Winners 2011
Small to Medium Business of the Year 2011
Construction & Industrial Equipment Limited, St Lucia
Led by entrepreneur Mr Rayneau Gajadhar, C.I.E Ltd part of the R.G Group is a dynamic & innovative construction group whose mission is to build organizational & institutional capacity, create wealth & employment, encourage innovation, develop professional capabilities’ foster relationships locally & regionally whilst delivering best quality products & services, constantly ensuring service beyond expectation.
They were awarded Small to Medium Business of the Year for their strong demonstrable leadership, recognition of the value of people development and their environmental approach to construction.
Large Business of the Year
Angostura Holdings Limited, Trinidad
A well known international group comprising of a number of companies operating in the alcoholic beverage sector in Trinidad and Tobago. Its primary subsidiaries are Angostura Limited (sales and marketing) and Trinidad Distillers Limited(manufacture of cased product and export of bulk spirits).
In 2010, recognising that changes in the economy could adversely impact performance, the organisation undertook certain measures aimed at improving the efficiency of both their processes and their employees.
They were awarded Large Business of the Year for their astute foresight in strategic planning and the clear steps taken to ensure their employees were developed to meet the objectives and build them into an even stronger international brand.
Customer Excellence Award – Small to Medium
Indigo Event Services, Antigua
From destination weddings to diplomatic events to corporate away days, Indigo Event Services aim is to take away the stress and confusion of planning a destination event.
Don’t underestimate the ability of this company based on size! They were awarded the Customer Excellence Award due their attention to detail and ability to interpret their customers’ needs and demands whilst still applying a very personal touch.
Customer Excellence Award – Large
Trinidad & Tobago Unit Trust Corporation, Trinidad
The Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) is the leading mutual fund provider in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Region and was established in 1982 to enable the average citizen to have indirect access to investments to which he/she would not ordinarily have. Their primary objective has been to provide unitholders with quality service, competitive returns and to protect them while responsibly growing their capital.
They were awarded the Customer Excellence Award as it was judged that the Trust has taken exceptional steps to ensure that the “Customer is King” philosophy runs throughout the organization with all aspects of customer feedback incorporated into improving customer/client interaction.
Excellence in Tourism
Antiguanice.com, Antigua
Antiguanice.com is owned by husband and wife team Colin Adams & Alison Sly-Adams. Since taking over the business in September 2003 they have grown the business from a small but effective online guide, into Antigua Nice Ltd. the largest digital marketing company in Antigua and Barbuda. Antiguanice.com, the largest web portal about Antigua, the market leader in visitor and resident information and extends is reach using direct mail and social media. The company also manages digital marketing strategies for organizations of every size in Antigua and is particularly focused on the development of increased online media reach in the yachting industry. Services include website design and management, social media strategies and direct mail marketing. Their strap line ‘Get Inspired’ works not only for promoting the brand to visitors to the twin island state but also to residents where they see every day presenting a new challenge.
They were awarded the Excellence in Tourism Award for their integral approach to tourism bringing together both businesses and locals to promote a national product.
Excellence in Hospitality
Food and Drink Caribbean Guide, Antigua, St. Kitts, Dominica
Prior to 2004, most restaurants in Antigua and Barbuda, including resort and hotel restaurants, were known locally only by word of mouth. Bars and casual food and drink establishments had almost no media exposure. There was an obvious need for a publication that addressed this problem.
Janie Conley and Gulliver Johnson launched the Antigua & Barbuda Food & Drink Guide in 2004. Working with a small talented production team, they developed a professional publication. It quickly became the essential medium for promoting and showcasing every food and drink establishment, from the elegant international resort to the smallest bar, as well as suppliers and purveyors of food and drink. Suddenly the whole culinary hospitality industry became visible, with very beneficial results for the participants. The Guide quickly became the reference book of choice for visitors as well as Antiguans and Barbudans. As the scope of the Guide evolved, it became a who’s who of the hospitality industry, and a source of delicious recipes from gifted chefs and bartenders across the twin island nation.
They hosted their first Food & Drink Industry Party in 2008, bringing together the entire culinary industry at a serious gastronomic gathering. Everyone who counted in hospitality was under the same roof an important consideration for talent spotting by industry professionals. The 2008 Industry Party was pronounced a phenomenal success and an auction raised college fees for two students.
Toward the end of 2009 they met an important and very talented ambassador for Barbuda named Philman George, also known as “The Rhyming Chef”, and his fiancé, Ngardy Conteh, a gifted filmmaker and video editor. Philman is a multi talented chef with international experience, who fuses his culinary skills with his love of hip hop to produce an exciting and unusual TV show called “The Rhyming Chef Barbuda” which airs out of Toronto.
The Food & Drink team and The Rhyming Chef team and have since collaborated on a number of projects centered on the pleasures of island food and drink. Together they produced the first Food & Drink Guide DVD, and six months later a culinary Food & Drink TV show for local television networks The second show in the series is due for release in 2011, and will be aired throughout the
Caribbean.
The biggest and most exciting initiative by Food & Drink Guide in 2010 was the production of “tablemanners”, a roundup of the first seven years of the Guide in the form of a vibrant and beautifully designed coffee table book.
They were awarded the Excellence in Hospitality Award for their innovative foresight in bringing Caribbean cuisine to a global audience via all technological formats.
