Both Coffee Traders Limited and Café Blue are two fantastic brands built by Jason Sharp and his team.

How he was able to do so was the subject of the inaugural St George’s College ‘Pioneers of Tomorrow’ lecture series, the brainchild of Stephen Hill and a committee of St George’s Old Boys.

Jason Sharp delivered an inspirational account of how together with his family and team, they were able to build a company that became the leader in its field despite going up against larger competitors.

Here he stressed the importance of being a member of a team and that companies are not built by individuals. One has to defer to the respective strengths that team members bring and recognise that it is a collective effort that brings success.

Jason Sharp heeded the words of his father who said “Son, produce something of excellence In your lifetime, produce something, put the effort in, honour your commitments and deliver on time.”

The audience paid rapt attention as Jason Sharp stressed the importance of integrity, service and quality.

One has to learn about and know their business. This takes study, attention to detail and research. 

There’s no road of guarantee out there. You have to have the wherewithal and constitution to overcome challenges. These truths were part of his presentation.

Today, Coffee Traders Limited is not only the largest exporter of green coffee but also roasted coffee in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Coffee Traders has created a brand that Jamaicans believe in, a brand built by Jamaicans for Jamaicans. The company went on to add value to its product by being innovative and introducing new product lines. It is also the largest manufacturer of Jamaican chocolate. It has its brand of coffee shops, Cafe Blue which is doing remarkably well and can compete with anything out there internationally.

The company has created world-beating brands right here in Jamaica.

WATCH this Our Today video by Dennis Brown: