On Monday, March 27, 2023, Alfred Thomas, managing director of Pioneer Manufacturing Distribution Company (PMD), left his Kingston-based office for Jamaica’s far west to meet with the operators of a new large hotel now under construction.

Thomas told the Jamaica Observer he was there to conduct preliminary discussions to supply the hotel with chemicals for its pools, kitchens and rooms.

“They have heard about us and wanted to meet with us to be their chemical supplier when they start operating,” Thomas beamed as he barely hid his delight. He refused to divulge further information, acknowledging that “nothing is concrete as yet.”

“But it is very, very favourable because they are impressed with what they have heard about us in Jamaica, and want us to be the chemical supplier for this large hotel building.”

That this development came within a few months of a fairly large contract for the company, shows the type of growth Thomas is pushing his company towards.

“In December of 2022, Diversey [a US-based provider of hygiene and cleaning products] and Pioneer successfully negotiated for the rights to be the exclusive distributor of chemicals to the Playa Group,” Thomas told the Business Observer. The Playa Group operates five hotels in Jamaica – Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Hilton Hotel in Rose Hall, Jewel Grande Montego Bay, and the Jewel Paradise Cove in Runaway Bay, St Ann.

Currently, Pioneer supplies other hotels on the island with chemicals including Royalton, Iberostar, H10, Bahia Principe “to clean and disinfect their kitchen, to do the laundry, to the pools and for the housekeeping”.

But who is Pioneer Manufacturing Distribution Company, a company which seems to be integrated with Jamaica’s biggest industry – tourism – but flies under the radar?

“The company was registered in 2003, but started trading on the 25th of October 2006. And the rest is history,” Thomas, who founded Pioneer Manufacturing Distribution, told the Business Observer. Then Thomas was starting the company after being a seasoned marketer with 20 years experience between HD Hopwood and Company – a distribution company – and Gillette which both manufactured and distributed products in Jamaica.

Of the decision to start his own company after 20 years, Thomas responded: “I thought it was now time. I would have had the experience working with a multinational company and working with a successful Jamaican company in building their market share, I thought now, it would have been appropriate for me to launch out and build this company.”

Before building out the company though, Thomas spent the first 10 years of his work life from 1983 to 1993 with Gillette before being recruited to HD Hopwood from 1993 to 2003.

“You know, I built the Gillette market share throughout the Caribbean. All the Caribbean countries, I used to go to many times [building the market]. Then I was invited by Mr David Hopwood to join this company. I never applied to him for a job. He heard about me and invited me to join with his company and I met with him 12 times before cutting my relationship with Gillette, because I was very comfortable with Gillette and the job I had with them,” Thomas reflected.

At the time he worked with Gillette, Thomas said he also dealt with the company’s customers in Latin America from its Boston, Massachusetts office. From there, he was sent to build out the company’s presence in the Caribbean. Gillette’s operation in Jamaica then produced the Right Guard brand deodorant and Minora razor blades at a factory in Gordon Town, St Andrew. Other Gillette products were imported and distributed by the multinational.

However, after he was pinched away by HD Hopwood, Thomas would start to entertain the idea of running his own distribution business and set up Pioneer Manufacturing Distribution.

“We started with L’Oreal. We are the exclusive distributor for L’Oreal in Jamaica. We had Guylian chocolate out of Belgium. And then we had a few other local products or international brands that we thought we could build,” Thomas said of his foray into business using his knowledge of the market.

But he would get an unexpected break that would move his business to to the next level.

“And then one of the things that helped me too is the fact that I recognise that the Colgate Company was closing in Jamaica and they had the Chloro-Do brand up for sale, and I thought that it would have been good to buy that brand and we bought the brand.”

The brand was bought in 2006 from own resources and a loan from the EXIM Bank and production was carried on by contract manufacturers in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

“That brand was considered to be a regional brand. The brand was a strong brand in the marketplace, and we thought that it had a lot of opportunities, and we took it from there and the rest is history.”

Thomas said the Chloro-Do brand bleach is the bestselling in the market now, accounting for 48 per cent of all sales in the island. He has also extended the brand on new products such as the Chloro-Soft fabric softener and Chloro-Blu laundry soap. Dog food under the Pro Pet label is also distributed and together with the Chloro-Do branded products, make up the PMD’s Consumer Division. The products are distributed through 400 retail locations in the country.

The company’s second division, the Chemicals Division started after PMD was started seven years into operation.

“In 2013, the Diversey Corporation, just like many multinational companies decided that they were going to close their operations in Jamaica, but still maintain their brand, and they wanted distribution companies to manage the brand. We were one of four companies that they interviewed and our company won the rights to be exclusive distributor of Diversey products in Jamaica,” Thomas said. His biggest customers are manufacturing entities like CB, Jamaica Boilers, Wisynco, GraceKennedy and Red Stripe as well as a number of hotels. Diversey products are primarily cleaning, hygiene products and lubricating products.

This partnership with Diversey was to help PMD in its own growth.

Thomas explained that under the arrangement, whenever Diversey negotiates supply contracts with multinational companies, if that multinational had a Jamaican operation, then PMD would be contracted to supply that entity as well. That is the reason why PMD also won the supply contract for chemicals to Playa group hotels in Jamaica.

However, Thomas said the success is down to four pillars.

“We have consistent stock supply. Our prices are competitive. Technical services we have top engineers and technicians available. And then we are available,” he said.

“There are eight persons in the company who are available seven days a week 24 hours a day to the there’s an emergency in one of these properties. Hotels and manufacturers can call us anytime, whether they are low in stock or out of stock and we can we supply them right away.”

As for his Chloro-Do brand, Thomas said the plan is to expand exports beyond the Cayman Islands and Dominica.

“We are negotiating to distribute in St Lucia, St Vincent, St Kitts, Guyana, Barbados, and The Bahamas.”

He praised his staff as the true backbone of the company.