Address by the Prime Minister the Most Honourable P.J. Patterson at The Official Opening of The 100th Franchise of Golden Krust Caribbean

JIS – This occasion constitutes a major milestone in the history of Jamaican entrepreneurship in North America and comes fittingly against the backdrop of the stellar performance of our athletes in the World Athletic Championships recently held in Helsinki. Both are not only outstanding successes in their own right but indicators of our possibilities as a people.

Even as some of us entertained doubts about our capacity to take our place among the developed nations, the rest of the world continues to be amazed at the impact of a country of Jamaica’s size on the international stage and the breadth of our contribution to the edifice we know as western civilization. Here in the United States of America, the world’s most powerful industrial nation, the Jamaican presence and contribution are no less evident.

Increasingly, since the Second World War, Jamaicans have made a home and a name for themselves in the United States as workers, artisans, performing and visual artistes, professionals and entrepreneurs. In each of these fields of endeavour, there are those who have risen to the top by extraordinary effort and a relentless pursuit of excellence. There can be no doubt that in the field of business, Lowell Hawthorne is a distinguished representative of this elite and that as creators of wealth, he and his family are deserving of our highest commendations. Those who only know of his arrival should take the time to familiarize themselves with his journey.

When Lowell arrived in New York just over two decades ago he brought with him formal education, some business experience, a strong sense of family and patriotic commitment to the land of his birth. All these factors have contributed to his personal development, as well as to the outstanding success of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, which is today, August 14, opening its 100th Franchise Restaurant.

I recall the efforts of our National Hero, Marcus Garvey to establish black owned businesses right here in the United States eighty years ago. I only wish he were alive today to see the success of this enterprise which has already established such a scale of operations, that provides the entire Diaspora with an achievement which constitutes a source of pride.

I am particularly struck by the fact that this is a family effort. It is at this level that we must begin to establish beyond any doubt that we can successfully overcome our history of division and co-operate for the mutual benefit of all. The strength and cohesion of the Jamaican nation is going to be ultimately decided by the number of enterprises around which families can share a common vision and work towards a common goal.

The second observation I would like to make is that throughout the entire process of wealth creation, Lowell has seized every opportunity to establish an organic link with Jamaican producers of primary commodities. The company’s philosophy of placing people in general and their employees in particular, at the centre of their concern demonstrates a Christian value, which underpins commercial success and expresses good corporate citizenship.

The available data suggests that here in the United States we have as many Jamaicans as the entire urban population back home. This means a literal doubling of the market for Jamaican products and services with major implications for the expansion of the Jamaican economy. As I have indicated before, my administration recognizes the importance of our overseas nationals and within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs there is now a Ministerial State with responsibly for the Diaspora. The objective is to facilitate a more dynamic relationship, identify possibilities for investment and substitute a “red carpet” for the “red tape” that our foreign nationals previously experienced.

Having identified education and training as priority for national development, we have ensured that our budget this year provides the resources for a major transformation of our education and training system. I have noted the interest of Golden Krust in this particular area, and I am using this opportunity to extend an invitation to Lowell and the entire Golden Krust fraternity to become a part of our programme to create a first rate education system rooted in modern technology for all Jamaican children.

It is indeed gratifying to note the extent to which your achievements have been deservedly recognized. On behalf of the Government and the people of Jamaica, I want to add our own congratulations on being such an exemplary ambassador for the land of your birth and it is for this reason that we have conferred on you, a national honour.

In closing, let me wish you every success for the future. In today’s highly competitive globalized economy, continued success requires a constant critique as well as innovative methods of expansion for, as they say “the competition never sleeps”. I am confident that Golden Krust will continue to carve out its own special niche at the top and provide a constant reminder of the resourcefulness and initiative of the Jamaican people.