Business View Caribbean | August 2019

20 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN AUGUST 2019 two directions – up and down. If you try to stand still, you’re going down. There’s only one alternative: if you want to succeed you have to grow. So, we started out with four cars and the last time I checked we were at 1,500 rental vehicles, including buses and pickups. That’s bigger than all the multi-nationals in Jamaica put together. The vast majority of our rentals are with foreign visitors, particularly from the Jamaican diaspora – second and third generations who have heard stories from their grandparents about what Jamaica is like and they’re coming home to visit.” The company is comprised of a few different divisions. It has maintenance facilities in Kingston and Montego Bay with major parts departments. Having learned by experience that the largest cost in an accident is the cost of downtime when the vehicle is not available for rental, the company carries a larger parts inventory than most new car dealers. Island Car Rentals’ garages, in terms of volume of production, are some of the largest in Jamaica. There is a significant used car sales department, as well. Unlike in the U.S., where companies can trade a used fleet back to the manufacturer for a new fleet, Jamaica doesn’t have that luxury. They have to sell the cars, themselves, one at a time. Island insures its rental cars for third-party fire and theft, and any damage done by the rentals to third parties is covered by that insurance. But damage to the company’s vehicles is Island Car Rentals’ responsibility. In that regard, the renter is responsible for all damages he does to the vehicle, but if he doesn’t want to take that risk, there are options available to reduce it. He can pay a certain amount extra per day, and not be responsible for anything, or only the first $500, or the first $1000. pictured above Chairman and Managing Director, Michael Campbell pictured below Michael Campbell receives the President’s Award from the Jamaica Hotel & Tourism Association (JHTA) in 2016 in recognition of his sterling contribution in steering the company from an inauspicious start with 15 used vehicles to what it has now become - a major player in the tourism transportation sector. Sharing the moment with Campbell are from left to right, Nicola Madden-Greig, then President of the JHTA; Camille Needham, Executive Director, JHTA and Paul Pennicooke, then Director of Tourism for Jamaica.