PRIME MINISTER STRESSES RESILIENCE AND STABILITY IN THE ECONOMY
RUNAWAY BAY, St Ann, April 3, 2026
On a night when St Ann businesses across various categories were recognized with awards, Wayne Boothe and his Boot Commercial enterprises topped the class.
Boot Enterprises operates two large service stations in St Ann, and runs or hosts several spin-off or associated businesses, including supermarkets, pharmacies and other retail shops and offices. Only months ago, ground was broken for another Boot Plaza, a multi-storey complex across from his existing businesses at Mammee Bay. That’s a key hub in St Ann, only a few hundred yards from the entrance and exit to the North South Highway.
(Prime Minister, Dr.. Andrew Holness (left), and President of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Ransford Davidson, right, present the Business of the Year award to Owner and Operator of Boothe Business Group, Wayne Boothe, and Chief Executive Officer, Alexcia Boothe, during the Chamber’s Awards Banquet, held on Sunday, March 29, at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa in Runaway Bay, St. Ann).
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness was the keynote speaker at the St Ann Awards banquet, staged at the Cardiff Hotel, Runaway Bay St Ann, on Sunday night, March 29, 2026.
The Prime Minister said Jamaica was building stability in the economy that had also become more resilient.
(Anisa Wilson Smith, at right, poses with St Ann Chamber of Commerce President Dr Ransford Davidson after receiving the business award for Education Excellence)
“The beauty about stability is that it gives predictability. People who are in business like predictability because they can plan and invest. This Administration has brought stability to Jamaica,” Dr. Holness stated.
(Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness delivering the main address)
President of the Chamber Dr Ransford Davidson, spoke of developments in the parish on which business could be built.
(The awards ceremony brought out many businesspeople. Here, business couple Glen O’Connor and Shermine Desnoes, right, pose with MP and State Minister Krystal Lee)
He highlighted several major infrastructure projects, which he said could help transform St. Ann, including the planned upgrade of the Drax Hall corridor and the proposed establishment of a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) school.
He reported that membership in the Chamber grew by more than 16 per cent in 2025, expanding the Chamber’s active base to approximately 170 businesses across sectors such as tourism, retail, real estate, professional services, and the global services industry.
The banquet was staged under the theme ‘Garden of Excellence: Nurturing Growth in St. Ann’.
Several businesses from or serving the parish were recognised with awards in different categories.
They include: Business of the Year, BOOT Service Station; Education Excellence Award, Anisa Wilson-Smith; Tourism & Hospitality Award, Joy Roberts, Jamaica Vacations Limited, and, Small/Emerging Business of the Year, Papi Chulo. The President’s Special Award went to JPS Co Ltd, and Jamaica Bauxite Mining Ltd.
