Archives: News Items

The Plastikeep Recovery Programme, aimed at generating public participation in the practise of recycling, has received financial support from the Massy Group.  Through Massy’s contribution, collection bins will be returned to all Plastikeep collection centres across the country, for recyclable waste to be collected on a regular basis.

“We have a role to play, along with our valued customers, to take some responsibility for disposing of our waste in an environmentally sensitive manner.  Our support is meant to maintain regular collection of the waste, which is a core activity to keep the practise of recycling alive and growing in Trinidad and Tobago,” commented Derek Winford, CEO, Massy Stores (Trinidad).

“The entire Massy Group is behind this initiative, not just Massy Stores, because we understand that our contribution today is an investment in a cleaner, more sustainable country for our children,” added Winford.

In June 2016, the operation of the NGO was halted due to the pending appointment of a Board for the Green Fund.  Plastikeep’s Project Director, Rosanna Farmer, earlier this year lamented the fact that the NGO did not receive any funding for the year from the government, which threatened the continuance of its operation.  Massy has pledged to offset the funding of collection services and is optimistic that government will shortly resume its funding of a project of such great significance.

“I am so grateful to Massy for coming to our rescue and ensuring that we are able to keep the collection effort going.  The success of this programme is based on changing human behaviour and getting our citizens in the habit of recycling.  Without bins and a collection service, we are hindering behavioural change so Massy’s commitment to facilitating this activity is immeasurable,” said Farmer.

About Plastikeep

The Plastikeep project, launched as a pilot project in May 2010, was created to address Trinidad and Tobago’s mounting problem of plastic waste as well as the lack of consciousness in the general population around proper plastic disposal. The pilot project was the first time in Trinidad & Tobago that the general public had been given the opportunity to dispose of its plastic waste in a manner that protects and conserves the environment. It also provided the opportunity to convert that would-be waste into a useful resource.  There are over 67 collection centres around Trinidad and Tobago, including 4 Massy Stores locations.  For more information visit http://www.plastikeep.com/

For the 7^th consecutive year, Massy Guyana hosted its national 10k Road Race and Fitness Walk on Sunday September 4, 2016.  The event, held in conjunction with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) continues to raise the importance of health and wellness on a national scale, attracting close to 200 participants.  The 10K Road Race continues to be a highlight on the national calendar for professional athletes. 

National long distance champion, Cleveland ‘Little Kenyan’ Forde once again demonstrated his dominance in the road racing as he raced his way to his 6th consecutive title for the ten kilometers event. Forde completed the race in 33 minutes 11 seconds; while in the senior female division, Ashanti Scott copped first place in a time of 42 minutes 21 seconds.

Massy Group Guyana employees, key customers and the general public all participated in the fitness walk which covered a distance of over 3 km.  The road race commenced at 6:20 am from Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara and the fitness walk started at 6:35 am from the Demerara Harbour Bridge on the East Bank of Demerara.  The finish line for both races was positioned in front of the offices of Massy Industries Guyana Ltd.

The Massy Group has proudly supported a number of initiatives across the Caribbean to raise the profile of health and wellness among our employees and the wider public.

In Trinidad & Tobago…	In Barbados…	In St. Lucia &St. Vincent…	In Jamaica…
we’re the title sponsor of the annual Massy Rainbow Cup Triathlon and on October 2, an employee team of avid triathletes will be participating in the Barbados Triathlon.  Many female employees will also be ‘walking for the cure’ in the Scotiabank Women Against Breast Cancer 5K Classic next month.	Massy is the platinum sponsor for the Breast Screening Programme of the Barbados Cancer Society:  Walk for the Cure event, which will be held on October 2. Last year, we were the title sponsor for the Unite for Diabetes Fun Walk event, to commemorate World Diabetes Month held in November.	Massy Stores is will be the title sponsor of the Massy Stores/Yoplait Walk for Cancer and an in store product promotion – Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives.  Funds raised from the walk will be donated to the National Community Foundation and Faces of Cancer (a local cancer support and advocacy group).	on average, 70% of our Jamaica-based employees participate in the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run – a 5K fun run that is open to participants of all fitness levels. The event starts at Emancipation Park in New Kingston and culminates in a post-run celebration featuring an awards ceremony.

On July 19, 2016, the Massy Foundation (Trinidad and Tobago) welcomed its newest member, Earl Boodasingh.  Earl, or ‘Buddha’, as he’s affectionately known, has had an extensive career with the Massy Group, spanning 37 years.  He retired earlier this year and has been focused on his other personal interests including leadership development, executive coaching, improving organizational performance, mindfulness, yoga, fitness and somatics.

Earl is no stranger to the work of the Massy Foundation.  On many occasions, he has given of his time and talent to coach and develop young men who have participated in the Foundation’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility Project, the Boys to Men Programme – a community-focused, leadership development programme for young men.

Earl is deeply passionate about mentoring young people and helping them realize their full potential.  He has also mentored many Massy leaders, across the Group.

