.” Alongside the Caribbean 

Open Institute, the Division Of Public Sector Modernization 

(through the Saint Lucia Open Data Initiative) oversaw the 

initiative to ensure that several local partners collaborated 

to make the Saint Lucia 2019 DevCa Hackathon a success. 

Partners included the National ICT Association, Emagine 

Solutions, Lucelec and the Department of Education. 

For 2 days, seven (7) teams competed to show how they 

could use their software development skills and marketing 

genius to solve problems and help improve life in their 

communities. Developers were invited to use Open data 

from the Saint Lucia Open Data website (data.govt.lc) 

and other regional sources to come up with innovative 

solutions to problems. 


LR: Nain Wells, Macarius D. Auguste, Sean Jn Francois, Kevin Jordan 

DevCa 2019 Hackathon: OpenShores Wins 

Ultimately, several brilliant solutions were produced by 

the teams, for a chance to be crowned the DevCa 2019 

Hackathon champions, but the team, who call themselves, 

Team 0101 were able to secure victory. Team 0101 is a fourmember 

team consisting of Macarius D. Auguste, Sean Jn 

Francois, Kevin Jordan and Nain Wells. 

OpenShores, their winning solution, uses multimedia 

to highlight and deliver details on points of interest and 

activities; providing visitors with the opportunity to generate 

a schedule for use during their stay. The team members are 

all below the age of 32, making this a great example of what 

can be accomplished when such opportunities are given 

to the youth. We had the opportunity to speak with Team 

0101, and a very inspiring discussion was the result. 

How did you find out about the Hackathon? 

Kevin: I found out via social media. The link was sent to me 

via Whatsapp and I just signed up for the opportunity. 

Macarius: Sean and I found out through Nain, who gave us a link 

and encouraged us to enter, along with our boss, Marcathian 

Alexander. He said that it would be a good opportunity to

understand the system and how our environment works, 

with regards to IT, and just get more experience. 

What brought you together as a team? 

Sean: I knew Nain from my neighbourhood, we grew up 

together; he knows that I’m into technology and stuff like 

that. Macarius, works with me and we usually go back 

and forth on different technologies and things that we’re 

interested in. So it was easy for us to work together, as a 

team; and Kevin we met at the competition, but once he 

joined our group it was a good chemistry. 

Tell us a little about your winning solution. 

Macarius: The solution we chose was OpenShores, and it 

is basically for tourists to set a schedule and see what’s 

available within whatever parameters they wanted to 

include. We started off with the fact that it could be 

any tourist, whether it be cruise ship and you require 

a couple hours; or you plan to spend a couple days on 

the island. You would like to know what the island has 

to offer, and you’d like to know as much as possible 

about the location that you’ll be in. What you would do 

is to enter your information, location, and a time frame; 

from there we would populate a list of activities so you 

would know exactly what’s happening around the time 

that you’re interested in; and you’d also be able to know 

what's around your location. That way, you could easily 

set a schedule and when you see what’s ahead of you, it’s 

presented in a multimedia format. So, like we said during 

our presentation to the judges, we want the tourists to 

experience the experience, before they experience it. 

That’s where we want to be; we want to present it in a 

way that they will understand as best as possible what’s 

taking place. 

If given the opportunity, would you consider becoming 

an entrepreneur using this project as a springboard for 

your business? 

Macarius: Yes, definitely. We’ve actually set up a couple 

meetings, whereby we can look at the feasibility of the 

project. We are considering turning Team 0101 into 

a business. Maybe not with the same name, but it’s 

something we’re looking to discuss in future meetings. 

Nain: So many times, after the competitions, we find 

that it just ends. There’s no follow up. So personally, I 

definitely would. With the way the island is going, even 

out of the Tourism industry, it is definitely something to 

consider. We would also like to see more support from 

the public and private sectors for the development of 

some of these projects. 

What does the future hold for Team 0101, now that 

you've won DevCa 2019? 

Macarius: We realized we’re on to something good, and 

we are trying to continue developing as a group and 

see what else we could tackle. With our scope we could 

affect other ministries, other parts of St. Lucia. We’re 

also really looking forward to developing ourselves and 

developing St. Lucia. 

Kevin: We’re also considering how it can spread to the rest 

of the Caribbean. 

Sean: We recognize that we are a group of hard working 

and diligent people, and that’s very important in a team 

trying to develop themselves. So, what we’re trying to 

do in the future is to put our heads together to not only 

finish the OpenShores project, but to collaborate on other 

applications and technological advances. Developing 

OpenShores is just setting up the opportunity for us to try 

to take things further. 

For further information on the DevCa Hackathon please 

contact Saint Lucia Open Data at data@govt.lc or 

(758) 468-2262. Follow the Saint Lucia Open Data 

Facebook page for updates. n 



The Caribbean's Only Youth- 

Owned Mushroom Farm Provides 

A Model for Business Success in 

Agriculture 

The group of fifteen men and women at Marquis River Farm belie the 

typical Caribbean model of the “older” male farmer 

Simply Mushrooms, Plant Grow Eat's flagship product, is organic and 

locally grown 

The Caribbean's Only Youth-Owned Mushroom Farm 

Provides A Model for Business Success in Agriculture 

Peter Dillon is a man on a mission. From his headquarters 

at Marquis River Farm in St. Lucia, or Plant Grow Eat as it 

is also known, he is empowering young people to become 

successful agri-preneurs, by supplying the country with 

fresh, organic produce while working to bring down St. 

Lucia’s hefty food import bill of $360 million. 

The business model at Plant Grow Eat is a take on the 

worker cooperative model, but is more didactic in its early 

stages. Dillon, whose PhD studies were focused on the 

implementation of similar projects, provides the land and 

initial capital injection and trains the youth running it on 

how to build and make it profitable. Over time, the profits 

are utilized to provide the workers with a salary and to pay 

back the investment capital, interest-free, at which point 

full ownership is handed over to the young people who 

worked to build it. Over the past five years, the project has 

contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the local 

village in which it is based, helping it to independently lift 

itself out of poverty. 

According to Dillon, the profit-share and worker-ownership 

model “challenges the discourse of plantation agriculture 

by getting ownership back into the hands of young people 

doing the work.” 

The success of Marquis River Farm’s organic mushroom line, 

“Simply Mushrooms” is a testament to the profitability 


of agri-business under the right conditions. Simply 

Mushrooms is selling close to one tonne of mushrooms 

per week and has enjoyed an annual growth rate of 30- 

50% since 2016. “The tourist industry is begging for it and 

they buy almost everything available,” says Dillon. 

According to St. Lucian farmer, Mr Alexis Williams who also 

has a mushroom business on-island, imports of mushrooms 

to St. Lucia average around $1.25 million per year, placing 

it in an optimal position for import substitution. 

“How can there not be bountiful opportunities in this sector 

when most of the countries in the Caribbean import the 

vast majority of what they eat?” asks Dillon, incredulously. 

There is also the question of climate and weather resilience. 

“The main challenge for the production of the commercial 

strains of mushrooms here in St Lucia is the temperature 

management leading to high set up costs,” explains 

Thaddeus Constantine, an agronomist at the Ministry of 

Agriculture. “The main forms of cooling are with the use 

of air condition units and wet walls.” 

Given the capital injection from Plant Grow Eat’s benefactor, 

the business is able to benefit from tech-efficiencies in a 

way that many farms cannot. Climate-resilient, climate 

controlled, solar powered indoor growing shield the 

white button mushrooms grown at Plant Grow Eat from 

environmental stress with zero chemical inputs. This

Simply Mushrooms growing in climate-controlled conditions 

Simply Mushrooms on supermarket shelves 

allows the business to deliver a reliable organic product 

52-weeks per year. 

Also, on the production line are rocket-mesclun mix and 

cherry tomatoes, which constitute a sizeable portion of 

St. Lucia’s import basket, and the team is selling 500kg 

of high-end organic salad greens and shoots each week. 

The greens benefit from a circular methodology of soil 

rehabilitation, using the three tonnes of spent compost 

from the mushrooms. 

In a country with an unemployment rate of 36.3%, the 

business is also doing its part to create financial opportunities 

for the youth. The group of fifteen men and women at 

Marquis River Farm, with an average age of 26, belie the 

typical Caribbean model of the “older” male farmer. 

There is also a sense of community and mutual support 

created by the youth-worker-owned model. Group 

ownership means that risk is diversified and that each 

farmer can bring their own strengths to the table. “Just as 

diversity is essential in agriculture, it is a critical success 

factor among farming teams as well,” says Pattie, Peter’s 

wife, who is responsible for administrative support. 

