Business View Caribbean - January 2015 19
plants in Jamaica and the only soluble coffee process-
ing plant in the entire Caribbean region. It supplies a
full complement of Jamaican coffees via roasted and
ground beans, in addition to roasted whole beans and
soluble instants.
Away from the island nation’s signature beaches, Ja-
maica’s rugged terrain caters well to coffee typically
grown between 1,500 and 5,000 feet. Salada’s Premi-
um Blue Mountain Coffee takes the flavor to another
level – literally – by taking advantage of the rich, fer-
tile and well-drained soil within a 10-mile radius of the
country’s highest point, the 7,402-foot Blue Mountain
Peak.
The formal link to Salada Tea ended when the Jamai-
can company went public as one of the first businesses
listed on the island’s stock exchange. In fact, Salada
Foods Jamaica Ltd. has now been run domestically for
more than 40 years, according to its current managing
director, Keshia Nelson-Brown.
“It has seen a bit of transition,” she said. “The last
ownership change was in 2008, where the current ma-
jority shareholder bought the company from another
local holder, who wanted to move into other areas of
business and found a local partner who was willing to
buy into the company.”
The current workforce includes 50 full-time employ-
ees – eight managers, 42 staff members – though
the number spikes to around 280 during production
periods, when additional people are needed for main-
tenance, and to operate the line that creates the cof-
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
Salada Foods Jamaica Ltd.
WHAT:
Producer and exporter of beverages,
drink mixes and dessert products to markets
throughout the Caribbean region, as well as North
America and European countries.
WHERE:
Kingston, Jamaica
WEBSITE
:
RESORTS FOOD AND BEVERAGE
