Business View Caribbean - February 2015 49
market, which is the DeKalb (Farmers) Market in At-
lanta, and we need to strengthen that relationship. We
want to see first-hand what the customers’ needs are.”
The positive vibe that’s attached worldwide to nearly
all things Jamaican doesn’t hurt either.
“Jamaica has such a tremendous brand,” Hilton said.
“And Jamaica is so known for athletics, music, its food;
the only way to go is up to capitalize on that platform. I
think there’s a definite advantage to products emanat-
ing from Jamaica.”
Of course, doing business on the island is not without
its challenges, too.
She said multiple layers of bureaucracy and the ac-
companying red tape is a perpetual challenge to any
domestic operation doing business internationally,
as are security problems created by the fear of drug
contamination and exorbitantly high energy rates com-
pared to the rest of the Caribbean.
“It makes doing business in Jamaica vey uncompeti-
tive,” Hilton said. “So you really need to be sharp and
be able to be innovative to deal with these challenges.”
The company’s facilities have passed initial tests re-
quired by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and
it follows requirements as laid out by the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture as well, so it’s now in the process
of developing links to local farmers who can provide
products to those specifications.
Most of Carita Jamaica’s business is with the United
States and Canada, though a greater export footprint
across Europe is a prime objective. As well as boosting
the company’s profile domestically through outreach
within its home territory.
“There’s a whole new world for us to expand into and
we are very much looking forward to that,” Hilton said.
“My objective is to get a lot of community involvement
in our business. I am very seriously concerned with
raising the standard of living of rural communities and
empowering them. This will the s contribute to the re-
covery of the national economy – because Jamaica
has such a wide range of natural products. We are
just not reaching the potential that this country has in
terms of exports.”
PREFERRED VENDORS
March Pac Ltd. (Jamaica)
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
Carita Jamaica Ltd.
WHAT:
Distributor of fresh produce and pro-
cessed foods, including pepper, yam, breadfruit,
ackee, callaloo, soups and juices
WHERE:
Corporate headquarters in Kingston,
Jamaica
WEBSITE
:
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