Aviation school for Clarendon, says mayor

Monday, July 11, 2011

AN aviation training centre will be established in Clarendon to support the development of the Vernamfield Aerodrome, according to May Pen Mayor Councillor Milton Brown.

Mayor Brown, who was speaking to more than 100 small business operators who attended a Jamaica National Small Business Loans Limited (JNSBL) town hall meeting at St Gabriel's Anglican Church Hall in May Pen on July 6, said that an agreement had been signed to establish the centre in the parish.

"The centre will focus on pilot training, mechanical engineering and will support efforts to develop the Vernamfield airstrip," he stated. "And, it will complement other commercial initiatives to industrialise the parish by 2030."

Work should commence before the end of the year, he explained, and developmental work on the aerodrome should also begin by the end of the year.

"The aim is that by 2030, Clarendon will become the business hub of the Americas," Mayor Brown said. "We are at the centre of the Americas, and we have the resources to become the business capital of the region."

He also pointed out that the parish was working to develop its tourism product, which will offer a package that's distinct from the North Coast, focusing on a more terrestrial form of tourism.

"May Pen is open for business, and the people of Clarendon are ready to increase their contribution to the economy," the mayor declared, indicating that there were other initiatives in the pipeline, such as the planned alumina production expansion and improved production at the Monymusk sugar factory.

The town hall meeting was organised by JN Small Business Loans Limited to update its clients and other small entrepreneurs in Clarendon about increased funding for business expansion; and its new strategies to grow the small business sector.

Thelma Yong, credit and risk assessment manager at JNSBL, in her presentation, acknowledged the rapid business growth in Clarendon and its potential for further development.

"Clarendon does, in fact, have the potential to be the business hub of Jamaica and the wider region," she said, pointing to growth and vibrancy of the small business sector.

Guest Michael McLaren, chairman and chief executive officer of the McLaren Engineering Group in Clarendon, also addressed the opportunities for growth in the parish and encouraged the entrepreneurs to uphold good service standards and strong business principles.

The meeting was chaired by Wesley Scott, who thanked the mayor for enlightening participants about the development initiatives being pursued by the Clarendon Parish Council and commended the other speakers for the wide range of information passed on to the small business operators.

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Aviation school for Clarendon, says mayor