“It’s all due to God. Be honest and passionate about what you do and be mentally tough,” were words Evelyn Williams, the founder of RA Williams Distributors Limited used as she reflected on the journey her children — Audley and Jewel Reid — had in running the company straight out of university in 2012.

Williams, a pharmacist by training, first registered the business in 2009, but started operation a year later in 2010.

“We got our first pharmaceutical licence to operate as a distributor,” Williams’ son, Audley, who oversees day-to-day operation at RA Williams as the chief executive officer (CEO), told the Jamaica Observer. “But the business didn’t get off the way fully. I think we operated for like three or four weeks, co-distributing a few products with another distributor in Kingston,” he continued.

At that time, RA Williams operated as a small retail pharmacy based in Chapleton, Clarendon.

“We were located in close proximity to the hospital, and so we had most of the clients coming from the hospital. It’s a rural community, a rural farming community, and even though we stocked mainly generic products, the clientèle could hardly afford to pay for their medications,” Williams recalled of the time she worked, distributing pharmaceutical items in the former Clarendon parish capital.

“Now, having first-hand knowledge of the challenges many patients faced in affordability of their medications, we recognise the need for quality and affordable generic options,” she continued.

Williams said her knowledge and experience as a pharmacist provided her with the insight into some specific areas to target.

“There was also an available space at the back of the property for storage and inventory, so we capitalised on a proposal from Audley to use that space to store quality and affordable generics and offer them as options to what were being prescribed.”

She said it was that idea which was discussed with her children and then implemented after consensus because they “thought it would’ve been a worthwhile venture to pursue. And that’s how the genesis of how RA Williams Distributors Limited began.”

The business was named after Ransford A Williams, Williams’ father. “It was given that name to keep his memory alive,” Jewel, the chief operating officer of the company, chipped in.

Just like many other new businesses, running the retail pharmacy along with a distribution arm was difficult, made worse by break-ins.

“There was a series of burglary at the time [during the three or four weeks], so we decided to close because it wasn’t sustainable to continue operations from that location. We felt it was targeted, so all operation…was closed in 2010. In 2012, Jewel and I were in our final year of pharmacy school, and we had successfully registered some products with the Ministry of Health. That’s when we decided to restart the business, knowing that we were a few months away from finishing school, and that we would be looking for employment soon, so we thought it was a good idea to restart then. So we approached a gentleman based in Spanish Town, for space to rent, and that’s how we started in March 2012.”

“It was a blessing. I mean, things fell into place, I guess according to God’s will, because first of all, when you’re doing a business like that, it requires a specific kind of set-up, according to pharmaceutical requirements. And so sometimes it’s not easy to find space, but we just approached a gentleman and he agreed [to rent us the space], and everything just fell into place.”

Audley said at the time, his mother who had to close the business two years earlier, was not on the island to physically hold their hands in restarting the business.

“So the question that hung over our heads was, how would we have managed, because of the fact that we were still in school?”

The mother and children said when the business restarted in 2012, they were distributing a single product used to treat sinusitis and ear infections. The product had been out of the market for a while, so when it was reintroduced by RA Williams.

“Doctors and pharmacists were quite happy to have the product back on the market and it turned out that because we distributed it, we were called the eye drop company,” Williams recalled as she added that “it’s a product that can be used in the ear, eye and the nose.”

Having success in selling that product, Williams said the company decided to start distributing more generic eye drops.

But as more products were added, reality set in. The family said it was then they began to realise that if they were going to do the pharmacy business right, they needed investments.

“And that’s when we had discussions with John Bailey and Danny Williams, and invited them to come on board as private investors, for us to continue growing the business.” Before then, R Danny Williams, who has mentored many entrepreneurs, had also been a mentor for Williams when she operated the retail business in Chapleton.

Jewel said the additional capital was sought as they learnt quickly how competitive the pharmacy sector is in Jamaica. That compounded by the fact that the sector operates on credit, was not easy for the young company.

“We realised that the industry standard is 30 days credit while we had to pay our suppliers upfront,” she outlined. The timing difference between cash flowing in and cash flowing out was, however, more unpredictable than that scenario. The company’s chief operating officer said pharmacies were paying their bills long after the due date and that created serious cash flow problems for the RA Williams Distributors Limited.

“So imagine having to take in large amount of inventory and having to pay for that upfront yet still offering 30 days credit to your customers. Also, to note is that offering 30 days credit doesn’t mean you would be collecting your cash in another 30 days after selling the goods. Sometimes it ends up at 60 days and 90 days. And because you’re a small distributor, [that’s how they treat you], which is unfair to small businesses,” she outlined as she reflected on the challenges of being a start-up operating in a mature industry.

But the family pressed on, carefully choosing which products to distribute and ensuring they are products for which there is a demand.

“We ensure that there wasn’t any generic alternative available, or if there was, it was just one or two that were available and those generic alternatives were not very affordable. And in some instances, the quality [of the generic alternative] wasn’t good. So we ensured that whenever we entered the market to provide an alternative for the innovator brand, that it is more affordable,” the CEO chipped in.

An innovator drug is the first drugs created containing its specific active ingredient to receive approval for use. Generic and other alternatives are normally developed after the innovator drug is on the market for a specified number of years.

“We also target manufacturers that have good manufacturing practice standards. And when it comes to regulatory assessment, we have no problem with the Ministry of Health, because these are people who are in keeping with world standards,” his sister said.

Audley said as they grew with the new capital, the company was getting noticed more and it was showing in the sales.

“So all of this culminated in our growth. Last year, we would’ve closed the year with $1 billion in sales and the year before that we were selling $630 million worth of products,” he said. Reid added that the projected revenue this year is $1.3 billion.

The projected out-turn is based on plans to introduce new products, chiefly from India-based pharmaceutical company, Mankind Pharma.

“They are looking to expand their business internationally and Jamaica is one of the countries that they would like to enter. They have about six or seven products to be introduced to the market currently registered with the Ministry of Health awaiting approval to be introduced to the market.”

“Other lines from existing suppliers are also targeted,” added Jewel.

The company is also looking to occupy a purpose-built building later this year with more space to store drugs. RA Williams also added Douglas Williams, Richard Downer and Dr Tonoya Borrows as independent directors to its board recently which possibly speaks to the company going public on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in the near future. They also added Suzette Byrue as their new financial controller as well.

Looking back 10 years after the restart, Williams said she is most of all heartened by her children’s efforts.

“It was a joyous moment for me to see that their resilience has paid off. I was a proud mother, you know, looking back from our journey 10 years ago and to where we are now, and where we are heading to, it is really, really joyful to me. And I’m very, very proud of that achievement,” Williams said.

“You know, we have to embrace the fact that RA Williams is no longer a small business. It is pharmaceutical distribution company, and soon to become the number one distributor in Jamaica,” Jewel said as the mapped out the company’s vision.

“It was a joy for me and my proudest moment was to see both mommy and Jewel as a face of the company, you know, enjoying with the team, the success thus far, and the fact that they were the ones, the two marshalls on the ground, you know, steering the ship,” the CEO concluded.