By Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner WriterAND SO, the Kenny Benjamin-founded Guardsman Limited, the flagship company of his Guardsman Group of Companies, that now includes tourism, communications, the largest private security company in the Caribbean, boasting armoured and elite escort and protection services, turned 25 a few weeks ago, and how!
My dears, the young, it seems are forever in a hurry. Their destination: Overnight success! For those blessed with longevity, however, there's an old commonsensical bit of knowledge, gleaned from many an observation, and that is: overnight success is usually a 20-or-so-year product of hard work!
How true!
PHENOMENAL SUCCESS
Dears, there are many who saw the phenomenal success of singer Michael Jackson, at the pinnacle of his fame in the '80s, as an overnight achievement occasioned by his Thriller album. Few commentators on the singer's success at the time bothered to factor into their discussions and or analyses the previous 20 years of hard work spent in denial of some pleasures as he honed his craft. The same is also and very true of those talking heads, who weighed in on the much-deserved and hard-fought for success of Tina Turner, when her Private Dancer Album, took her to the top of the world.
Lee Iaccoca, Donald Trump and contemporary Bill Gates all achieved fabulous success that took them to the very top of their game, even though their achievements were packaged and marketed as an instantaneous happening to a population hungry for immediate results. They, too, were not instantaneous stories of waving a magic wand, but that of waving the wand, and constantly, over a long and determined period.
The same is true of Jamaican-born-and-bred Canadian billionaire Michael Lee-Chin and another Jamaican-born-and-bred Canadian, the phenomenally wealthy Raymond Chang; Lascelles Chin of LASCO, and the man of the hour Kenny Benjamin.
Just over 25 years ago Kenny, a native of India, arrived in Jamaica, as an immigrant in search of his rainbow and the pot of gold at its base. Last Saturday evening, the bon vivant who, having made Jamaica his home, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his laying the foundation of his rainbow, with one absolutely and awesomely fabulous party, that will long be the talk of the town!
Pumpkins, it was a showstopper and then some!
SOME PEOPLE HAVE IT, AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T!
My dears, some people have it, and some people don't! Now, Kenny Benjamin is one of those who continue to demonstrate that he has it! You know the magic touch and determination to transform his every touch into that of Midas!
And so it was: in the 70s and Jamaica was in a near state of economic collapse, fear stalking the land and families rushing to board one of the 'five-flights-a-day' as many sought to escape the pervading sense of lawlessness; after his early years in Jamaica, that saw him qualifying as an accountant, the young and enterprising Benjamin parlayed his natural love and understanding of animals, particularly his love of canines into a fledgling security company.
Today, 25 years later, the fledgling security company has evolved into the Guardsman Group of Companies a national entity with a near 6,000 staff complement encompassing tourism, security, real estate holdings, communications, fitness and horticultural concerns, through a range of companies that include: Guardsman Limited; Guardsman Armoured; Guardsman Alarms; Guardsman Medical Services; Guardsman Serenity Wildlife and Sanctuary; Clearchannel Communications, Marksman Limited, Sign Great House and Cottages; Nature's Paradise; and Gymkhana.
SENSATIONAL PARTY
Now, last Saturday's sensational party, at the Group's 107 Old Hope Road corporate headquarters, was the culmination of months-long celebration, that began with a religious service and dedication; saw islandwide commemorations and celebrations; and a foray into the Caribbean, with the launching of Guardsman St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in September.
And so it was, that to crown a spate of celebrations and event commemorating the 25th anniversary of Guardsman, Kenny Benjamin and his team threw a 'little' party for clients, friends, and supporters of Guardsman Limited, and for my word, what an event!
Oh, my word, what a celebration! Dovecakes, in a word a blast, and then some!