Dillon, who is a successful businessman in his own right, and 

has been involved in philanthropic agricultural projects in 

the region over the past fifteen years, emphasizes that he 

is not personally profiting from the venture. “My intention 

is to develop a thriving youth-owned agricultural business 

and to provide jobs in poor rural communities.” 

“Aid spent on agricultural development in St. Lucia is 

approaching $10 million per year but nothing seems to be 

working. Plant Grow Eat’s youth-owned scaled business 

is a successful alternative to the traditional paradigm of 

plantation-style monoculture," says Dillon. 

We have a proven, sustainable, modular business model 

that can be reliably, simply and successfully replicated, 

one crop and one country at a time.” n 

Source: OECS 

Daphne is an environmental writer 

with a focus on food and agriculture, 

and commutes between the 

Southern Caribbean (Barbados) and 

the Northern Caribbean (Cayman 

Islands). She has a Master’s Degree 

in International Economic Policy 

from Columbia University and is 

passionate about Caribbean social, 

economic and environmental 

issues. She is intrigued by the resilience of the Small Island 

Developing States of the region as well as the opportunities 

for sustainable and regenerative growth through agriculture. 

She recently headed communications for a climate change 

in fisheries project (CC4FISH) at the Food and Agriculture 

Organization of the United Nations and has worked in 

development banking, environmental not-for-profits, and in 

the venture capital industry. 



Chamber Plays Lead Role in 

Independence 20 Meets 20 

Mentorship Program 

With a Vision of being “the Driving 

Force for sustainable business and 

community prosperity in Saint 

Lucia”, The Saint Lucia Chamber of 

Commerce Industry and Agriculture 

once again has taken a leadership 

role in making a reality the 40th 

Anniversary of Independence 

Committee idea of the 20 Meets 20 

Mentorship Program. 

From design to execution the Chamber 

led this landmark program which was 

officially launched on Tuesday 4th 

June at the Coco Palm Event Centre 

Rodney Bay. In attendance from the 

Chamber was the President of the 

Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce 

Industry and Agriculture, Ms. Karen 

Peter, Chamber 1st Vice President, 

Jonathan Johannes, Chamber 2nd 

Vice President, Jason King and Board 

Member Cheryl Renwick as well as 

Executive Director, Brian Louisy and 

other staff of the Chamber. 

Some 20 young entrepreneurs will be 

mentored by 20 Business Executives 

recruited by the Saint Lucia Chamber 

of Commerce. A critical partner in 

this program is the Small Business 


Chamber Plays Lead Role in Independence 

20 Meets 20 Mentorship Program 

Development Center of the Ministry 

of Commerce who identified and 

recruited the entrepreneurs from 

their Client data base. Additionally, 

the SBDC conducted a three-hour 

Small Business Training Workshop for 

the participating entrepreneurs. 

The Training Program was delivered 

by Officers from the SBDC and delved 

into the essentials of effectively 

running a small business and was 

well-received by the participants. 

The SBDC will over the next six 

months monitor the progress of 

these businesses and coordinate and 

monitor the mentoring process. 

The Mentors were the beneficiaries 

of a Mentors’ Orientation Workshop 

conducted by two Volunteers, 

Donovan Williams and Pauline Wolfe 

who were recently trained by the 

Chamber’s Youth Business Trust 

as part of a soon to be launched 

CDB funded project entitled 

“Strengthening the Entrepreneurship 

Spirit of Caribbean Youth”. The 

Entrepreneurs too participated in 

an Orientation Workshop to prepare 

them for the mentorship program. 

It was a full day of activities for the 

Young Entrepreneurs starting with 

the “Principles of Entrepreneurship” 

delivered by Mrs. Roycelyn St. Hill- 

Howell and Mrs. Leander Calixte- 

Jn. Baptiste of the SBDC. This was 

followed by the erection of display 

booths by the Entrepreneurs. 

Thereafter, business professionals, 

Mentors, Government Officials 

and other Specially Invited Guests 

poured into the Grand Business 

Mixer Hall to meet and engage the 

young entrepreneurs participating in 

the program. 

During the seated Commencement 

Ceremony, remarks were delivered 

by Ms. Barbara Innocent Charles, 

Head of the SBDC, Ms. Lenita Joseph 

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the 

Ministry of Community Development 

and Equity, Chamber’s Executive 

Director, Brian Louisy, the Honorable 

Cathelina Fortuna Belrose, Minister 

of Culture and Creative Industries, 

and Chairperson of the Independence 

Committee, Hon. Jeannine Giraudy 

McIntyre. The launch concluded with 

a business mixer where invited guests 

networked with the Entrepreneurs. n

The Job Fair Expo – Back On For A Third 

Year! 

The Job Fair Expo – Back On For A Third Year! 

The annual Job Fair Expo was hosted 

under the theme “Put the Youth First”. 

The team enlisted the Saint Lucia 

National Youth Council and other youth 

associations to not only reach the 

young persons in need of this support, 

but to gain access to vulnerable 

individuals who are often marginalised 

and not provided with enough access 

to such impactful initiatives. 

The robust programme was held on 

June 21st and June 22nd 2019 and 

was undertaken in the format of a 

marketplace and seminar session. 

Participants gained free access to 

Career Talks from public and private 

sector professionals, a CV Clinic 

to review and edit resumes, Mock 

Interviews with real HR professionals, 

access to continued education with 

on-the-spot registration, Live job 

interviews from various industries 

and an Entrepreneur Showcase with 

mentorship opportunities. Many 

business entities pledged their support 

for the event with some seeking 

candidates for internships and fulltime 

jobs, while others used the 

opportunity to sensitize the public to 

the roles of their companies within the 

industries in which they operate. 

As the event has grown in leaps from 

its first installation at the Johnson’s 

Centre in 2017, the organizers thought 

it prudent to host the event for two 

days – provided transportation for out 

district schools and councils in a bid 

to allow more persons to benefit from 

the offerings. 

Another new component to the event 

was a Career Buddy Segment. This 

element looked at nonconventional jobs 

and paired participants, after a vetting 

process, to shadow a professional of 

their choice for a day. This added a new 

dimension to the event, and highlighted 

the many nonconventional jobs which 

are available. 

The sectors represented at the event 

were industrial, aviation, medical, 

business, mechanical, hospitality, 

commerce, finance, engineering 

and education. The sponsors who 

supported this initiative were also 

present at the event. 

Gold sponsors included Unicomer, 

Flow, Hylyne CGL, Carimex, Exel Signs, 

Mediazone and Caribbean Grains. 

Silver sponsors were 1st National 

Bank, Saint Lucia Air & Sea 

Ports Authority and Enterprise 

Development Forum & Marketplace. 

Bronze sponsors were Sir Lancealot, 7 

Sigma OMS, Skin Envy, Calabash TV, The 

Wave, RCI and Massy Stores St. Lucia. 

Additional Information on the Job Fair 

Expo can be found on http://www. 

advizze.co/job-fair-expo/. n 



Saint Lucian Wins TEECA 

Caribbean Entrepreneurship 

Challenge 

Saint Lucian Wins 

TEECA Caribbean 


Challenge 

The final of the TEECA Caribbean 

Entrepreneurship Challenge was held on 

June 6th at the Domaine de la Pagerie in 

Martinique. President Alfred Marie-Jeanne 

awarded 19-year-old Saint Lucian Sophie 

Klein with the winning prize, a EUR 10,000 

grant to develop her project "JOIE" which 

aims to transform the world of education by 

integrating virtual reality. 

The TEECA Caribbean Entrepreneurship 

Challenge is organised by the Chamber of 

Commerce and Industry of Martinique in 

partnership with the Territorial Collectivity 

of Martinique, the Organisation of Eastern 

Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean 

Export Development Agency, as part of the 

TEECA project. 

The Caribbean Entrepreneurship Challenge 

aimed to: 

• Sensitise youth on cooperation in the 

Caribbean; 

• Encourage young entrepreneurs to 

mobilise their skills to serve their 

country; and 

• Promote entrepreneurial innovation. 

As a result, companies involved in the 

TEECA programme played a major role in 

mentoring all young participants. 

Philippe Jock, President of the Chamber 

of Commerce of Martinique, opened the 

closing ceremony of the challenge by 

congratulating the five (5) finalists: 

“[You have] presented innovative projects 

which respond to the needs and concerns 

of people in the Caribbean,” Jock said. 

