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Western Union celebrates 20 yrs in Jamaica

Published:Thursday | November 18, 2010 | 12:00 AM
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Vice-president of marketing and product development with GraceKennedy Remittance Services, Noel Greenland, receiving an award from Fay McIntosh, GraceKennedy Group chief financial officer, for dedicating 12 years of service to the company.
Managing director of GraceKennedy Remittance Services, Joan-Marie Powell, accepts a plaque from Don Wehby, chief operations officer at Grace Kennedy Limited, for 19 years of service to the company.
Chairman of GraceKennedy Remittance Services, Douglas Orane, gives an embrace to Estella Brown for dedicating over a decade of service to the company. - Photos by Noel Thompson
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Noel Thompson, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

GRACEKENNEDY REMITTANCE Services (GKRS) and Western Union recently rolled out the red carpet to honour several staff and agents at a lavish gala banquet in observance of their partnership in Jamaica for the past 20 years.

The glitzy ceremony was held at Montego Bay's newest resort, Secrets, last Saturday night.

Awards were presented to persons who have given five to 20 years of service to the companies.

Notable among the recipients was Estella Brown, an office attendant who has served GKRS since its inception. Aided by a walker, a proud Brown strode to the stage to collect her award from GraceKennedy Group Chairman Douglas Orane.

Drifting back in time, Orane, in his address, said in 1990 when GKRS began its money-transfer operations in Jamaica, the Internet was still a new concept to most people, adding that the idea of electronic transfers was understood only by a sophisticated few.

"Today, all that has changed, largely due to the pioneering efforts of GKRS. Western Union is now a household name in the region and the business landscape has become extremely competitive as remittance companies have tried to copy us, as they seek to capture the market share through various points of differentiation. But I can assure you they have not been succeeding," remarked Orane.

Proud of contribution

Chief operating officer for GraceKennedy, Don Wehby, said he was proud that GKRS, in conjunction with Western Union, had transformed the Jamaican landscape.

Wehby added that the two entities had also made an indelible footprint in the minds of their customers as companies that deliver on their promises.

"I do not think anybody back in 1990 could have imagined that, less than a generation later, we would become a major contributor to an industry valued at almost US$2 billion," Wehby said.

But he was quick to acknowledge that the companies' sterling achievement over the past two decades could not have been realised without the support of staff, whom he said had redefined excellence.

"Your commitment has helped us maintain our position in the industry. You are the reason we can look to the future with optimism, despite a constantly changing environment," Wehby told the gathering of mainly GKRS staff and associates.