Photos by Noel Thompson
LEFT: Chief executive officer of Caribbean Producers Limited, based in Montego Bay, Mark Hart, is engrossed in a conversation with Mrs. P.J. Stewart, mother of Adam Stewart, who is the new chief executive officer of Sandals Resorts International. They were among the many invited guests at the official opening of the Rainforest Seafoods complex at the Montego Freeport in Montego Bay, on December 14. RIGHT: Brian Jardim (centre), the chief executive officer of Rainforest Seafoods, based at the Montego Freeport in Montego Bay, seems delighted to be sharing company with Tristan Alvarado (left), head of RIU Hotels, and Christopher Lewis, president and CEO of Sealand Foods, located in Whitehouse, Westmoreland.

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

Eleven years ago Montego Bay businessman Brian Jardim sat at home jotting down plans for a little seafood brokering business on a yellow legal pad. And on Thursday night, the Freeport area of the second city came alive with all the glitter, glamour and fanfare that go into showing off the end result of jottings on a legal pad.

Jardim, CEO of Rainforest Seafoods, led his team in opening his latest addition to a growing empire, Rainforest Seafood Market. With storage facility capable of holding over three and a half million pounds of inventory, the two-storey complex houses administrative office and the pristine and spacious market.

Beaming with pride, Jardim reminisced on the challenges, teething pains and the joy of delivering the only exclusive seafood distribution company in Jamaica, and the premier supplier of top-quality fish and seafood to the wholesale and retail trade.

Strong, vibrant team

The Rainforest family comprises a strong and vibrant team of 140, while the new facility boasts system-wide storage for three and half million pounds of inventory, and operate a rolling fleet of 25 refrigerated trucks and panel vans, taking in sales exceeding 1 million pounds of products monthly. The team, led by Ernie Grant and stalwart production manger, Claudette Peterkin, was supported by members of Jardim's family. They are grandpa Max Jardim and wife Joan, Shelagh and Zak Jardim, Margaret Morris and Adam and P.J. Stewart.

During the tours of the facility, prospective customers were introduced to a market where they can purchase up to 150 different kinds of bounty from the sea, including caviar, mussels, lobster, scallops, stone crab claws, and a wide assortment of condiments. The shop also seats eight with accompanying bar-like area, and already the soup is a crowd favourite.

So, do you feel like some sushi today? How about a fresh salad or tortilla wrap? Perhaps some pre-peeled shrimp is just what the doctor ordered, and if you feel like impressing your friends coming over for dinner, pick up a few packs of smoked salmon.