DIGICEL Jamaica CEO Barry O’Brien yesterday congratulated the seven nominees for this year’s Jamaica Observer Business Leader Awards and praised the 18-year-old programme for being an essential part of driving entrepreneurship and investment in the country.

“Being able to recognise and celebrate the people who have taken risks, grown their businesses and contributed to nation-building is a huge part of inspiring the next generation of change-makers,” said O’Brien. “Encouraging entrepreneurship, therefore, is a major driver of investment in business, which results in economic development and job creation.”

For more than five years Digicel Jamaica has been a sponsor of the programme, which this year focuses on the owners who have listed their companies on the Junior Stock Exchange (JSE).

Digicel said the fact that the listing results in greater transparency and improvement to the overall business environment was a determining factor in its decision to sponsor the awards programme.

“We congratulate the seven nominees this year for taking this step towards further investment in infrastructure and people,” said O’Brien. “Digicel is committed to seeing businesses grow so that economic prosperity can become more widespread in Jamaica.”

O’Brien also reiterated the telecommunications giant’s commitment to maintaining partnerships with programmes such as Scotia’s 125th Anniversary SME Loan Fund, which is dedicated to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Observer Business Leader Awards presentation takes place this evening at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

The nominees, whose stories were published in the Observer over the past few weeks, are John Mahfood, Jamaican Teas; Oliver Townsend, Knutsford Express; Stafford and Marilyn Burrowes, Dolphin Cove Ltd; Marcus James, Access Financial Services Ltd; Mark Hart, Caribbean Producers Jamaica Ltd; Derrick Cotterell, Derrimon Trading Company Ltd; and Carol and Christopher Clarke, Caribbean Cream ‘Kremi’ Ltd.

At the launch of this year’s programme in October, founder and chairman of the Award Selection Committee, Moses Jackson, spoke of the benefit of listing.

“We believe that listing is good and creates transparency in corporate affairs,” Jackson told guests. “Listing also allows a lot of Jamaicans to participate at the ownership level of the company. It allows companies to raise funds, and by raising funds they can expand and employ more Jamaicans.”

Added Jackson: “We want to excite the imagination of lots of Jamaicans. We hope that the awards will create positive reviews and attention to the JSE so that those who are on the sidelines may reconsider and jump in.”

Adam Stewart, deputy chairman and chief executive officer of the Observer, said that the awards promote positivity within a world of conflict.

“The Business Leader Awards is unquestionable in its concept and mission to carry the goodwill and the positive [values] of Jamaica. It is the one time of year that we can truly say that the private sector and public sector come together and everybody join hands,” Stewart said.

Currently, 24 companies are listed on the Junior Market, which was launched in April 2009. It allows investors to raise up to $500 million from listing, along with receiving a 10-year tax break. The first five years entitles these companies to full income tax exemption, with the subsequent years at half the going rate.

The Business Leader Awards has nominated more than 100 individuals and businesses since its inception in 1996.

Previous winners include: Joseph A Matalon and Joseph M Matalon of Mechala Group, 1996; Douglas Orane, executive chairman of GraceKennedy, 1997; Wayne Chen, chief executive officer, SuperPlus Food Stores, 1998; David Phillips, principal, National Meats & Foods Distributors, 1999; Lascelles Chin, principal, Lasco Group, 2000; Donna Duncan-Scott, managing director, Jamaica Money Market Brokers, 2001; Vincent Chang, principal, Tastee Ltd, 2002; Patrick Casserly, CEO, e-Services Group, 2003; Kenny Benjamin, principal, Guardsman Group, 2004; Ryland Campbell, executive chairman and principal shareholder of Capital & Credit Financial Group, 2005; Dr Henry Lowe, executive chairman of Blue Cross and conceptualiser of Eden Gardens, 2006; Glen Christian, executive chairman of Cari-Med Limited, 2007; the Melville Family, owners and operators of Tropical Battery/Chukka Caribbean Adventures, 2008; Denis O’Brien, founder and chairman of Digicel, 2009; Lowell Hawthorne, co-founder and CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill, 2010; the Hendrickson family of companies and GraceKennedy Ltd 2011; and HEART Trust/NTA in 2012.

THE NOMINEES

John Mahfood

Oliver Townsend

Stafford and Marilyn Burrowes

Marcus James

Mark Hart

Derrick Cotterell

Carol and Christopher Clarke