Winners of the Regional Investor of the Year Awards
INNOVATIVE INVESTORS RECOGNISED AT THE 3rd REGIONAL INVESTOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2016
Miami, FLORIDA, May 24, 2016. The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) and the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) are pleased to announce the winners of the 3rd Caribbean’s Regional Investor of the Year Awards for 2015-2016 (RIYA 2015-2016).
Now in its third year, the RIYA 2015-2016 turned its attention to innovation bringing focus to the local and foreign investors in the region who have invested in a new idea, introduced a new device to the market, created an invention or introduced new practice methods that have been translated into a goods or service creating value, satisfying a specific consumer need and has created significant socio-economic impact. A special award was also given to a young investor in innovation whose investments are particularly noteworthy.
The RIYA 2015-2016 featured 3 specific award categories and received 26 applications from 9 countries. Front-runners for the title of Foreign Investor of the Year Award were: PV Energy Limited from Antigua & Barbuda; Lenstec Inc from Barbados; DP World Caucedo from the Dominican Republic; and Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort from St. Lucia. The Foreign Investor of the Year Award was captured by Lenstec Inc. a privately held medical device development and manufacturing company, specializing in intraocular lenses which invested in Barbados from USA.
For the Local Investor of the Year Award, the top 3 companies were: Chocolate Dreams LTD from Jamaica; DU BOULAY’S BOTTLING CO. LTD. from St. Lucia; and Bowjay from Guyana. The category winner was Saint Lucia’s DU BOULAY’S BOTTLING CO. LTD. a leading beverage manufacturing establishment in Saint Lucia and the OECS territories.
The top 3 companies in the Special Award category were: Kikaboni (Healthy Flow Agroindustrial SRL) from the Dominican Republic; JAMDUN FOOD Processing from Jamaica; and INAVA INCORPORATED from Guyana. The category winner and overall Regional Investor of the Year went to Kikaboni (Healthy Flow Agroindustrial SRL) a healthy snack manufacturing company from the Dominican Republic which became the first company in the world to produce healthy snacks using Moringa Oleifera as one of their main ingredients. Today they have three varieties of Pita Chips that use super foods like Moringa, Quinoa and Chia Seeds to boost the nutritional value of their products.
The RIYA were handed out at the recently held Caribbean Investment Summit which targeted investors in the US market, held on 13 May 2016, funded and co-organised by the Inter-American Development Bank as a part of a Regional Public Goods Initiative entitled: Support to Foreign Direct Investment in the Caribbean. Seventeen of the nineteen member countries of the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) participated in the Summit sharing their investment ready projects to the more than 100 investors and site selection intermediaries.
About Caribbean Export
Caribbean Export is a regional export development and trade and investment promotion organisation of the Forum of Caribbean States (CARIFORUM) currently executing the Regional Private Sector Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Export’s mission is to increase the competitiveness of Caribbean countries by providing quality export development and trade and investment promotion services through effective programme execution and strategic alliances.
More information about Caribbean Export can be found at www.carib-export.com. Contact: JoEllen Laryea, PR and Communications, Caribbean Export Development Agency, Tel: +1(246) 436-0578, Fax: +1(246) 436-9999, Email: [email protected]
About CAIPA
The Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) is an umbrella organization of investment promotion agencies in CARIFORUM as well as Curacao, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Association is dedicated to the strengthening of its members and the promotion of the region as an ideal location for investment. Caribbean Export serves as the Secretariat for CAIPA.
For further information on CAIPA, please contact Ms. Suzette Hudson at [email protected] or visit the CAIPA website at www.caipainvest.org
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank’s mission is to improve lives. Founded in 1959, the IDB is one of the principal sources of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also carries out leading-edge research and offers advice on policies, technical assistance and training for public and private clients in the region.
IMAGES:
Pictured from left (RIYA2016)
Mr. McHale Andrew, President, CAIPA
Ms. Ana Arias Urones, Specialist, Integration and Trade Sector, IDB
Mr. Gian Luis Pereyra, CEO, Kikaboni (Healthy Flow Agroindustrial SRL)
Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, Caribbean Export,
Sen. The Hon. Darcy Boyce, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister
Pictured from left (RIYA Du Boulay)
Mr. McHale Andrew, President, CAIPA
Mr. Dunstan Du Boulay, MBE. SLMH, Managing Director, Du Boulay’s Bottling Co. Ltd
Pictured from left (RIYA Lenstec)
Sen. The Hon. Darcy Boyce, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister
Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, Caribbean Export,
Mr. Ian Hickling, President, Lenstec Inc.