Gayle Gallop, representative of the 

Caribbean Export Development 

Agency, highlighted the 

extraordinary opportunity that 

has been offered to these 5 

Caribbean women. 

For Ricardo James, OECS Technical 

Specialist for Export Development, 

some key lessons were learned 

during the months of competition. 

“We have a lot of talent and passion 

among our young people and we 

must encourage those who take 

risks and reward those who have 

dared and succeeded,” James noted. 

In his speech, President of the 

Collectivity of Martinique Alfred 

Marie-Jeanne confirmed the 

commitment of the Territorial 

Collectivity of Martinique to youth, 

education and the development 

of entrepreneurship and 

excellence. He also praised the 

work accomplished by the finalists: 

“In a climate of crisis and doubt, 

these young entrepreneurs, by 

their determination, show the 

way forward,” President Marie- 

Jeanne stated. 

The President concluded his speech 

by addressing the finalists: “These 

prizes are not a simple reward. This is 

to encourage you all to pursue your 

efforts, to make your ideas fruitful 

according to your abilities and talents. 

You are promoters and drivers of our 

Caribbean continent.” n 

Source: Collectivity of Martinique 


Soufriere Comprehensive 

Secondary School Retains SLHTA 

Chefs in Schools Cook Off 

Championship Title 2019 

Education Quality 

Improvement Project 

comes on stream 

Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary 

School Retains SLHTA Chefs in Schools 

Cook Off Championship Title 2019 

Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary retains the SLHTA 

Chefs in Schools Championship title for yet another year. 

The Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association Inc would like 

to congratulate the Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary 

School on winning the Chefs in Schools Cook Off 2019. 

The two students competing for Soufriere Comprehensive 

were Sherquean Franky and Kayla Joseph, both form 

4 students. The team put on a great show in both the 

Signature Dish and Basket Rounds at the recently held 

competition on their home grounds at the Soufriere 

Comprehensive Secondary School on Thursday 13th and 

Friday 14th June 2019. 

The Soufriere team were trained and coached by Chef 

Ruben Kumar of Anse Chastanet Resort over the past 2 

months in preparation for the competition. 

Kayla and Sherquean along with their Chef and teacher will 

travel to Barbados to represent Saint Lucia at the Regional 

Caribbean Junior Duelling Challenge come August this year. 

Their training will continue over the summer in preparation 

for the regional leg of the Culinary Competition. 

In 2nd place was the St Joseph’s Convent team made up 

of Janaii Williams and Kurres Joseph, trained by Chef Nissa 

Paul of Windjammer landing Villa Beach Resort and in 3rd 

Place was Merkijay Jean and Wavimey Prosper of the Leon 

Hess Secondary School and trained by Chef Billy Mauricette 

of Cap Maison. 

The Competition was proudly sponsored by the Tourism 

Enhancement Fund, Winfresh Limited, Diamonds 

International and TransCaribbean. n 

Education Quality Improvement 

Project Comes on Stream 

The Government of Saint Lucia has 

received financing from the Caribbean 

Development Bank (CDB) equivalent to 

the sum of sixteen million one hundred and ninety-two 

thousand US dollars (USD$16,192,000) toward the cost 

of implementing the EQuIP project. Spearheaded by 

the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations 

and Sustainable Development, the Education Quality 

Improvement Project (EQuIP), is finally on stream. 

Funding for the Project was secured from the Caribbean 

Development Bank (CDB), through the Department of 

Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation. 

The EQUIP Project is geared toward the overall 

enhancement of Saint Lucia’s education sector. The 

Policy on Education is centered around building a sector 

that is responsive to the diverse needs of Saint Lucia’s 

children, young people and adults, and developing 

graduate students capable of taking their place in the 

international economic and social community. 

One component of the EQuIP initiative is enhancing 

the capacity to improve teacher quality, the relevance 

of education, and instructional effectiveness across the 

education sector. The project also focuses on enhancing 

the provisions for Special Needs Education in Saint Lucia. 

In fulfilling these objectives short-term and degreelevel 

continuing professional development training 

programmes are provided for teachers. Among 

those opportunities is the undertaking of Master’s 

programmes at the University of New Brunswick. 

Minister for Education, Hon Dr. Gale Rigobert updated 

educators on the progress of the program at the term 

meeting with ministry officials. She indicated that due 

consideration is being given to the conversion of select 

secondary schools into sixth form schools. 

An assessment was conducted of school buildings and 

school sites, to integrate same into the design phase 

for the proposed school buildings’ construction and 

rehabilitation programme. This provided the basis for a 

developmental approach to inform the future design of 

school buildings in Saint Lucia. n 


HEALTH & WELLNESS 

SEXUAL VIOLENCE, RAPE AND POST 

EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PEP) 

Sexual Violence, Rape and 

Post Exposure Prophylaxis 

(PEP) 

By Dr. Minerva King 

Sexual violence is defined as: 

Any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or 

otherwise directed, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship 

to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work. 

Coercion can cover a whole spectrum of degrees of force. Apart from physical force, it may involve psychological 

intimidation, blackmail or other threats – for instance, the threat of physical harm, of being dismissed from 

a job or of not obtaining a job that is sought. It may also occur when the person aggressed is unable to give 

consent – for instance, while drunk, drugged, asleep or mentally incapable of understanding the situation 

(children, mentally or physically disabled persons). 

Sexual violence includes rape, defined as physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration – even if slight – 

of the vulva or anus, using a penis, other body parts or an object. The attempt to do so is known as attempted 

rape. Rape of a person by two or more perpetrators is known as gang rape. Sexual violence can include other 

forms of assault involving a sexual organ, including coerced contact between the mouth and penis, vulva or 

anus. (WHO Definition) 

Sexual violence and rape can be perpetrated against 

both sexes and includes women and girls, men and boys 

and may span from infancy to adulthood depending on 

the circumstances of the violent acts. In general, there is 

underreporting of such cases to the police – Vulnerable 

Persons Unit (VPU) and other organizations such as the 

Women’s Support Center (WSC), the St. Lucia Crisis Center 

(SLCC) and the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research 

and Action (CAFRA). Most persons do not seek help because 

of shame, blame, different levels of economic vulnerability, 

blackmail and fear of more violence against them by the 

perpetrator. 

The St. Lucia Criminal Code makes provisions for 

prosecution of perpetrators which can be reviewed: 

Part 1: Offences Against the Person 

Sub- Part B Assaults: Sections 115,116,118,120 

Sub- Part C Sexual Offences: Sections 122-133, 135,140- 

142,153-163. 

The St. Lucia Criminal Code prescribes punishment of 

imprisonment ranging from 14 years to life for Rape and 

Unlawful Sexual Connection and 3 to 7 years for cases of 

Indecent Assault. 

Of the cases handled by the Judiciary few successfully end 

in prosecution and jail time for the perpetrators which may 

have a direct impact in the decreased number of victims 

of sexual violence and rape coming forward. Most victims 

do not press charges against perpetrators because they 

cannot face the trauma of the judicial process, which does 

not assist police in bringing fourth cases to the courts. It 

should be noted that if persons are willing to move forward 

with cases and convictions are obtained the numbers of 

perpetrators would essentially decrease. 

What do you do if you are Sexually Assaulted? 

1. Speak to someone – anyone immediately after 

the attack. 

2. Do not bathe or wash any clothing contaminated with 

semen, bodily secretions or blood during the act. 

3. Go to your nearest Hospital Emergency Department 

4. A police officer will be called in from the Vulnerable 

Persons Unit (VPU) 

5. You will be questioned and examined – The Emergency 

Room Physician will do a rape kit which will be given to 

the police officer for DNA testing. 

6. A medical report will be written up by the physician and 

provided to the police. 

7. Testing will be done which includes: CBC, Renal function, 

Liver Function, Amylase, Pregnancy test, HVS and Serology 

(HIV, Hepatitis B and C, HTLV and VDRL-Syphilis). These 

baseline tests are done before initiation of any medical 

treatment after a sexual assault to ascertain your general 

health status, sexual health status and to determine what 

Antiretroviral medication can be given to you. 

8. A referral for counseling services will be given to you – 

the Counselor will assist you through this tough time. 


Medical Treatment after a Sexual Assault 

Medical treatment starts in the Emergency Room by the Physician who assessed you and depends on the age and 

sex of the victim. Medications are given to prevent the transmission of common Sexually Transmitted Infections. 

