GraceKennedy hails households, stalwarts for 100th milestone
Published:Monday | February 14, 2022 | 12:08 AM
Don Wehby, group chief executive officer of GraceKennedy (GK) Limited, has praised Jamaican households for bringing the multibillion-dollar conglomerate to its 100th anniversary, which is being celebrated today.
The company has morphed from exclusive food manufacturing at its genesis on February 14, 1922, to other services such as banking, insurance, supermarkets, and remittances.
“From our little island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, a small Jamaican trading establishment has transformed into a global consumer group which serves millions of customers, employs thousands, and which is loved the world over,” Wehby said during a service of thanksgiving for the GK Group at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in downtown Kingston on Sunday.
GraceKennedy records revenues of more than US$800 million per annum, with 2020, the year of the pandemic, being the company’s most profitable.
GK now has more than 50 subsidiaries, with operations spanning the Caribbean, North and Central America, the United Kingdom, and several European countries.
The group CEO paid tribute to deceased and living stalwarts who have contributed to the growth and development of GK since its inception. Among those praised were founding fathers Dr John Grace, Fred Kennedy, and James Moss-Solomon Sr; and pioneering leaders Luis Fred Kennedy, Carlton Alexander, Rafael Diaz, and Douglas Orane.
Wehby also recognised his first boss when he joined GK in 1995, Peter Moss-Solomon, as well as the late Jimmy Moss-Solomon, chairman of the Grace & Staff Foundation, who passed away on January 4.
“Jimmy served his country and fellow Jamaicans with love and generosity. He has left big shoes to fill, but, through the important work of our foundation, we will continue to honour his memory and build on his enduring legacy,” Wehby said.
The theme for GK Group’s 100th anniversary is ‘Our Story is Your Story. Celebrating the past. Shaping the Future’.
For his part, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said GK’s centenary celebration is a “big deal!”.
He said the company has developed a reputation of bringing quality products to both local and international consumers.
“With solid foundations in the food service industry, Grace has consistently manufactured products that have added value to Jamaica’s agro-processing, food-processing, dairy production, and retail sectors,” Holness said.
Mark Golding, leader of the Opposition, also added to the milestone praises for the GK Group.
“GraceKennedy is more than just a successful multinational business. It is a solid Jamaican institution, venerable and pliable, but also adaptable and innovative, and has become part of our national landscape and part of the identifiable indicators of what makes Jamaicans who we are, wherever in the world we may be,” he said.