The JQ Charles Group of Companies

THE JQ CHARLES GROUP OF COMPANIES the company has strong competition from oth- er dealerships – including one that sells Toyota, Hyundai, Honda and Subaru, and another that sells KIA Isuzu, and Mazda. “We go neck and neck with them most times during the year,” he avers. “What keeps us strong is our range of products. In this market, where brands can be up one day and down another, it’s important.We also have some good support from Chevrolet in terms of batteries and accessories that are well-placed and well- priced. So, we developed a distribution arm, which helps strengthen our automotive brand.We also have an excellent location–high visibility in a high traffic area.” For decades, the biggest area of concentration for the Group was supermarkets and food dis- tribution, in general. Our direct involvement in that part of the business has been scaled down somewhat, since the supermarket company is directly managed by the majority shareholder, the Massy Group out of Trinidad. “Across the islands, Massy Supermarkets are a dominant force,” Gor- don admits. However, as a minority shareholder, JQ Supermarket Ltd. still plays a significant gov- ernance role with its St. Lucia stores, as well as on the neighboring island of St. Vincent, where there are three. “The economies of scale keep that business going,” Gordon notes. “And one of the things that keep us apart from competition is the association with the Massy Group, which means that our purchasing power is regional and that is one strength that we are able to leverage.” JQ Realty Inc. is one of St. Lucia’s larger real estate companies with a portfolio of properties