Remembering Manzie Porter, veteran customs broker, logistician

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica (CBFFAJ) mourns the passing of Manzie Porter, an iconic figure in the local customs brokering and trade logistics sector. He was the elder statesman of our profession, to whom we could always run for wise, quiet counsel.

Manzie, and his brother Hendricks, were pioneers in the Customs Brokering business from the 1960s, together formally establishing Porter Brothers in 1971, and building it into one of the best-known customs brokerage houses in Jamaica. Porter Brothers paved the way for many in the customs brokering profession.

Between 1988 and 1991, he led the CBFFAJ, the largest professional body of licensed customs brokers, logisticians and professionals engaged in customs clearance and third-party logistics in the English-speaking Caribbean. He was the recipient of numerous industry awards, and up to the time of his transition, was a thoughtful and highly respected director of the CBFFAJ board.

The Gleaner article of June 7, 2021 described him as a “Master Customs Broker and the Epitome of good ‘old Jamaican Values’!”

He credited the Christian values inculcated by his parents, for how he conducted business and valued community. This manifested in a successful business and a lifelong commitment to family and proactive parenting on the PTAs of the schools attended by his daughters, Kim and Janine, serving as Chairman of the Queen’s School, and sitting on the Boards of the Immaculate Conception School, the Wolmer’s School and the Homeschooling Association.

We in the CBFFAJ will remember him as a towering example of professionalism and integrity, whose encouraging spirit and actions have helped to build and sustain our professional body. We laud him for this, and for his remarkable contributions to Jamaica’s business landscape.

MARCIA BENT

President

CBFFAJ