Both male and female victims are given the following: 

• Ceftriaxone (prevention of Gonorrhea) 

• Azithromycin – depending on the age of the victim (prevention of Chlamydia) 

• Metronidazole (prevention of Trichomoniasis) 

The morning after pill is given to female victims of childbearing age who are not pregnant but may become pregnant 

from the sexual act. 

Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV 

Prevention of transmission of HIV during sexual violence is 

important. Antiretrovirals (ARV’s) have been established for 

use in the prevention of HIV infection. Due to the violent 

nature of the act of rape there may be lacerations to the 

vulva, vagina or anal regions; some acts may expose the 

victim to the perpetrator’s bodily fluids entering the eyes, 

mouth, genitals or any open wound on the victim’s body. 

Any post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) has to be started 

within the first 72 hours or 3 days of the sexual assault. 

Antiretrovirals (ARV’s) have been studied and cannot 

prevent HIV transmission after 72 hours have passed. 

The Emergency Room Physician will ensure that you get the 

first dose of Antiretrovirals and at least 3 more doses; you 

will be referred to the STI Clinic for further management. 

The Post Exposure Prophylaxis treatment comprises of 

a combination of 3 Antiretroviral drugs during a 28-day 

continuous period. 

The STI Physician will also examine you and repeat your 

blood tests after 2 weeks of starting PEP and again at 

completion of the 4-week treatment. This testing is done to 

ascertain any dysfunctional organ changes which may occur 

with the use of Antiretrovirals and to monitor other clinical 

side effects. 

Always remember any violent act or sexual act against 

another human being is never acceptable no matter the 

economic status, occupation, sex, race or level of education 

of the victim, no one should take advantage of you. n 

Dr. Minerva King is a St Lucian 

national and graduate of the 

University of Santa Clara, Villa Clara, 

Cuba. She is a General Practitioner 

and Sexual Health Physician. She has 

been practicing in St. Lucia since 2005 

serving at the STI Clinic at the Victoria 

Hospital and her Private Practice with 

offices located at Gablewoods Mall, 

Sunny Acres, Castries. She can be 

contacted at gashamed@gmail.com 



Wonder Drug? 

Separating CBD Oil 

Fact from Fiction 

Wonder Drug? Separating CBD Oil Fact 

from Fiction By Frank Sterrett 

Few subjects in the health space these 

days generate as much controversy – 

and are the cause of as much confusion 

– as medical marijuana. But marijuana 

is having a moment. As more states 

legalize its use, it’s more important 

than ever to understand exactly what 

medical marijuana is, what it is not, and 

why it matters. (Hint: The answer to 

why it matters is simple: cannabinoids.) 

Cannabis is a genus of plants that 

includes different species: Cannabis 

sativa (also known as marijuana) is one 

of them; hemp is another. And this is 

where it sometimes gets confusing. 

Because while hemp and marijuana 

are indeed species of the same plant, 

chemically, they are entirely different. 

All cannabis plants—including hemp 

and marijuana—contain an array 

of healthy plant compounds called 

cannabinoids. These are to the 

cannabis plant what flavonoids are 

to fruits and vegetables—powerful 

plant compounds with multiple 

healing properties. There are about 

100 cannabinoids, all native to the 

various cannabis species. The two most 

famous are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) 


and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is the 

cannabinoid responsible for getting 

marijuana users stoned. 

Did You Know? 

Evidence suggests that CBD oil has 

potential to treat everything from 

anxiety to chronic pain. 

There’s so much confusion about CBD 

oil. Can you separate the fact from 

the fiction? 

What Is CBD? 

CBD is found in both hemp and pot, but 

THC is found only in pot. And hemp is 

richer in CBD than marijuana. Legally, 

THC can’t be found in anything labeled 

“hemp.” CBD doesn’t get you high at 

all. (If you want to try CBD, hemp oil 

is the best way to go, and it’s legal 

everywhere. And CBD is CBD—it’s 

identical whether you get it from pot or 

hemp, and the body sees it the same 

way regardless of origin.) 

In U.S. law, the difference between 

marijuana and hemp is very clear 

and has everything to do with THC 

content. To be classified as hemp, 

there must be 0.3 percent or less 

of THC (less than one-third of one 

percent). Marijuana can have a THC 

content as high as 20 percent. 

Cannabinoids don’t just come from 

the cannabis plant—we also make 

them in our bodies. The ones we make 

are called endocannabinoids (endo 

meaning coming from within). The wellknown 

“runner’s high” is actually an 

endocannabinoid, which increases in 

the blood during aerobic exercise and 

then crosses the blood-brain barrier 

and binds to cannabinoid receptors in 

the brain. 

We have a network of cannabinoids 

and receptors in our bodies called the 

endocannabinoid system (ES). One of 

the primary jobs of the ES is to keep 

the body in balance, a state known as 

homeostasis. The ES has a profound 

effect on sleep, appetite, exercise, pain, 

inflammation, female reproduction, 

metabolism, anxiety, and immunity. 

Research-Backed Benefits of 

Cannabinoids 

Scientists have known there was 

potential for medicine in the world

of plant cannabinoids, but the 

demonization of pot prevented any real 

research from getting done in the U.S. 

But that’s changing. The one place in 

which it’s legal to grow pot for federally 

approved research (on the campus 

of the University of Mississippi) was 

barren more than a year ago. Today, 

the farm is full of blooming cannabis 

plants. And scientists are excited about 

the emerging research. 

Researchers at the University of 

Southern Florida Byrd Alzheimer’s 

Institute believe that low-dose THC 

may “slow the buildup of beta-amyloid 

plaque in the brain.” (Beta-amyloid 

plaque is typical in the brains of 

Alzheimer’s patients.) There is also 

preliminary research suggesting that 

cannabinoids, particularly CBD, may 

be neuroprotective. 

Does CBD Oil Work? 

CBD oil is a well-established antiinflammatory. 

Anecdotal reports 

confirm its ability to moderate pain 

and inflammation. I have personal 

experience with this. As a tennis player, 

I’ve had chronic shoulder pain for years, 

and I’m pretty skeptical about overthe-counter 

drugs. Yet adding CBD oil 

to my supplement regimen made a 

noticeable difference, reducing pain 

by 25–50 percent, allowing me to 

continue with physical therapy. 

There’s research showing that CBD 

makes a difference in inflammatory 

bowel disease, attenuates cardiac 

dysfunction and oxidative stress, and 

induces antidepressant-like effects. 

It has also been shown to have a 

promising role in the management of 

ALS symptoms. 

Uma Dhanabalan MD, MPH, was so 

impressed with medical marijuana that 

she became an outspoken advocate for 

cannabis and CBD oil. Dr. Dhanabalan 

became interested in the healing 

powers of cannabinoids when her 

mother, who suffered with a chronic 

illness, urged her physician daughter to 

get some to help with the discomfort. 

Dr. Dhanabalan thought this was crazy 

– but looked into it anyway. What she 

found excited her. “Cannabis isn’t for 

everyone,” she said, “yet it should be a 

first-line option, not the last resort.” 

Should You Try CBD Hemp Oil? 

People who have been curious about 

CBD hemp oil may have been reluctant 

to try it—if they could even find it. One 

study, in 2015, found that nearly 50 

percent of CBD products sold tested 

negative for CBD; another, more recent 

study, found that nearly 70 percent of 

online CBD products were mislabeled. 

And that’s why the entrance of a 

company like Barlean’s into the CBD 

market is significant. Many people 

feel that if they’re going to try a new 

product like this, the safest thing to do 

is go with a company they trust. The 

new CBD oil products make it possible 

to do that. 

I say there’s virtually no downside to 

trying CBD oil from a reputable source, 

if for no other reason than its proven 

ability to reduce pain and inflammation. 

Remember, virtually every degenerative 

disease we know has an inflammatory 

component, and CBD is a known and 

established anti-inflammatory. n 



Saint Lucia Puts on Purple 

for Lupus Awareness 

Saint Lucia Puts on Purple for Lupus Awareness 

The St. Lucia Arthritis and Lupus Association (SLALA) joined 

the rest of the world in the annual Put on Purple (POP) for 

Lupus on Friday, May 17, 2019. For many, the month of May 

is significant for a different reason – it’s Lupus Awareness 

Month – and SLALA’S aim is to sensitize the general public 

and raise awareness efforts about this often misunderstood 

chronic disease. 

