ONE of the hardest things to do in real estate is sell someone on a vision that only exists in your head. But Michael Subratie’s dream of transformation was so strong that he swept some of the shrewdest business minds with him to create MJS Industrial and Technology Park in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

Among them is his brother-in-law and Musson Group Chairman PB Scott, who, when he first saw the proposed site, was revolted by the foul smell of dead dogs and alarmed by rusted roofs and tree trunks growing inside what used to be a textile mill. Scott was also extremely concerned about very obvious signs that security would be an issue.

With an $8-billion investment, the 65-acre property is now, according to Subratie, “the largest BPO [business process outsourcing] operation under one roof in the entire Caribbean”. Jamaica’s only special economic zone in Spanish Town, the tech park now houses seven tenants across 440,000 square feet of developed space and — a year after first welcoming tenants — there are plans to build out even more space.

Read on as Subratie and Scott share the venue’s transformational journey in edited excerpts from their speeches during the June 24 grand opening ceremony.

‘I came back here with boots on’

– Executive chairman of MJS Industrial and Technology Park, Michael Subratie

“This journey began three years ago when my father, Stafford Subratie, brought me to this very spot; back then just overgrown ruins. But to him, it was a place of memory. He had watched his own father, my grandfather George Subratie, deliver building materials to construct the original Ariguanabo Textile Mill.

“In the 1950s, as a boy, dad saw first-hand the grit and effort that went into building something meaningful. Back then, the mill wasn’t just a workplace, it was the heartbeat of the entire community. Everyone depended on it, and it was a source of pride and belonging for countless families. It shaped identity and built dreams for generations.

“Today, my father gets to see me carry that legacy forward, transforming this historic site into something new. A different version, yes, but with the same spirit of purpose and pride.

“The Ariguanabo Textile Mill was once a beacon of Jamaican industry, employing hundreds and lifting an entire community. When it closed in the 1970s, that closure sent shockwaves. The area suffered. The infrastructure decayed. And for decades, it stood still; until now.

“As a trained structural engineer, I came back here with boots on, wading through bush and rubble, and what I found astonished me. The bones of the structure were still strong. The foundation — rock solid. Some of the original walls were still perfectly intact. That gave us hope, and it sparked a vision.

“We focused on sustainability, on economic growth, on social equity, on environmental stewardship. We believed in building something that could stand the test of time; something future generations would be proud of.

“Kingston is overcrowded. People commute from Spanish Town, Portmore, Old Harbour, all just to get to work. But why? Why not build where the people already are? This location — close to the North South Highway, near GC Foster College, and nestled in a rich community — was a perfect fit; and so we got to work. Our team was nothing short of extraordinary.

“We began reimagining what this place could be. We brainstormed industries: manufacturing, of course, but also BPO, an emerging force in Jamaica. And slowly, this vision took shape. We reached out to Jampro, the Special Economic Zone Authority, Minister [of Investment Aubyn] Hill and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and, of course, PB Scott. He’s not just my brother-in-law, but also one of my best friends and truly a business visionary.

“When I first pitched him this wild idea he looked at me like I’d completely lost the plot. He goes, ‘No one’s going to invest there. The stigma is way too big’.

“And I just looked him dead in the eye and said, ‘Well then, I will.’

“And just like that, we were off to the races. No turning back. That’s how much I believed in this vision. I was all in and once PB saw that passion, Musson jumped on board and the momentum took off. Jampro connected us with investors, the first: Transparent BPO, led by Scott Newman, along with Lance Hale, who is with us today.

“Despite what he’d heard about Spanish Town, he visited. He climbed through the ruins, just like we did, like Minister Hill did, and saw the potential. Scott Newman said, ‘Yes,’ and with that, we were off.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is now the largest BPO operation under one roof in the entire Caribbean.

“We’ve created 2,800 jobs; on track to 5,000. That’s what today is about, real results, a real future.”

People, the magic ingredient

– Musson Group chairman, PB Scott

“You need the right fiscal environment, the right environment to be able to look and develop and build something. You need the right tax incentives. You need all those things in order to have the confidence to do something.

“But I think the most important thing is you need people. People are the most important thing to economic growth, whether it’s through education, access to productivity, teamwork; because people get things done. And when I look at this, I really have to say, ‘Mike, thank you.’

You dragged me into this project. I would love to stand here and take complete ownership… but as the Musson Group, we’re extremely proud. It’s a project that has taken something that was clearly broken…adding no value to anybody or the community, and it’s been transformed into creating something that every day is giving [2,800] people today and 5,000 people tomorrow, a place to go and work. And that really is fantastic.

“It’s very difficult to take a foreign investor and show them bush and an imagination. But once it’s built, people can believe and they can see it.”

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (centre) and Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill (right) listen to a point being made by MJS Industrial and Technology Park Chairman Michael Subratie during a tour of the facilities at MJS Industrial and Technology Park in Spanish Town, St Catherine, on June 24.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (seated) is being guided by members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade to partake in a truck simulation exercise at the Brigade’s facilities located at the MJS Industrial and Technology Park in Spanish Town, St Catherine, on June 24, during the official opening ceremony for the industrial and technology park.