The passage of Hurricane Melissa late last year scaled back revenue flows for Paramount Trading Limited during the second quarter period ended November 30, 2025.

At the end of the three-month period, revenue for the company totalled $385.7 million — almost $14 million below that of the previous year. Net profit, however, rebounded strongly to $31 million, compared to a loss of $10.8 million recorded in the same quarter last year.

“The gross revenue for the quarter was impacted by the passage of Hurricane Melissa in the final week of October. This resulted in both a reduction of the number of sale days for October, as well as a drop in purchases in November by customers severely impacted by the storm,” Chairman Radcliff Knibb said in notes accompanying the company’s latest financial filing posted with the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

Despite these setbacks, Paramount’s management noted that most of the other operating income for the quarter, which amounted to $36.8 million, was earned in November.

“These activities were not related to, and were not affected by, the hurricane,” the report stated.

Hurricane Melissa, which struck mainly the island’s western parishes as a Category 5 storm on October 28, left widespread damage to homes, while also forcing widespread business closures.

For the six-month period, the chemical and construction materials distributor recorded increased revenues of $830.9 million and a profit of $86.4 million.

“The gross profit for the first quarter of $157.1 million reflected a 19 per cent increase when compared to the same period of the prior year,” the recent report to shareholders also said.

During the quarter, operating expenses of $130.5 million went up almost 6 per cent as higher administrative cost accounted for little over $128 million. The 34-year-old, company staving off previous losses with greater investment in people and resources, has also started to benefit from the returns of the recent cleaning chemicals manufacturing deal signed in April 2025 with Manpower Maintenance Services (MMS).

The partnership forms part of Paramount’s strategy to diversify its revenue streams by focusing on manufacturing and large-scale contracts, while MMS aims to expand its services using locally sourced products.

Under the agreement, Paramount manufactures and supplies a range of specialised chemical products tailored to meet MMS’s operational needs, including bleach, disinfectants, detergents, and other all-purpose cleaning solutions.

As the company pushes toward its goal of quadrupling revenue and profit over the next few years, CEO Hugh Graham said the focus remains firmly on business growth, particularly as Paramount prepares to celebrate its 35th anniversary in February.

“The aim is to deliver consistent quarterly profits, which will require dedicated focus and continued reinvestment in our operational capacity to meet global standards. These consistent earnings will provide space for Paramount to explore additional growth opportunities,” Graham noted in the company’s annual report.

Looking ahead, as Paramount explores additional property space to consolidate operations at a single location, the CEO has indicated that developments in this area could be announced before the end of the current financial year.