Although a very serious and debilitating condition, systemic 

lupus erythematous (SLE) is commonly referred to as an 

invisible disease, because patients often do not have any 

physical or external symptoms and can appear perfectly 

healthy during remission periods. 

Every May, SLALA works tirelessly to spread lupus 

awareness, and this year was no different. Friday, May 17 

saw seas of purple from every corner of the island, with 

new business houses and schools joining the campaign 

of spreading lupus awareness; wearing this year’s 

themed t-shirts “I Wear PURPLE for LUPUS” as part of the 

awareness activities and erecting exhibition displays with 

information pamphlets and brochures for the benefit of 

customers and the general public. 

In addition to POP for Lupus, SLALA held its annual Lupus 

Knows No Boundaries Seminar on Saturday, May 18 at The 

Pastoral Centre. The seminar sought to provide insight into 

the chronic condition and other medical areas related to 

lupus. Medical professionals provided informative overviews 

on dentistry, diet, skin and other related topics embodied 

around lupus and the effects on lupus patients. The seminar 

drew attention to a host of other relatable topics of positive 

discussions amongst attendees and presenters. 

‘Walk with Kiki, Walk for a Cause’, was held in Vieux-Fort on 

Sunday, May 19 in honor of lupus survivor Cleyanna Mathurin, 

a young teen who is battling this debilitating condition. The 

walk was hosted by Nisa Mathurin, mother of Kiki, in efforts 

to bring further awareness of lupus to the community and 

the general public. SLALA envisions that through continued 

support and commitments, that the Walk will grow and 

become an annual awareness activity. 

The month-long activities culminated with the hosting of 

Paint and Sip for Lupus on Saturday, May 25 in collaboration 

with Bel Koule. The initiative is a new venture for the 

association as they seek to bring awareness through diverse 

and unique means to capture the public’s interest. 

SLALA extends special thanks to everyone who partnered 

with us this year and their commitment to supporting our 

ongoing awareness efforts. n 

Source: The St. Lucia Arthritis and Lupus Association 

For more information on lupus or how you can be part of the awareness campaign, 

please email slala.slu@gmail.com or follow the St. Lucia Arthritis and Lupus 

Association Page on Facebook. 


Ministry of Health 

Ramps Up Efforts to Stop 

Tobacco Use 

Ministry of Health Ramps Up Efforts to Stop Tobacco Use 

Tobacco Day approached, global partners brought attention 

to the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and 

second-hand smoke exposure, while seeking to discourage 

the use of tobacco in any form. 

The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health 

threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 7 million 

people a year. More than 6 million of those deaths are the 

result of direct tobacco use while around 890,000 are the 

result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. 

The Ministry of Health and Wellness launched its campaign 

for World No Tobacco Day 2019, in partnership with the 

National Commission on Chronic Non-Communicable 

Diseases to bring attention to the issues of tobacco use in 

Saint Lucia. 

According to the Tobacco Control Focal Point, Joanna Joseph: 

“Ours is a very serious issue. We are noticing that smoking 

is increasing and that tobacco users are starting to smoke 

at even younger ages. Our last global youth tobacco survey 

which is an international survey for tobacco surveillance, 

indicates that up to one quarter of young people ages 13-15 

are already smoking, and out of that almost 10 percent of 

them are smoking daily, so statistics indicate that we have 

a major problem.” 

This year’s campaign was significant for the National 

Commission on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases as it 

sought to target the youth. The World Health Organization 

recommends that governments and communities prioritize 

tobacco control in order to achieve sustainable development 

goals target for one third reduction in non-communicable 

disease premature mortality by 2030. The Chair of the 

National Commission on Chronic NCDs, Dr. Owen Gabriel, 

said the most effective measure to improve lung health is 

to reduce tobacco use and second hand smoke exposure, 

however the potential of tobacco control for improving lung 

health is highly underestimated. 

“By adopting tobacco and lung health as the theme for World 

No Tobacco Day 2019, WHO encourages parties to organize 

campaigns to increase the awareness of the negative impact 

that tobacco has on people’s lung health—from cancer to 

chronic respiratory diseases—and on the fundamental role 

that lungs play for the health and wellbeing of all people,” 

Dr. Gabriel said. 

The Senior Medical Officer for Chronic Non-Communicable 

Disease, Dr. Shanna Cyr Philbert, said NCDs are a significant 

problem in Saint Lucia where 8 out of 10 adults die from 

chronic NCDs like diabetes, cancer, lung disease and 

cardiovascular disease. Tobacco smoking is one of the main 

risk factors for such diseases. 

“In Saint Lucia, one of the trends that we have noticed is 

that persons are dying from chronic respiratory diseases 

such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, where 

an individual has lungs that don’t work well. He or she is 

unable to breathe in a room full of air, and it’s really sad,” 

said Dr. Philbert. “I’ve had the personal experience of seeing 

persons less than 40 years old which is pretty young actually 

dying from such diseases. We know that tobacco smoking 

causes cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and raises 

blood pressure. There really is nothing beneficial about 

tobacco smoking and I want to appeal to the Saint Lucian 

public that if you smoke you need to stop. Quitting lowers 

your risk of developing such diseases and protects you and 

your family members.” 

World No Tobacco Day was observed on May 31, 2019 under 

the theme “Tobacco and Lung Health.” n 

Source: GIS 

BusinessFocus Jul / Aug | 103


New Coordinated Approach to Local 

Vaccination Programmes 

New Coordinated Approach to Local Vaccination Programmes 

Saint Lucia has been measles free since 1990, largely due 

to its high immunization rate but globally, there has been 

a reversing trend in immunization against measles. Persons 

across the globe are choosing not to immunize themselves 

and their children against the disease which according to 

Saint Lucia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Merlene Fredericks- 

James, has caused a resurgence of the disease. 

Consequently, the Ministry of Health is taking the opportunity 

to enhance its vaccination programme and alert the public 

on the possible threat that this resurgence can pose to the 

population, as measles is a highly contagious disease that 

can cause debilitating or fatal complications, including an 

infection that leads to swelling of the brain, severe diarrhea 

and dehydration, pneumonia, and permanent vision loss. 

The acting National Epidemiologist, Dr. Michelle Francois, 

said a surveillance system is in place should the threat arrive 

in Saint Lucia. 

“One of the things we do is called syndromic surveillance 

where we monitor not the disease itself, but groups 

of diseases based on their presentations,” Dr. Francois 

explained. “We monitor what is called fever and rash; so 

there are a whole set of diseases or illnesses which can 

cause fever and rash and that is monitored. Every case of 

fever and rash, which is how measles would present, these 

warrant an investigation to find out what the cause is and 

we interview the patient who presents with the symptoms.” 

Up to 90 percent of people who come in contact with an 

individual who has the disease, and is not vaccinated, can 

get the disease. The disease is preventable through two 

doses of a safe and effective vaccine. 

Immunization Manager, Dr. Julietta Cassius-Frederick said 

Saint Lucia’s vaccine is a combination vaccine for Measles, 

Mumps and Rubella (MMR). 

“Our vaccines generally are procured through PAHO 

through the revolving fund. Persons may have concerns 

about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and we are 

committed with PAHO to ensuring that all of the vaccines 

that are available in Saint Lucia including the Measles, 

Mumps and Rubella vaccine is safe and effective,” she said. 

“The vaccine process goes through rigorous scrutiny to 

ensure that when it gets to Saint Lucia that the vaccines are 

in fact safe, and it has been proven to be very effective in 

protecting against Measles, Mumps and Rubella.” 

Medical Officer for Health. Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, has 

noted that there are areas that need to be strengthened 

when it comes to protecting against measles. 

“We saw the need to strengthen some of our linkages in 

terms of working in a more coordinated manner and closely 

with the Ministry of Education to ensure that the vaccination 

cards are complete on children entering school. These are 

some of the measures which we have put in place in terms 

of liaising and working directly with the various sectors to 

strengthen and to ensure we are fully prepared to manage 

possible cases of measles coming into the island.” 

The Chief Medical Officer notes that persons who have 

adequately been vaccinated against the disease should not 

be worried and encourages those who are not vaccinated 

to do so. n 

Source: GIS 


Senior Public Service Employees Get 

Emotional Health Training 

Senior Public Service Employees Get Emotional Health Training 

Permanent Secretaries throughout the public service 

converged at the Public Service Training Institute at Union on 

Thursday, May 16, 2019 for the first in a series of emotional 

health workshops. 

