Seven rewarded for Brewery dedicated service

A carpenter and a brewmaster were among seven employees of the St. Vincent Brewery who were awarded for their 25 years of service as the company celebrates its 25th anniversary.{{more}}

At a special ceremony at the Brewery’s compound in Campden Park on Tuesday, accolades were given to the seven by co-workers, employers and acquaintances of the men who have been at the company from the beginning.

They were given kudos for the part they had played over the years, which has caused the Hairoun brand and product to become a household, regional and international name.

Praises were also showered on the company itself for its job creation, as well as its role as a corporate citizen and international partnerships which were described as exemplary.

Recognized for a quarter century of service to the company were Sales and Marketing Manager Wayne Murphy, who was cited for his creativity and ingenuity which has taken the Hairoun products to every corner of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Albert Porter, Brewmaster and Technical Manager, who started in the company as a Quality Assurance Manager, who was credited for his role in the development in the company; Bottling Plant Operator Vertyl Martin,

mechanic/ fitter/ operator Bing McKie, Maintenance Supervisor Douglas Cuffy, carpenter Earl Delpesche and Brew house Operator Gary Rodriguez, who were cited for their years of dedication and service to the company which opened its doors in 1985.

Over those years, a number of products have been brewed, bottled and distributed by the company.

Representatives of two of the company’s international partners took the opportunity to travel to St. Vincent to commend the company on reaching its milestone.

Patrick Van Schie, Commercial Director of Heineken in the Caribbean, credited and thanked the Brewery for the position his product has built up on the market over the years.

He said that Heineken will continue its partnership with the Brewery which began in 1993 when the European beer was added to the local portfolio.

Owners of the Guinness brand, Diageo PLC, represented by Michael Grayer and Vincentian Jomo Cato, honored its partnership with the brewery by presenting the Guinness quality award which recognized the outstanding efforts of the Brewery.

Cato said that since the Brewery began brewing the product since 1986, they have been doing an excellent job.

Chief Executive Officer of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce Shafia London also presented CEO Leon with a gift basket, congratulating its member for 25 years of excellence and for being an outstanding corporate citizen.

The Brewery also did some presentations of its own, by handing out sponsorship cheques to the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) and a number of rural Carnival committees.

Some milestones attained by the company over the years include its international gold medal wins for Hairoun Lager and Ginger Ale in 1987 and ‘88, the addition of Vita Malt to its portfolio in 1991, and Coca Cola in 1944, gaining HACCP certification in 2002 (which allows them to distribute in Europe) and its record $9 million profit in 2009. (JJ)