Carreras’ remarkable multi-decade run was last Wednesday commemorated with a cocktail reception at the AC Hotel Kingston’s Rock Steady Ballroom. The company’s shareholders and stakeholders — a diverse mix of restaurateurs, wholesale owners, attorneys-at-law, convenience store operators, and financial advisors — were fêted for their integral roles in the company’s 60-year growth.

Chairman Patrick Smith, in his address, dropped a few gems on the company’s storied history. “The Carreras we celebrate is the first company to establish a manufacturing plant in independent Jamaica. Today that distinction has offered us a legacy of unique insights into opportunities and the challenges that define Jamaican business. But, above all, these insights have strengthened our resolve to build ‘A Better Tomorrow’,” he noted.

There were, too, highlights of some of the company’s major 2022 projects and initiatives, which included a Labour Day tree-planting project which saw more than 40 Carreras employees and their families planting the first set of seedlings along the Michael Manley Boulevard, across from the Rae Town Fishing Village. The measure — executed in partnership with the Forestry Department — supports the government’s national ‘Three Million Trees in Three Years’ tree-planting initiative which was launched by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in 2019. The corporate giant has plans to plant 900 trees in the Rae Town and Rockfort areas in Kingston.

The announcement of 90 tertiary scholarships was met with much applause as host Garth Williams detailed the launch of the company’s first online scholarship application portal, which received over 1,500 entries. Carreras’s introduction of e-vehicles to its commercial fleet was also recognised as another fitting way to commemorate the company’s diamond jubilee.

In his address, incoming Managing Director Franklin Murillo — who has been in Jamaica a mere four weeks, and succeeds Raoul Glynn for the third time in as many countries said, “The excellent results that we’ve had so far also bring a lot of responsibilities and challenges. We have what I like to call ‘the boss’, and that boss is the consumer. A consumer that is changing year after year, and that is what we need to closely look at… keep in mind that Carreras will continue doing great business that adds value and for sure will continue 60 more… 100 more years of excellent results.”

Since its start in 1962, Carreras has evolved from a six-acre factory at Twickenham Park to a diversified conglomerate with interests ranging from tourism to printing. Fast-forward to 2022, and the company — known for producing high-quality cigarette brands — is positioned as a sophisticated distribution entity celebrating its 60-year anniversary. Cheers to 60!