Business View Caribbean - January 2015 47
Hardware and Lumber Ltd. consists of two main divi-
sions, includes 10 Rapid True Value stores and five
AgroGrace stores, reported 2013 revenues of $6.8 bil-
lion (Jamaican) and is primarily held by the aforemen-
tioned GraceKennedy Ltd. and Pan Jamaica Invest-
ments Ltd. (20.8 percent).
Among the divisions, AgroGrace is Jamaica’s leading
distributor and retailer of agricultural inputs. Its major
product lines include pesticides, fertilizers, vegetable
seeds, animal feeds, home garden items and farm
equipment, and it provides expert advice and assis-
tance in meeting the challenges of improving produc-
tivity and general profitability of the Jamaican farmer.
Rapid True Value’s stores are located island-wide, with
each focusing on consistently delivering the widest
range of quality merchandise to small and mid-sized
hardware stores, contractors, building professionals
and home owners. The overall company’s purchas-
ing network spans four continents, which enables
it to source more than 50,000 products. Product of-
ferings include lumber and plyboard, steel, cement,
tiles, cement, pipes, plumbing, sanitary ware, paints,
hardware and tools, lawn and garden, lighting fixtures,
electrical supplies, windows, doors, housewares and
appliances.
The core message supporting the AgroGrace brand is
“Your Complete Farm and Garden Store,” while Rapid
True Value is labeled as “Everything you need to Build,
Renovate Decorate.”
“We utilize enterprise inventory management and re-
tail software from a world-leading supplier, which en-
ables us to manage the over 50,000 SKUs through
our network of 15 locations,” said Patrick Chambers, a
category manager at Hardware and Lumber Ltd. since
2009. “In short order, we will roll out our e-commerce
platform that will enhance our ability to satisfy the
younger and more techno-savvy consumers which will
also open up a new channel of distribution.”
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