Business View Caribbean | July 2019

38 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN JULY 2019 Jones ESTATES LTD. Fred M. AT A GLANCE FRED M. JONES ESTATES, LTD. WHAT: Family-owned agriculture and land development company WHERE: Golden Grove, St. Thomas, Jamaica WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/pg/fmjestatesltd Coconuts, cassava, and crocodiles! I n the early 1900s, Fred M. Jones and his brother were busy growing coconuts and bananas on a tract of land in the parish of Portland, Jamaica. Blessed with the entrepreneurial spirit, in the years that ensued, Jones cultivated his agricultural prowess into a family legacy under the name Fred M. Jones Estates, Ltd. (FMJ) that today is a going concern – actively engaged in the production of lawn grass, beef cattle, coconuts, cassava, and yes, crocodiles! - with a particularly exciting land development operation rounding out the diverse portfolio. Nicholas Jones is Managing Director of Fred M. Jones Estates Ltd., and a proud 3rd generation member of the Jones clan. The story he tells of the evolution of the family biz is at once fascinating and bold. As Nicholas recounts, “This business was started by my Grandfather, Fred M.