54 May 2015 - Business View Caribbean
The Fairest of Them All
Winfresh counting on diversification to deliver future success
In 1994, the entity now known as Winfresh Limited
replaced the Windward Islands Banana Growers’ As-
sociation (WINBAN), which was incorporated in 1961.
WINBAN was limited by guarantee without a share
capital and was owned by banana growers’ associa-
tions in Dominica, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent, and
the Grenada Banana Cooperative Society.
WINBAN was established, initially, to administer a crop
insurance scheme – the banana industry suffered se-
vere damages from Hurricanes Janet and Katie in the
1950s and Abbey in 1960 – and its non-commercial
functions were expanded to research and develop-
ment and the administration of a supply contract be-
tween the banana associations and Geest Industries.
Winfresh was incorporated in 1994, as the Windward
Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company
Limited (WIBDECO). “We started simply as a banana
company, exporting bananas from the Windward Is-
lands. A wholly owned subsidiary, WIBDECO UK, was
incorporated in the UK that did the importation,”
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