KINGSTON, Jamaica — GraceKennedy has announced that on February 2 its subsidiary GraceKennedy Money Services (GKMS) opened service centres in Turks and Caicos Islands as the authorised agent of Western Union.

The move is being made through GraceKennedy Money Services Turks & Caicos Limited (GKMS Turks & Caicos).

Chief Executive Officer of GKMS, Michelle Allen, said GKMS Turks & Caicos will initially have one operating location. ‘Your Choice TCI’, located at Payless Warehouse Limited, 7 Hospital Road in Providenciales; but the company plans to add more locations over time. ‘Your Choice TCI’ is open Mondays to Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The opening brings to 11 the number of Caribbean countries served as Western Union’s agent. The others are Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and the most recent addition, the Cayman Islands — which saw four service centres opened in November 2015.

According to Allen, GK will continue its investment in robust compliance systems, which she said are critical to GK’s business, “allowing us to protect our customers while meeting all regulatory requirements.”

GraceKennedy Group CEO, Don Wehby in a release made to the Jamaica Stock Exchange, said, “as we mark our 25th year of representing Western Union in the region, we are pleased to offer Western Union services in the Turks & Caicos Islands. This expansion is aligned with GraceKennedy’s strategic vision of becoming a Global Consumer Group delivering long term consumer and shareholder value, through brand building and innovative solutions in food and financial services, provided by highly skilled and motivated people.”

He added, “with two and a half decades of expertise in the money services industry, we look forward to meeting the needs of customers in the Turks & Caicos Islands”. Wehby is also chairman of GraceKennedy Money Services Caribbean, SRL.