The opening of a new US$7 million Great Wall Motor (GWM) showroom became the stage for a striking disclosure on Wednesday, as Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Jamaica’s Business Ministry, Senator  Aubyn Hill, told guests that investors who come to Jamaica and commit to it, invest in it, and build in it. 

Minister Hill was speaking at the June 3 grand opening of Stewart’s Automotive Group’s purpose-built GWM showroom on South Camp Road, a 9,000-square-foot facility named the Diana Stewart Building, which drew more than 500 guests.

Minister Hill stated that “When a global brand like Great Wall Motor (GWM), one of China’s leading privately owned automotive manufacturers, chooses to establish a presence in Jamaica, it sends a clear vote of confidence in Jamaica. It signals that Jamaica’s economy is stable, our consumers have purchasing power, our regulatory environment is predictable, and Jamaica’s future is worth investing in.” Minister Hill further encouraged GWM to transfer technical skills to Jamaican workers as it grows and expands the brand.

Minister Hill said Stewart’s Automotive Group operates as a zone user under Jamaica’s Special Economic Zone regime. This operation illustrates how the SEZ framework offers several incentives that benefit SEZ operators and attract investment. He said, “One way for Jamaica to grow is through investment.” 

For Stewart’s, a fourth-generation family business trading since 1938, the showroom is a significant bet. Managing Director Jacqueline Stewart-Lechler said the GWM division would employ about 40 people and projected the expansion would generate at least J$400 million in tax and GCT revenue in 2027. She described a facility built, in her words, “by Jamaicans for Jamaicans.”

GWM’s regional momentum ran through remarks by Hankin Zhao, the carmaker’s country manager for its Central and South American operations. He said GWM had put more than 1,500 vehicles on Jamaican roads since entering the market in 2021, and had since expanded to 13 Caribbean markets, claiming a 9 per cent share and a top-five ranking in Barbados, 6 per cent in the Cayman Islands within two years, and growing fleet sales in Haiti.

Zhao said quality, rather than speed of sale, drove the brand, and signalled new models tailored to local demand late this year and early next. “We are providing a reliable and safe product rather than a faster sale,” he said.

The evening doubled as the local unveiling of two premium off-roader vehicles, the Tank 400 and Tank 700. With a community touch, the showroom now houses a permanent painting titled “A Tank for All Seasons,” created by students of Genesis Academy. A school for children with intellectual disabilities and learning challenges, and a long-standing partner of Stewart’s. The work depicts the two Tank models across three weather conditions: night, rain, and sunshine.

Brand sales manager Titanya Clarke rallied the room around GWM’s “Go With More” theme, recalling the curiosity the rising building had stirred along the South Camp Road corridor before the brand was revealed.

GWM’s local range spans the HAVAL Jolion and H6 SUVs, the Tank luxury line, and the P-Series pickup, each carrying a five-star safety rating and a 200,000 km / six-year warranty. A public test-drive event was set for the days immediately after the launch.