SCOTT’S COVE, Westmoreland — The over 30 vendors at the popular refreshment stop at Scott’s Cove, commonly called “Border”, recently benefited from a multimillion-dollar renovation project undertaken by J Wray & Nephew (JWN) Limited in collaboration with the Westmoreland and St Elizabeth municipal corporations.

Most of the vendors who spoke to the Jamaica Observer West recently at the upgraded facility expressed their gratitude to JWN for the well-needed facelift.

Among those satisfied vendors was Sonia Samuels who, for the past 25 years, has been selling bammies at the facility.

“I feel very good, it’s looking beautiful and we thank JWN a lot. From my heart I am grateful, and the place looks even better. So we appreciate what they have done and we hope their business will grow bigger and better every year,” Samuels, who also participated in the Overseas Work Programme, remarked.

She added: “I take the pictures of the new look stalls and I send them to my friends overseas and say “look at Border” and they say “Border is beautiful”. We have everything.”

She also noted that the improved aesthetics has resulted in a spike in business.

Fried fish vendor Jeanette Bromfield concurred.

“Since they have been here we sell more. More vehicles stop and we get better sale. The place developing, the place looks nicer and better. Sometimes we have rough days, sometimes we don’t sell anything, but since the last two months it’s been good,” Bromfield stated.

Another fried fish vendor, Andy Perrin, also expressed his appreciation to JWN for the improved facility.

“It is a beauty for both me and the customers that come. When they (customers) come now, they sit inside the stall and they eat and they have been talking about the new looks and everything, so it uplifts me,” said Perrin.

The fried fish vendor is even more appreciative as he has been hearing talks that the facility would have been upgraded for most of his over 20 years selling at the facility.

“We have been hearing this over the years, but now since we see it, then I appreciate it and we accept it. In December people from Wray & Nephew told us about it and now we see it happen,” he said.

Raphael Banton, soup vendor, was also grateful for the improved bathroom facility.

“I give thanks for everything. The bathroom is very pretty and nice,” he stressed.

JWN’s collaboration with the municipal corporations, which will last for three years, sees the company investing in the renovation and beautification of the facility, while the local authorities granted exclusive branding rights.

The ceremonial signing of the memorandum of understanding took place at the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation in Black River on November 14, 2017.

Located on the border of St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, the highly traversed spot has been a major selling point for mainly fish vendors for decades.

The newly renovated, revived and beautiful vending stalls at Scott’s Cove are a part of JWN’s thrust to give back to the communities and people who have continuously helped in building the company’s brand in Jamaica.