The Jamaica Business Fund (JBF) has been established under the Government of Jamaica and the World Bank’s Foundation for Competitiveness and Growth Project (FCGP) to provide support financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) working with a lead (Anchor) firm in a supply chain, to implement projects that will make the supply chains more competitive.
It is expected that these projects will produce outcomes that benefit the Jamaican economy such as increased production, sales, employment, and foreign exchange earnings.
The JBF successfully launched its first Call for Concept Notes in August, 2016, and following the evaluation of full applications from Anchor firms, four supply chain projects were selected for grant support.
We now feature two firms – Perishables Jamaica Limited and Jamaica Standard Products – that have signed grant agreements in February, 2017, at the offices of the Jamaica Business Fund.
The Perishables Jamaica Limited (PJL) supply chain project requested support for the resuscitation of the Jamaican Ginger industry, and the Jamaica Standard Products (JSP), for targeting the improvement in Coffee bean quality and supply in its SME supply chain of farmers. These projects are aimed at realizing the economic objectives of the FCGP that will see growth to the respective agriculture sub-sectors. These agreements were recently signed at the offices of the Jamaica Business Fund.
Jamaica Standard Products
Jamaica Standard Products (JSP) commenced operations in 1942.
The company plants and grows coffee beans, as well as processes, packages and sells numerous products locally and worldwide including to countries such as Japan, United States, China, Canada, the Caribbean, the U.K. and Europe. These products include a line of coffees, coffee liquors, sauces and spices and assorted packages from brands such as Blue Baron Estate, Jamaica Blue Mountain, Jamaica High Mountain, Island Blue, Baronhall Estate and Baronhall Farms.
JSP specializes in Blue Mountain and High Mountain coffee blends, with over 1,000 small farmers across the island.
Site visit by Jamaica Business Fund team members at Jamaica Standard Products Coffee Factory in Williamsfield, Manchester. From left are Kenneth Reid, SME Specialist (JBF); Yvonne Brown, Finance & Administration Manager (JBF); John O. Minott, J.P., General Manager (JSP), and Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager (JBF). Date: February 13, 2017.
Photo credit: Latoya Williams.
Site visit on February 13, 2017, by Jamaica Business Fund (JBF) team members at Jamaica Standard Products (JSP) Coffee Factory in Williamsfield, Manchester. From left to right are: Kenneth Reid, SME Specialist (JBF); Yvonne Brown, Finance & Administration Manager (JBF); John O. Minott, J.P., General Manager (JSP), and Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager (JBF).
Site visit on February 13, 2017, by Jamaica Business Fund (JBF) team members at Jamaica Standard Products (JSP) Coffee Factory in Williamsfield, Manchester. From left to right are: John O. Minott J.P., General Manager (JSP); Kenneth Reid, SME Specialist (JBF); Yvonne Brown, Finance & Administration Manager (JBF); Ronald Dubrisingh (JBF), Fund Manager; Kenroy Hord, Production Manager (JSP).
Site visit on February 13, 2017, by Jamaica Business Fund (JBF) team members at Jamaica Standard Products (JSP) Coffee Factory in Williamsfield, Manchester. From left to right are: Kenneth Reid, SME Specialist (JBF); Kenroy Hord, Production Manager (JSP); Ronald Dubrisingh (JBF), Fund Manager.
Signing on February 14, 2017, of the Jamaica Business Fund (FCGP3A) Grant Agreement with Jamaica Standard Products. From left to right are: John O. Minott, J.P., General Manager of Jamaica Standard Products; Kenneth A. Reid, SME Specialist (JBF), and Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager of the Jamaica Business Fund.
Handshake after the signing of the Jamaica Business Fund (FCGP3A) Grant Agreement with Jamaica Standard Products. John O. Minott, J.P., General Manager of the Jamaica Standard Products and (right) Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager of the Jamaica Business Fund. Date February 14, 2017. Photo credit: Latoya Williams.
Perishables Jamaica Limited
Perishables Jamaica Ltd. (PJL) commenced operations in October 1980. The company manufactures tisanes, commonly known as herbal teas using authentic Jamaican raw material. The tea bags are currently available in 15 herbal flavours under the TOPS brand; some of which include ginger, ginger mint, ginger lemon grass, and sorrel with ginger.
PJL has a 20-acre farm that produces some of the dried materials used in its teas. The company sources raw materials from over 500 small and medium sized farmers and wild crafters across Jamaica.
PJL primarily targets consumers of herbal teas within the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
Site visit on November 29, 2016, by Jamaica Business Fund team members at Perishables Jamaica Limited (PJL) in Kingston. From left to right are: Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager (JBF), Kenneth Reid SME Specialist (JBF), and Norman Wright, Managing Director (PJL). Photo credit: Latoya Williams
Managing Director of Perishables Jamaica Limited (PJL) Norman Wright (left) speaks to the group on November 29, 2016, after a tour of the (PJL) factory located in Kingston. From second left are: Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager (JBF), Kenneth Reid, SME Specialist (JBF), and Lenworth Collins, Special Projects Officer (PJL).
Signing of the Jamaica Business Fund (FCGP3A) Grant Agreement on February 15, 2017, with Perishables Jamaica Limited. At left is Norman Wright, Managing Director of Perishables Jamaica Limited and at right is Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager of the Jamaica Business Fund.
Signing of the Jamaica Business Fund (FCGP3A) Grant Agreement on February 15, 2017, with Perishables Jamaica Limited. (In the Picture: (left) Norman Wright – Managing Director of Perishables Jamaica Limited; (middle) Latoya Williams, Project Specialist (JBF) and (right) Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager of the Jamaica Business Fund. Photo credit: Kenneth A. Reid.
Ahh! The smell of ginger! Fund Manager of the Jamaica Business Fund, Ronald Dubrisingh, inhales the aroma from a freshly ground package of Tops Ginger Tea, by Perishables Jamaica Limited at the signing of the Jamaica Business Fund (FCGP3A) Grant Agreement with Perishables Jamaica Limited on February 15, 2017. Photo credit: Latoya Williams
All smiles, after the singing of the Jamaica Business Fund (JBF) Grant Agreement on February 15, 2017, with Perishables Jamaica Limited. From left to right are Norman Wright, Managing Director of Perishables Jamaica Limited; Yvonne Brown, Finance & Administration Manager (JBF); Kenneth Reid, SME Specialist (JBF) and Ronald Dubrisingh, Fund Manager (JBF). Photo credit: Latoya Williams
Contact:
Andrea Livingston-Prince
FCGP Coordinator DBJ
929-4000 (switchboard); 920-4649 (straight line)
OR
Claudette White
Manager, Communication & Marketing, DBJ
929-4000; 619-4000
