(left to right) St. Kitts Bottling Company’s Sales Manager, Victor Wilkinson, General Manager, Ian Slack, Nevis’ Premier Vance Amory and Mr. Ernie France, Marketing Manager of TDC, Nevis and St. Kitts Bottling Company’s main distributor.

Mr. Slack, who on a commemorative drive said, “We are here this morning to make a small presentation in appreciation of our relationship with Nevis over these past fifty years and we look forward to the relationship continuing never mind the challenges that may be facing us in the future.”

Working for the company for over forty years, the General Manager told the Premier that his company had recently recognised some of the Nevisian Dealers who have contributed tremendously to the company’s success.

“We feel that we haven’t done enough for Nevis in the past,” said Slack who echoed that it was all right to be honest and sincere.   “We have just recently recognised Amos and Pearline Manners of Government Road and Wilma Cornelius of Prince Williams Street and we have in the past recognised Alfreda Cornelius and Barman Queeley,” he added.

Mr. Slack who was accompanied by Sales Manager, Mr. Victor Wilkinson, presented Premier Amory with the first brand new package of the company’s latest project, Aqua Vita (bottled water) and a clock to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Bottling Company.

In presenting the gift he said that although it was very small, they had appreciated the time that he (the Premier) took to spend with them.   The general manager pointed out that the clock was engraved with the company’s slogan for its anniversary, “ Capping Your Thirst For Fifty Years”.

Premier Amory in accepting the token said, “I want to thank you for seeing it fit to come and present me with these gifts.   I deem myself very fortunate and I want to accept these gifts with some degree of humility.   Thank you very much for honouring us and I will certainly utilise the clock and trust that the company would grow from strength to strength.”

The Premier also thanked the general manager for seeing it fit to honour the businesspersons in Nevis who have been their distributors for all those years.
  He said, “I know all the persons of whom you spoke and from their little outlets, I think they have been very supportive of the Bottling Company.”

“I want to say it is always good when you can honour and recognise persons who have made the company continue to be profitable and to expand over time.
  Fifty years is not a very long time in business, companies can co-exist and exist for much longer than that,” said Premier Amory.

The Premier in responding to the challenges that the Administration and the people in general are facing said, “Our own approach to the whole matter of the challenge of wanting Nevis to be independent is to have the same kind of relations in terms of economics and business which we’ve enjoyed over the years and that is why we continue to talk about matters of trade.”

“It is unfortunate that some people don’t see that we are in fact not seeking to be detrimental in any way but I suppose each person has his own opinion on things and I appreciate the opinion,” replied Premier Amory.

The company is expected to present the Alexandra Hospital with a photocopying machine in the near future.