The Fontana Pharmacy chain has brought an additional 90 jobs to the “Sunshine City” of Portmore, St Catherine, with the grand opening of its newest store.

The highly anticipated official opening of Fontana’s 7th store was supported by a diverse mix of key stakeholders, including local dignitaries, and community members and was a celebration of growth and Fontana’s dedication to nation building.

State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Member of Parliament Alando Terrelonge, who was guest speaker, hailed the 90 jobs created by the pharmacy chain.

“The creation of 90 new jobs is not just a statistic to this growth- it is 90 livelihoods, 90 dreams and 90 families that will be positively impacted … This, on Fontana’s behalf, shows that their commitment to national growth and development is unwavering,” Terrelonge said.

The state minister and MP spoke of the tangible benefits that Fontana brings to the community and the people of Portmore.

The move by Fontana, Minister Terrelonge highlighted, aligns with the Government’s Vision 2030 and the establishment of Portmore as Jamaica’s 15th parish, referring to plans to expand Grange Lane into a dual carriageway and the proposed establishment of a central youth innovation centre within the new Resilience Park in Portmore.

CEO of Fontana Pharmacy, Anne Chang, discussed the ways in which Fontana’s diversity goes beyond its product offering but is also present in its operations. She echoed the junior minister’s sentiments on technology, noting that the new 20,000 square foot store has 80 per cent of its electricity solar generated.

She told the gathering, “We’ve come a long way in 55 years – 7 locations, 2 warehouses, a publicly traded company with over 500 team members and we currently import from Canada, US, South America, India, England, Pakistan, Turkey, Panama and China. It’s been quite a journey; and even with that said, we strongly support the Jamaican community as well as Jamaican entrepreneurs.”

She pointed to the recent launch of the Fontana Foundation, which proudly sponsors four university students at both the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTECH) and The University of the West Indies (UWI) whilst expressing gratitude for the warm welcome from the Portmore community.