Ammar's director Michael Ammar Jr. (left), displays his Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica Job Creation Award along with recipients Dwain Gayle, vice president for Inter-Sat Communication, and Manpower & Maintenance Services founder Audrey Hinchcliffe. The monthly awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston yesterday. - Dennis Coke /Staff Photographer THE PRIVATE Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) presented Job Creation Awards to Ammar's, Manpower & Maintenance Services and Inter-Sat Communication yesterday.
Sponsored by Cable and Wireless Jamaica, the monthly awards are presented to companies or entrepreneurs whose new investment created at least 25 new employment opportunities in the last six months, said Richard Chen, co-chairman of the awards committee. He was speaking at the presentation ceremony at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston yesterday.
"When we were to do our expansion in Sovereign last year, everyone thought we were crazy," said Ammar's director Michael Ammar Jr., about the development of his company's new outlet at the Sovereign Centre in St. Andrew. But, "If you have a good idea and you have the resources, I don't think you should let anyone talk you out of it."
Mr. Ammar was speaking on behalf of the three recipients. Inter-Sat Communication vice president Dwain Gayle and Manpower & Maintenance Services founder Audrey Hinchcliffe accepted the awards on behalf of their companies.
In Jamaica, "we have to start celebrating success and stop celebrating failure," Mr. Ammar said. "If you listen to the negatives you will never do anything."
Ammar's, which has been a household name in Jamaica for 42 years, was chosen because of the jobs they created with their expansion to the Sovereign Centre, Mr. Chen said. After starting with just two employees in February, Montego Bay based Inter-Sat Communication, using the latest information technology, has created 38 jobs and is set more than double that figure by year end
"Manpower & Maintenance Services is an untold story in this country," Mr. Chen said. The growth of the St. Andrew based company which started in janitorial services, demonstrates to role of good management
"Over the last decade there has been significant downsizing of many businesses," said Gary Barrow, president of Cable & Wireless. He said his company agreed to sponsor the awards because information about the dynamism and growth of the business sector sends, "a key message to Jamaica."
During the presentation, PSOJ president Oliver Clarke acknowledged Michael McMorris, the JAMPRO executive director of markets, for the role his organisation had given in identifying suitable candidates for the awards. Mr. Clarke said, "we are glad to be working with you in that."
