Business View Caribbean | March 2019

33 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN MARCH 2019 shareholders but not actively involved in operations. MSO is now the longest-running family business in Montserrat. Osborne recalls, “When I was growing up more than 40 years ago, there were many family-owned businesses, most of which are no longer operating. But we are now in the third generation, we have evolved. We withstood a major hurricane – Hugo – which ravaged the island in 1989 and, at the time, everyone thought would be the catastrophe of our lifetime. In 1995 however, the Soufriere volcano, which was previously a well-visited tourist attraction, quickly erupted to life. The pyroclastic flows that belched from this giant quickly destroyed centuries of development in Plymouth and surrounding areas in just a few short years. MSO’s stores, office buildings, car dealerships and even the majestic Coconut Hill Hotel now lay below layers of ash and lava, possibly lost forever. Decades of building a successful business were wiped away in a relative blink of an eye. Looking back at it, the easy decision would have been to gather what was left and call it a day. It’s now over 20 years since the volcano roared to life and we are still here; ‘easy’ was not the way we chose. “Rebuilding meant having to start from scratch. We had no land, no building, and poor infrastructure in the new North safe zone. We soon acquired a piece of land in Brades, the new capital of Montserrat and started out in makeshift buildings and container offices. With the support and endurance of our family and staff we were able to continuously build until we were settled in our new commercial building and headquarters. “The Vue Pointe hotel, while spared from the devastating pyroclastic flows, came with its unique set of challenges. The hotel is situated on the safe side of the scientific ‘best guess’ boundary between the safe and unsafe zones. It once overlooked a pristine golf course with the beach practically kissing the foot of the hotel property. “Over several years of volcanic activity, the golf course became buried by large lava and mudflow and the shoreline of the beautiful beach was driven at least a half mile out by the mighty hands of nature. During the early days of the eruption, the hotel would remain open but was plagued by frequent ash falls. When the volcanic activity increased, the government and scientists would sometimes push the boundary of the unsafe zone well beyond the hotel, thus, forcing it to close. Guests at the hotel would have to be evacuated, staff were left without a job from one day to the next, and the property M. S . OSBORNE LTD . (MONTSERRAT )