Business View Caribbean | Volume 8, Issue 7

41 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 7 NAT IONAL RUMS OF JAMA I CA the distillation is complete, is used as fertilizer in the cane fields, a process Miller describes as “fertigation”– creating a circular economy. She notes, “It does eventually come full circle. You plant the cane, cane is processed by the sugar factory to produce sugar and molasses. The molasses goes over to the distillery, the distillery produces alcohol, the waste is the dunder, the dunder goes back into the cane field as a fertilizer. The dunder is diluted with water and applied to the cane fields. It’s a matter of combining irrigation and fertilizing to get what we call fertigation. The waste product from the distillery is used to fertilize the cane, we reap the cane, and the cycle continues.” National Rums regularly evaluates for efficiencies and cost savings. In 2019 the company converted to 100% liquid natural gas (LNG) as a fuel source. In addition, we are currently installing a combined heat and power (CHP) engine, which would mean all electricity would be supplied off-grid, driven by LNG. challenges and the logistics of container services throughout the World. That is what we’re feeling the impact of now. But in 2020, we had no challenges from COVID.” During the pandemic, the company was also able to supply denatured rum to the National Health Fund to be used for sanitization across Jamaica. National Rums has a goal to be an employer of choice in Jamaica. With 120 direct employees, a large percentage of the current workforce has been with the company for many years. Miller shares, “I’m considered one of the new kids on the block, and I’ve been here for eight years. Our workforce in general has tenure.” She goes on to explain, “As a result of the need to dispose of our waste product, dunder, we have gone into cane farming. So, the distilleries have cane farms attached to them. If you look at the company including indirect labor, we are closer to about 200 people.” Dunder, which is the waste that remains after