Kingston, Jamaica – Tuesday, January 30, 2018: With an eye on the growing tourist sector, Everything Fresh Limited, a premier importer and distributor of fruits, vegetables, dairy and other food products, aims to list on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in short order.
Visitor arrivals have increased by 25% over the last five years (up to 2014), according to a study commissioned jointly by the Tourism Ministry and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), with corresponding increases in foreign exchange earnings of 12%. The island welcomed over 3 million visitors in 2015, and provisional data from the Jamaica Tourist Board shows that arrivals for 2017 actually surpassed the 4million mark.
This surge in arrivals is creating corresponding increased demand for quality food items at hotels and resorts. Everything Fresh has, over the last two decades, and through a number of name changes, become a major supplier to the hotel sector, as well as to supermarkets and other retail outlets.
Principal Courtney Pullen, while declining to give details of the proposed IPO, says the company’s success is attributable to its relentless attention to on-time delivery of fresh produce and focus on customer service. “Due to our commitment to maintaining standards of high quality, we keep getting customer referrals,” Pullen said, adding “We strive to be of great value to all our customers.”
Everything Fresh traces its origins back to 1996, with Pullen operating as a sole trader, selling local farm produce to supermarkets. After three years of operating at this level, the principals decided to purchase imported fruits and vegetables from the U.S. through a local Jamaican importer.
Enjoying higher sales with the imported products, the company became C.L. Pullen Limited in March 2003. Continued success led to C.L. Pullen becoming a direct importer of goods from the United States of America, and in doing this, the profit range increased. Further evolution resulted in the establishment of Everything Fresh Limited in August 2003.
Several years later, the company embarked on distributing dairy and dry food products, as well as deli meats to supermarkets, further opening new business opportunities. Direct purchasing led to lower prices and enabled the company to enter the hotel supply market, gaining Riu, Fiesta, Secrets, Iberostar, Bahia, Royalton, Couples and Jewels as customers, among others.
With the advent of the hotel market, and the closure of meat supplier National Meats, the company took the opportunity to expand further, purchasing two Freight Liner trucks and building three freezer rooms to accommodate the increased orders. Sales of imported meat and seafood also extended to the other hotels.
In addition to Courtney Pullen, the company’s Board of Directors includes Gregory and Melene Pullen, Garret Gardener, Mark Croskery, Donovan Perkins and Leo Williams as Mentor. Two other Board members, including a Company Secretary, are yet to be announced.