NCB Nation Builders Awards receives overwhelming support

THE RESPONSE to this year's NCB Nation Builders Awards has been the most outstanding, with the largest number of applications received over the four years since the programme was launched.

A total of 13 regional nominees have been selected in this year's programme in the categories of Nation Builder; Innovation; Women in Business; Start-Up; Impact Award - Organisation and Impact Award - Individual, as well as the Vision Award.

One company has been nominated in two categories, while a student project - comprising two members - has been selected to receive the inaugural NCB Vision Award, made possible through a partnership between NCB and the University of the West Indies.

The Vision Award winner, together with the other winners in the various categories, will be announced at the NCB Nation Builders Awards presentation ceremony on Tuesday, October 25 at The Jamaica Pegasus, New Kingston.

Strong interest

"Not only was there interest in the four categories open to businesses, but we also received strong interest from individuals and, organisations that applied in the Impact Award category," said Bernadette Barrow, assistant general manager, NCB SME.

"The idea of building communities while building Jamaica is a keen focus for the NCB Nation Builder Awards programme and from our perspective, it is encouraging that so many Jamaicans are also invested in this."

Spatial Innovision Limited, located in Kingston, has been nominated in both the Nation Builder and Innovation Award categories. The company focuses on bringing cutting-edge geo-spatial technology to their clients in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. The other nominee in the Nation Builder category is Jamaica Standard Products Company of Manchester, which is the largest single growers and processors of coffee in Jamaica, exporting to markets in Europe, United States, Japan and China.

Select Window Limited of St Elizabeth has been nominated in the Innovation category. The company manufactures doors and windows framed in UPVC, a heavy- duty plastic with an infinite life.

The first of the two nominees for the Women in Business Award are Future Services Limited, a wholly owned Jamaican company, which has become a game-changer in the legal services sector, enabling persons in need to access justice through legal funding and litigant support. Negril-based Rondel Village, the other nominee in this category, is an exclusive family-operated beachfront resort, which enjoys 55 per cent repeat guest level.

The Start-up Award nominees are DDB Island 1962 Company Limited producers of a line of flavoured water, marketed under the brand Island '62. Collaborating with Jamaica Exotic Flavors and Essence, DDB Island 1962 produces water flavoured with real Jamaican fruits, herbs and vegetables, such as guava, cucumber, june plum, lemon grace and otaheite apple. The Spa Retreat Negril is the other nominee in the Start-Up category. This property features 17 handcrafted stone cottages set in spectacular tropic gardens and offers a cliff-side organic dining experience.

International outreach

Mustard Seed Communities of Kingston is one of two nominees in the Impact - Organisation category. Led by Monsignor Gregory Ramkissoon, the organisation cares for Jamaica's destitute and disabled not only in Jamaica, but Zimbabwe, Nicaragua and Dominican Republic.

The other nominee for the Impact - Organisation category Award is the Breds Treasure Beach Foundation in St Elizabeth, founded to promote education, sports, youth, environment and sustainable development.

Nora Blake of Kingston is a nominee for the Impact Award - Individual. She began her community intervention in 2002 with visits to the homes of residents of Rose Town to encourage parents and their children to attend church.

The other nominee in the Impact Award - Individual category is Giuseppe Maffessanti of St James. His philanthropic involvement has seen him building a medical clinic in Hopewell; several basic schools in the western region - with the most recent being the Maffessanti Basic School in Unity Hall, St James.

The NCB Nation Builder Awards programme was established to celebrate small and medium businesses which demonstrate outstanding entrepreneurial performance and strong community impact. NCB also recognises the work of Jamaica's community builders and encourages the development of business ideas through these awards.