Business View Caribbean | October 2019

62 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN OCTOBER 2019 in putting Caribbean rum on the world map, thus ensuring the continuation of rum production in the region.” St. Vincent Distillers employs a dedicated staff of 31 people who are vital to the success of the business. The still, itself, is a 24-hour operation, consisting of three shifts, Monday to Saturday. The entire distillery is at one location, consisting of seven separate buildings: an office building; a bottling plant; a still; a rum barn; two aging barns (where barrels are held to age); and a storeroom. The distillery works closely with three components in the Government: the Tourism Authority, the Hotel and Tourism Authority, and the Ministry of Trade. “Of course, rum and tourism has been a long- standing combination,” says Greaves. “Everyone comes to the Caribbean for the rum and the sun. So, rum is going to be a large part of that economic growth. Our tourism product in the country is increasing; there is new hotel development planned, with a number of hotels already in the pipeline. St. Vincent and the Grenadines economy, in the past, was largely based