The workshops are being conducted through the Employee 

Assistance Programme (EAP) of the Department of the Public 

Service, targeting permanent secretaries, deputy permanent 

secretaries and human resource officers. 

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Department of the 

Public Service, Peggy-Ann Soudatt, said the workshops are 

necessary as they will equip supervisors with the requisite 

skills to assist employees who are dealing with mental and 

emotional issues. 

“So, for this first workshop, we have brought together 

permanent secretaries to discuss the issue, then identify 

how to recognize mental and emotional illness, and how 

to provide a support system for those affected; because 

you would appreciate that such issues do have an impact 

on productivity and other people in the organization,” 

Soudatt said. 

Robert Huggins, an EAP counsellor, facilitated the recently 

concluded workshop which covered several areas related to 

mental well-being. 

“The main thing coming out of the exercise is how to develop 

a culture of understanding within the organization that 

makes people feel comfortable with speaking about their 

mental and emotional issues. 

“You see, mental illness ought not to be treated as something 

to be stigmatized. In much the same way that we make 

provisions for someone with a physical disability — we 

install ramps etc. — mental illness must be viewed as any 

other aliment. We also spoke of how the physical space is 

so important to promoting positive well-being/mental wellbeing,” 

Huggins added. 

The EAP Unit was scheduled to host a similar workshop 

on May 23 for deputy permanent secretaries and heads of 

departments. A third workshop was planned for May 30, this 

time bringing together human resource officers. 

The Employee Assistance Programme was established 

in 2016 to provide confidential counselling services to 

government officers and their immediate family members. 

So far, a number of public sector employees have benefited 

from the counselling sessions. 

The EAP Unit has also been conducting workshops on time 

management, stress and anger management, team building, 

conflict management and emotional coping, among others.n 

Advertising & Marketing Services 

Advertising & Marketing Services 


BUSINESS FOCUS 

EVENTS 2019 

LOCAL AND REGIONAL ENTERTAINMENT, TRADE SHOWS AND CONFERENCES 

CROP OVER FESTIVAL 2019 

AUGUST 1ST, 2019 – BARBADOS 

This summer Barbados invites travelers to live like a local and experience the island's lively Crop 

Over Festival, celebrating a 200 year-old tradition that honors the end of the sugar cane season. The 

festival celebrates all that is Bajan with dusk till dawn parties, arts and crafts markets and a culinarydriven 

street fares. 

CARICOM - CARIFESTA XIV 

AUGUST 16TH-25TH, 2019 – TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 

The theme focuses on both the tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage and development 

and seeks to embody and facilitate the objectives of CARIFESTA XIV, that is: 

Finding the ways and means for Caribbean people, artists, and cultural practitioners to Connect with 

each other, Share ideas and information, and Invest in the development of our cultural explorations, 

products and exchanges thus building stronger national, regional and creative industries. 

2019 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE 

AUGUST 27TH-29TH, 2019 – BEACHCOMBERS HOTEL, ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES 

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), in partnership with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines 

Tourism Authority (SVGTA), will be providing a platform for the region to address some of the 

most pressing issues facing Caribbean tourism at the region's premier conference on sustainable 

tourism development. 

ANIMEKON EXPO 

AUG 29TH - SEP 1ST, 2019 – BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS 

The Eastern Caribbean’s BEST pop-culture convention and the ultimate Geekcation destination! A 

4-day celebration of all the things you know, and love, about pop-culture and entertainment including 

anime, comics, gaming, film, television and cosplay; all with a heavy dose of Caribbean charm! 

RENEWABLE ENERGY AND SMART GRID CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW 

SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2019 – MIAMI, FLORIDA 

CARILEC’s 2019 Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Conference under the theme: “Rethinking 

Resilience in an Era of Disruption” will be held on the 15th – 19th September in Miami. It will bring 

together influential energy leaders and professionals to participate in invigorating discussions. 

CARIBBEAN DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE 

OCTOBER 4-5, 2019 – PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

CDC is designed to bring together software professionals and entrepreneurs across languages, 

platforms, and industries. Participants will have the opportunity to network, engage, and learn about 

trending and up-and-coming topics that are shaping the future of IT and business, today. 


MAJOR MOVES 

Mr. Baldwin 

Alcindor has been 

appointed as an 

Audit Partner, 

effective June 1, 

2019. 

KPMG in Barbados 

and the Eastern 

Caribbean (BEC) 

is pleased to 

announce that 

Baldwin Alcindor has been appointed as 

an Audit Partner, effective June 1, 2019. 

He is located in the KPMG office in Saint 

Lucia, and will be responsible for the 

operations there, assisting the leadership 

team in developing the practice across the 

Eastern Caribbean. 

Baldwin attained his BSc. in Accounting/ 

Management (double major) from the 

University of the West Indies, Mona 

campus, Jamaica, and subsequently 

completed his professional accounting 

designation with the Association of 

Chartered Certified Accountants. 

He joins the firm as an experienced Partner, 

having more than 17 years’ experience 

in the profession. Baldwin has extensive 

experience across many sectors, namely 

financial services; banking and capital 

markets; asset management – SEC/Non-SEC 

Registered hedge funds, mutual funds in New 

York, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, and 

Bermuda; telecommunications; hospitality; 

public corporations; utility companies; and 

social services. Baldwin also has regional 

experience having worked in the Cayman 

Islands, Barbados, Trinidad, and Jamaica, in 

addition to his home country of Saint Lucia. 

Commenting on his appointment, 

Managing Partner Lisa Taylor said, “We 

are very pleased to welcome Baldwin to 

the KPMG team. We are part of a global 

network, connected by our shared values, 

and our people. Baldwin joins us at a time 

when KPMG is poised to be the leader in 

new trends, including data and analytics; 

robotics and process automation; and 

Artificial Intelligence. KPMG BEC continues 

to be the Clear Choice for our clients, 

employees, and the communities in which 

we operate.” 

On Tuesday, April 

30, 2019, Mr. 

Francisco Jn 

Pierre from the 

community of 

Laborie, took the oath to become a Senator 

within the Parliament of Saint Lucia. 

Senator Jn Pierre, currently a taxi operator, 

most recently was the Assistant Manager 

for Loans at the Laborie Co-operative 

Credit Union. He serves on the Board of 

the Southern Taxi Company and has, for 

years, been an advocate for taxi drivers in 

the south. He is devoted to the community 

of Laborie where he volunteers, especially 

with youth clubs. 

Senator Jn Pierre, a graduate of the Vieux 

Fort Comprehensive Secondary School, 

has also served in his early years as a 

fire officer of the Saint Lucia Fire Service. 

President of the Senate, Mrs. Jeanine 

Giraudy-McIntyre, officially welcomed 

Senator Jn Pierre, stating that she hoped 

his tenure would be fruitful and to the 

mutual benefit of all. 

Dr. Amanda King 

of St Lucia is the 

new president 

of The Caribbean 

Association for 

Rheumatology 

(CAR). She was 

elected during the 

7th annual CAR 

scientific meeting 

held in Trinidad 

and Tobago in May 2019. 

The other members of the executive are: 

Vice President – Dr. Christophe Deligny of 

Martinique; Secretary – Dr. Sharon Dowell 

of Washington D.C.; Treasurer – Dr. Lynda 

Tilluckdharry of Trinidad. Two additional 

directors were elected in the persons of 

Professor Nigel Harris and Dr. Vincent 

Nwosa (Bahamas) to serve alongside 

the existing directors are Dr. Amanda 

King, Dr. Cleopatra Altenor and Dr. Marie 

Grandison Didier. 

The meeting was attended by 

rheumatologists from the Caribbean and 

the diaspora committed to CAR’s mission 

of improving the care of Caribbean 

patients with rheumatic diseases 

through collaboration, education, research 

and advocacy. 

The World 

Association 

for Christian 

Communication 

(WACC) board 

of directors 

is pleased to 

announce the 

election of 

Embert Charles, 

an experienced 

communication and media specialist 

from Saint Lucia, West Indies, as its 

global President 2019-23 

Charles has over 35 years active 

membership in WACC at both regional and 

global levels during which he has served 

in various capacities as president of WACC 

Caribe (2011-14) and as a member of 

WACC’s international board of directors. 

“Embert Charles has all the experience and 

qualities of leadership that an international 

non-governmental organization like WACC 

needs to guide it over the next few years,” 

said WACC General Secretary Philip Lee. 

“The staff are looking forward to working 

with him and with the soon-to-be-elected 

new board of directors in what will be an 

exciting phase in the life of WACC.” 

