Pharmaceutical distributor RA Williams is set to commission its fully completed, new innovative office and temperature-controlled storage facility on May 1, 2024.

The building, located at the New Brunswick Village in Spanish Town, occupies 21,000 square feet of property space and is to have at least 90 per cent of its energy needs powered by solar, installed by SunTerra Energy Limited.

“A total of 288 solar panels have been installed, 64 panels on the east-facing sloped roof of the warehouse, 192 panels on the west-facing sloped roof of the warehouse, and 32 panels mounted on the flat roof of the office building. In total, the combined roofs have a 132kW solar capacity,” a company release noted.

The facility, which comprises a distribution centre and offices, comes as vital part of the pharmaceutical distributor’s plan as it charts a new path for future growth. Its current operations are conducted from an adjacent location along Brunswick Avenue in Spanish Town.

The growth of the business, which first started as a small retail pharmacy in Chapelton, Clarendon, has over the years evolved into a large distributor, supplying the local market with some of the most popular pharmaceutical drugs.

An upbeat CEO Audley Reid, excited about the upcoming official opening ceremony planned for this Wednesday, lauded the company’s commitment to the health and well-being of the country. Its latest investment, he said, also comes as testament to this.

“At RA Williams, we are not just a pharmaceutical distributor, we are champions of health and wellness in our community and we retain a steadfast dedication to delivering innovative solutions that save and improve, having proudly represented eight international pharmaceutical manufacturers for more than a decade,” he said.

Moving from one product and a single employee, the company has over a decade grown its distribution network to have over 130 products, spanning some nine drug houses and ably supported by a staff now consisting 70 team members.

As a supplier of pharmacies, hospitals and medical centres, the family owned outfit said it raked in more than $1.4 billion in sales last year. In 2021, they were also the recipients of the Jamaican Pharmaceutical Industry award bestowed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica.

The company, which in recent has also beefed up its corporate governance with new board appointments, named John Bailey as chairman in the latter part of 2023 as the successor of late businessman and insurance sector mogul R Danny Williams.

“We believe our story is the epitome of resilience and a shining example of a successful 21st-century family business,” commented Marketing Manager Kimberley Johnson-Dockery.

The launch event on Wednesday is to see attendance from a number of specially invited guests including Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Aubyn Hill, who will deliver the keynote address, as well as Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz and SunTerra’s CEO Emanuel DaRosa, who will both bring remarks.

“This opening is a significant milestone for us. Even though we are a small Jamaican enterprise, this launch comes as a celebration of our resilience, innovativeness, and dedication to enhancing the health and wellness of all Jamaicans,” Reid said.