Ins & Outs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines - 2023

24 INVESTMENT yacht having four cabins, that is the equivalent of a floating 600-room hotel with a fast turnover. The money spent in this sector has huge trickle down to the wider economy - agricultural products, bakeries, supermarkets, liquor stores, bars, restaurants, and numerous other small businesses and service providers - so any growth would be good for Vincentians and visitors alike. We already have planning permission to expand our Blue Lagoon Marina to 150 berths and work will start on that soon. I also have plans to build a new marina on Bequia, at Admiralty Bay Harbour. And, as we also own and manage Clarke’s Court Boatyard and Marina, the largest marina in Grenada, we have learned from first-hand experience how to do this job well. Part of my vision is to have a revitalized Bequia Regatta, followed by a Grenadines Sailing Week. One of our most recent ventures is to launch a boat-building business. To get started we are using the Dominican Republic as a training ground for the operation, with the intention of bringing it to St Vincent, possibly to the likes of Ottley Hall or by building our own facility on the Leeward side of the island. There is an increasing demand for day-charter vessels and, with us currently working on our second 70ft catamaran, we are getting a lot of enquiries and orders. I have no doubt that the final approvals we need from the Government of St Vincent will be forthcoming and, as soon as the local infrastructure is in place, we will relocate. Without doubt, that would bring new job and skill- set training opportunities to our shores. I have never hesitated to invest and re-invest in SVG because we have a good governance record, reliable utility services, and an ever-improving infrastructure. And now that the long awaited and much needed new Argyle International Airport has been opened – with connections to the UK, USA, Canada and the Caribbean – I can see an even brighter economic future. Throughout my journey I have been supported all the way by incredibly talented people, many of them much smarter than me. It’s no exaggeration to say that without our team, the business would not be where it is today. First and foremost, I owe a huge thank you to my family Jankie and Tessa, who have been involved in the business for many years and play key roles today. Other long-serving stalwarts include Ram Ramgoolan, our contracts manager, CFO Melissa Wright, Andrew Arrindell and his IT team, and Conor Holmes in the marine side of the group. Plus other loyal, hardworking employees like Reds Husskinsson and ‘Buttercup’ Me Kiel, the best heavy machine operator in SVG. Moving forward, we have just engaged John Mangos as CEO to carry the company though to the next generation with Tessa. And last but definitely not least, I want to give credit to Michael Brackin, my trusty #2 man on my boats and plane, who also looks after our property management. Outside of the company, I also owe a debt of gratitude to Sir Charles Antrobus, our ex-Governor General - and at the time the only West Indian GM of Cable and Wireless in the Caribbean - who had great faith in my start-up company. He was a huge help in our group expanding throughout the region as a communications contractor. Overall SVG has been good for me, and I’d like to think that I’ve been good for SVG. For sure, I have worked hard to make a worthwhile contribution to the ongoing development of my adopted homeland. And, happily, I have no intention of stopping just yet. ” Blue Lagoon Marina Photo: Niall Thomas, Be Social