Accepting his appointment, Charles noted, 

“WACC remains a focused organisation 

carrying out the mandate of its membership 

after inclusive consultation on the 

emerging issues affecting the marginalised – 

communication and language rights, gender 

imbalance, socio-political and economic 

exclusion, and the environment.” 

Charles has held top administrative, 

managerial and leadership positions in the 

public sector, including managing director of 

the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications 

Regulatory Authority (2008-17). Previously, 

he was director of information services 

and communications and public awareness 

consultant for the Organisation of Eastern 

Caribbean States (OECS). 


MAJOR MOVES 

Michael B Joseph, 

a Saint Lucian 

national and 

former senior 

official with St 

Lucia’s Ministry 

of Finance, has 

been confirmed 

as the new 

Finance Secretary 

in the Ministry of 

Finance, Government of Guyana. 

Joseph holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public 

Administration with a concentration in 

Accounting from UWI and a Master’s 

Degree in Finance from the University of 

Strathclyde, Scotland. He has also received 

specialised training in Public Finance 

from CDB, IMF and the World Bank. He is 

currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree with 

the UWI’s Cave Hill School of Business. 

Joseph is a former Budget Director and 

Director of Finance of the Government 

of Saint Lucia and served as General 

Manager of the Saint Lucia Banana 

Corporation, Executive Finance Director 

on the Board of the Saint Lucia Banana 

Growers Association and a Board Member 

of the Windward Islands Banana Growers 

Association now trading as WINFRESH. He 

was also a Project Management Consultant 

under CPEC designing projects for grant 

funding from CIDA. 

The Saint Lucia 

Hotel and Tourism 

Association’s 

Tourism 

Enhancement 

Fund (TEF) 

welcomed Ms. 

Donette Ismael to 

its management team on May 2, 2019. 

Still committed to the mandate of playing 

an integral role in Saint Lucia’s sustainable 

development, the TEF has brought Ms. 

Ismael on board to oversee and monitor 

the accounting, project administration and 

strategic directions associated with the 

management of the Fund. 

Ms. Ismael, who served as the former 


Agricultural Liaison Officer for the SLHTA, 

says she has a strong passion for Saint 

Lucia’s tourism industry and the work of 

the TEF. She is looking forward to applying 

her communication skills to help foster 

important dialogue between the TEF, its 

stakeholders and policymakers. One of her 

key aims with her new position is to apply 

focus to local communities. 

President of the 

Physiotherapy 

Association 

of Saint Lucia 

(PASL) Inc., Dr. 

Sibyl Edward, 

was elected Vice 

Chair of the North 

America Caribbean Region (NACR) of 

the World Confederation for Physical 

Therapy (WCPT) on May 10, 2019 in 

Geneva, Switzerland. 

The NACR is a regional body of the WCPT 

and currently consists of 15 physiotherapy 

associations called member organizations 

(MOs). Those MOs span the North 

American, Central American and Caribbean 

region and PASL Inc. became a MO in 2015. 

Reflecting on her appointment, Dr. Edward 

took the time to thank the MO presidents 

who not only nudged her into throwing 

her hat into the ring, but also voted for her. 

As vice chair, she looks forward to working 

with all MOs. 

Dr. Edward also thanked former PASL Inc. 

President Ms. Eyonthe Husbands who she 

felt nurtured the Association prior to St. 

Lucia becoming a member of the WCPT. 

This, Dr. Edward felt would have paved the 

way for the Association. 

Ms. Germaine E. 

Maxwell has been 

appointed the 

Branch Manager 

and Principal 

Representative 

of the St. Lucia 

Branch of the Guyana & Trinidad Mutual 

Fire Insurance Company Ltd. (GTM Fire) 

and the Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Life 

Insurance Company Ltd. (GTM Life), with 

effect from April 1, 2019. 

She brings to the Company a wealth of 

knowledge and experience in insurance 

and risk management, having served in 

various capacities in the insurance and 

financial services sector, over the last 

twenty (20) years. These include M&C 

Insurance (1996-2002); Agostini Insurance 

Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited (2002-2007)and 

CIBC First Caribbean International Bank 

(2008-2013). She also gained expertise 

in insurance regulation during the period 

2015- 2019, with the Financial Services 

Regulatory Authority (FSRA). 

Ms. Maxwell is a Chartered Insurance 

Practitioner and a member of the Faculty 

of Insurance Broking of the Chartered 

Insurance Institute, (CII) United Kingdom. 

She attained the Fellowship (FCII) and 

Associateship (ACII) of the Chartered 

Insurance Institute in 2010 and 2006, 

respectively. In 2014, she was awarded 

a Master of Science Degree in Risk 

Management with the University of 

Southampton, United Kingdom. Ms. 

Maxwell also possesses a Bachelor of 

Science Degree in Management Studies 

with the University of the West Indies. 

Anne Marie 

Herman is the 

Manager of Island 

Insurances Inc. 

Mrs. Herman 

commenced 

her career in 

construction and 

has transitioned to 

General Insurance. 

She brings with 

her more than 

eighteen years of experience in education, 

insurance and project management, having 

also worked with an insurance company in 

the United States. 

She began her career as a Woodwork 

and Building Construction teacher at a 

secondary school, continued as a building 

inspector then Property Manager at 

a Financial Institution in St. Lucia. Her 

interest in insurance commenced in 2000, 

working with a major insurance company 

in the USA. Since then, she successfully 

managed an insurance agency and is now 

the proud owner of her own Insurance 

Agency: Island Insurances Inc., authorized 

agents for NAGICO Insurances.

MAJOR MOVES 

She attained a Bachelor Degree (Cum 

Laude) in Industrial Technology and 

her Masters in Construction Industrial 

Management. She has completed 

Caribbean Certificate of Insurance 

Practice (CCOIP) from the Association of 

the Insurance Institute of the Caribbean 

and is working her way to completing 

Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter 

(CPCU). She is also nearing completion of 

her Doctorate in Educational Leadership. 

Sandy Alexander 

is the Assistant 

Manager for 

Island Insurances 

Inc. 

In this role, she is 

responsible for the 

day to day general 

management of 

the operation of 

the Insurance Agency. She brings to Island 

Insurances Inc a wealth of insurance 

knowledge and experience having held 

the positions of Insurance Underwriter, 

Business Development Officer and 

Underwriting Supervisor within the 

Insurance Sector. 

Her general duties include overseeing 

the underwriting, customer service 

and premium function, enhancing the 

operational efficiency of these functions 

and developing and implementing 

professional procedures to enhance 

processing consistency, accuracy and 

timeliness. 

Sandy holds a BSc. In Management Studies 

from the University of the West Indies, and 

a Diploma in Insurance from the Chartered 

Insurance Institute of the Caribbean. 

Leslie Lake 

is the Junior 

Underwriter for 

Island Insurances 

Inc. 

Leslie’s role is to 

prepare quotations, 

receive, review 

and assist with 

the processing 

of applications for insurance coverage. 

Though Leslie is coming from an IT and 

science background, he is one course 

shy of CCOIP from the Association of the 

Insurance Institute of the Caribbean. 

Grow Well Inc. held its annual general 

meeting on Thursday, April 25, 2019, 

marking 24-years of advocacy. The election 

of a new executive and the retirement of 

a stalwart from that role were the main 

highlights of the AGM. 

The meeting heard the president’s report 

from outgoing President Paul Lorde, who 

reported on the past year’s programmes, 

which have been robust, and thanked 

sponsors, volunteers and supporters. 

The financial report was also presented, 

giving a healthy financial outlook for the 

organisation. 

Guest speaker Henry Mangal of Business 

Acumen Consulting offered words of 

encouragement to volunteers gathered at 

the Grow Well Centre in Gros Islet. 

A noted volunteer himself, Mangal’s 

keynote address stressed that community 

work was one of the best ways to make the 

most of one’s time, as it benefits not only 

those you seek to help, but the community 

and the volunteer as well. 

Mangal also took the time to express 

admiration for outgoing President Paul 

Lorde and Secretary Colleen Newman, 

noting their long and storied community 

service via Grow Well. 

Newman also commended Lorde, 

under who’s leadership the number of 

programmes at GrowWell has vastly 

increased. 

New Executive for Grow Well 

Lorde has served in several capacities on 

the executive over the past 24 years and 

was awarded Honorary Life Membership 

in recognition of distinguished service to 

the organisation on its 20th anniversary. 

He announced at the AGM, his decision to 

remove himself from future consideration 

for any executive position. Lorde was 

recognised with an award at the AGM 

in appreciation of his contribution to 

Grow Well. 

Another stalwart recognised was Mary 

Sidoine, who received the President’s 

Award at the AGM. She was commended 

for her valuable contribution to the 

golf programme. 

Eleven individuals were confirmed to lead 

the organisation for the next two years, 

two in absentia. Four of these have not 

previously held executive positions. The 

new executive comprises President – Paula 

St. Luce, Vice President – Christina Jules, 

Secretary – Simone Liverpool, Treasurer 

– Andy DeVerteuil (Abs), PRO – Maria 

Fontenelle, Floor Members Tracey Arnold 

and Leslie Clarke, Trustees Monique 

Dubisson, Susan Guillaume and Colleen 

Newman, and Rotary-appointed Trustee – 

Astrid Mondesir (Abs). 

The injection of new members into the 

organisation is expected to help sustain 

and expand the organisation’s programmes 

for youth in the island’s north. 


New Company Registrations 

NEW COMPANY REGISTRATIONS 

COMPANY NATURE OF BUSINESS DIRECTORS 

Afrikarib Organic and Naturals Ltd 

Agnes James Ltd 


a) Production of black soap 

b) Any other business generally permitted by law 

Hair Salon 

Asari Ambeno Emma Mukete 

Jonathan David Lesfloris, 

Davianne Daniel 

Alex Welding Services (AWS) Inc. Welding and fabrication Alexander Charles, David Charles 

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Enterprises 

(A.A.C.E.) Construction Inc. 

BDS Logistics Inc. 

Construction importation and development 

a) Customs clearance and brokerage 

b) Shipping & Transportation Management 

c) Procurement, distribution & production logistics 

d) Insurance 

e) Copying, printing & internet 

f) Any other related business 

Dylan Norbert-Inglis 

Bertlan Quincy Shepherd, 

Dernelle Chelsea Shepherd, 

Adjoiva Anissa Best 

Bel Poule Farms Incorporated Vacation property development Roger St. Clair, Genevieve St. Clair 

Capitulum III (CAP 3) Inc. Holding and investment company Jane Norbert, Dylan Norbert-Inglis 

Construction Design and Procurement Ltd. 

a) Construction 

b) Building design 

c) Procurement 

Gideon Ferlie 

D Locarl Pot Ltd. Restaurant and catering John Soochan 

Edge Investments Inc. Property Investment Pinkley Francis, Patrick Isaac 

EJ’s Beachside Restaurant and Bar Inc. 

Family & Cosmetic Dental Services Ltd 

Gemini Construction Inc. 

a) To operate a restaurant 

b) Events management 

c) Water sporting activities 

Dental Services 

a) To carry out all construction services 

b) Generally to do any other business which is not 

restricted by law 

Leian Casey Francis 

Jonathan David Lesfloris, 

Davianne Daniel 

Hope and Liberty Medical Services Limited Medical Tourism Suhas Kotbagi 

Island of Birth Inc. 

Music production, promotion and musical artiste 

management 

Christopher Gidian Charlie, 

Causandra Tamara Leon-Charlie 

Arthur Antoine 

JIG Inc. Holding Company Ingrid John 

JT Professional Boat Maintenance & 

Services Inc. 

To provide yachting services, tours, maintenance, 

repair and other related services with respect to 

yachts and other similar services 

Alvin Dornelly 

King George Taxi and Tour Inc. Transportation and logistical services George Joseph 

Kingdom Harvest Fellowship Inc. 

Lux & Cab Caribbean Ltd. 

Marine Connections Inc. 

My Home Ltd. 

Youth Ministry, community outreach, worship services 

Transporting of visitors to and from the hotel, airports 

and seaports etc 

Boat servicing, fabrication, all ancillary services, fiber 

glassing etc 

Generally to do any other business which is not 


Eurisca Chandler, Esther Matthew, 

Johana Hinds 

David Gilles Vaubien 

Alexander Renee, 

Larry Graig Frost 

Deepak Mahtani, Pearl Scotland

NEW COMPANY REGISTRATIONS 

COMPANY NATURE OF BUSINESS DIRECTORS 

Nawi Products Ltd. Import / Export Zephrin Joseph 

NC Construction Plus Inc. 

Performance Paints Group Ltd. 

Philip Hiking Tours Inc. 

Rodney Bay Medical Centre Holdings Ltd. 

RX Health Inc. 

Construction, real estate development, equipment 

supplies, installation & rental, road rehabilitation 

Sale of paint and paint supplies 

Health Services 

Cuthbert Nathoniel, Nigel Garia 

Umanath Katwaroo, Francine 

Katwaroo, Philippe Rivoire 

Philip Paul 

Tanya Destang-Beaubrun 

Matthew Beaubrun 

Rex Suckoo 

SL Acquisition Company Ltd. Hospitality Operating Company Marva Paul 

Solutions Plus Inc. 

Southeastern Caribbean College Inc. 

Star Margin Inc. 

Sterling Global Citizenship Advisory 

Partners Inc. 

Sterling Legal Ltd. 

Construction 

a) Offering of academic services, and 

b) Generally to do any other business which is not 

restricted by law. 

Various technology, marketing and 

procurement services 

Saint Lucia Investment Advisory 

Holiday Lettings and Property Management 

Kernie Emmanuel, 

Louise Emmanuel 

Rev. Cletus Henry, 

Pastor Zifus James, 

Mrs. Shelly-Anne James 

Omarie Ferdinand, 

Herbert Regis 

Theresa Paula Hinkson 

Jahn R. Sifflet 

Tonjaka E. Hinkson 

Kaushik Punjani 

Tonjaka E. Hinkson 

Sanjay Thakrar 

Theresa Paul Hinkson 

Sueno De Caribbean Ltd. Property Holding Sueno De Aquarius Ltd. 

Taico Trades Inc. 

TEC CW Ltd. 

Distribution Company 

Civil Works, as may be determined by the Directors 

from time to time. 

Yann Anselm 

Cleaver Williams 

Garvin Girard 

Knedy Petit-Rodriquez 

Thomas Lloyd Bryan 

Junior Alvin Octive 

Ted Emmanuel 

Edna Emmanuel 

The Private Label Inc. Buying and selling Apparel Zac Asa DeMyers 

Ti Bagauuy Ltd. 

Travel Views Inc. 

Treetop Restaurant & Bar Limited 

TRENCO Ltd. 

Generally to do any other business which is not 


To carry out all types of business relating to travel, 

tourism, real estate, production of travel videos 

and advertisements, photography publishing and 

similar works. 

Restaurant and bar services 

Construction, Real Estate, Property Development and 

Procurement 

Nelita Parris 

Vincent Andre Alexander, 

Doris Eith 

Michael Louis-Fernand, 

Solange Lenihan 

Sancha Alphonse 


ADVERTISER'S INDEX 

COMPANY 

Advertiser's Index 

Page 

1st National Bank 63 

Advertising & Marketing Services Ltd 105 

Agostini Insurance Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited 69 

Alternative Security Services (St. Lucia) Limited 22 

Association of Insurance Advisors of Saint Lucia 16 

Bank of St. Lucia 110 & 111 

Baywalk Shopping Mall 57 

Caribbean Awning Ltd 28 

CIBC First Caribbean International Bank 31 

Coco Palm 25 

Cool Breeze Car / Jeep Rentals 5 

C. O. Williams Group of Companies 44 

Essential Hardware Ltd 27 

Exel Sign Ltd 79 

GK Insurance 9 

Goddard Catering Group 1 

Grant Thornton 9 

Harris Paints 42 

IBS Inc /Innovative Business Solutions 33 

Inside Out Ltd 74 

Island Insurances Inc 38 

Jamecob’s Quality Construction Ltd 45 

KLEYDUN Consulting Services Inc. 79 

Lewis Industries Limited 12 

Marigot Bay Resort & Marina 2 

The Montesorri Centre 69 

Quality Aggregates 63 

RECS Construction Company Ltd 36 

Renee's Construction 69 

Sagicor Life 21 

SOL EC Ltd (St. Lucia) 33 

Sun General Insurance 57 

Top Stone Fabrication Ltd. 47 

Unicomer Ltd /Courts 11 

COVERS 

St Lucia Distillers 

FICS 

Automotive Art 

IFC 

IBC 

OBC 


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St. Lucia Business Focus 103

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