According to Earl, “I believe in finding ways of encouraging and motivating young people to contribute to their communities.  I am a big believer in the concept of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ but in reality, the village is now virtual and technology has, in many instances, replaced human contact, connection and community.  The village is vital and we have to find ways to strike a balance so that we don’t lose community spirit.”

About the Massy Foundation

The Massy Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropic arm of the Massy Group.  In Trinidad and Tobago it was established in 1979, funded by the contributions of Trinidad and Tobago-based subsidiaries.  The Massy Foundation is committed to social development, through poverty alleviation, youth development as well as the advancement of education, religion, arts and culture and other key areas.  In addition to offering scholarships, awarding disbursements to NGOs and contributing to special social projects, the Massy Foundation has also funded the Rites of Passage: Boys to Men Programme for the past 10 years. 

The Board members are Gaston Aguilera (Chairman), Angela Hamel-Smith, David O’Brien, Gregory Sloane-Seale, Hugh Henderson, Sandra Welch-Farrell, Keith De Freitas, Phillip Hamel-Smith and Earl Boodasingh, all of whom are ably supported by the Board’s secretary, Gem Rowe.

In 2015, the Massy Foundation was also established in Barbados.

On Thursday, March 17, Massy Stores opened its first supermarket in Guyana.  The regional supermarket chain, which currently operates 45 retail locations in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent has now extended its offering into the Guyana market, its 46^th location, to serve consumers.

Massy Stores Guyana will be located in Amazonia Mall, East Bank, Demerara and offers the convenience of one-stop shopping within its 16,000 square feet of retail space, making it the largest supermarket in the country.  The new location will include features such as high quality fresh produce, chilled and frozen meat, prepared foods and a wide variety of local and foreign food and general merchandise items.  Additionally, the Massy Stores Supermarket will offer a number of convenient, value-added services including a deli and bakery, butcher and fresh fish counters, an in-store pharmacy, ATM Machines, MoneyGram and SurePay points of service.

The store’s international design, which incorporates wide aisles to comfortably accommodate shoppers, and automated in-store price checkers, is also complemented by extensive parking facilities to enhance the overall shopping experience.

“Massy Stores is truly excited about opening our doors in the Guyana market.  We are a Caribbean chain and we believe that being in the Guyana market gives us an opportunity to be more authentically Caribbean, as we bring on board 120 Guyanese associates to create something new for this market.  This is about bringing a new shopping experience to Guyanese consumers and sharing our best practises and best models across Caribbean territories,” commented Thomas Pantin, Senior Vice President & Executive Chairman, Retail Line of Business, Massy Group.

 “We have continued to incorporate best practises in the construction of our second store, already in progress, at the East Coast MovieTowne complex, which is scheduled to open in 2017,” he added.

 Deo Persaud, Country Manager, Massy Guyana, also added that “Massy has been operating in Guyana for the past 48 years and our model has been primarily business to business, as we have been operating in the industrial and LPG gases, automotive and industrial equipment, distribution, security services and IT industries locally.  Now we are really moving into a new space, operating in retail and serving a wider customer base which is a new and exciting business for us.  We also have the opportunity to work closely with local suppliers and local producers so that our consumers can find a wide variety of high-quality, local items in one location.”

 Massy Stores Guyana will be open to the public from Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

‘Creating valuable connections’ – that’s what Christopher George and Massy Communications Internet | TV have in common. 

On Tuesday July 26, Massy Communications Internet | TV announced its partnership with Christopher as he prepares to represent Trinidad and Tobago in the sport of Judo.  He is, in fact, the first national of Trinidad and Tobago to qualify in Judo.

‘Christopher is a truly unique athlete.  He is in fact a pioneer and leading the ways for others in this sport and we are truly excited to partner with him on this journey.  Similarly, like Massy, he is a champion born on Caribbean soil and striving for excellence,’ said Fenwick Reid, Senior Vice President and Executive Chairman, ICT Business Unit, Massy Group.

Lisa Agard, Executive Director, Massy Communications further added that ‘his goals are so very aligned to ours and that’s at the root of our partnership.  He aspires to build, connect and develop people and that’s exactly what we do through our product, service and values.’

Christopher expressed his views on the partnership by commenting that ‘I believe we are starting a journey of great value, together.  Massy Communications Internet | TV is a local company, which employs local people like me who are really passionate about investing in and building this country.  I am putting in a lot of hard work and to even be considered to compete on the world stage is a great honour and I am grateful for the support of Massy Communications, for going the distance with me’

Christopher is a Chartered Engineer with the Institute of Chemical Engineers; and a professional with eight years experience delivering multi-million dollar projects in the North Sea, Texas, and Trinidad. He has specific competencies in design of offshore facilities, and management of specialist contractors.

He is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and a qualified law professional with a LLB (Hons) from the University of London.

In Photo: Lisa Agard, Executive Director, Massy Communications (right) congratulates Trinidad & Tobago Judo Athlete, Christopher George (left).

In the 1960s a day care centre for children from the Tunapuna region was established in East Trinidad, Macoya.

For a short time, the day care facility served its purpose of child development and community outreach. However, in 1994, the day care centre was remodeled into the Cyril Ross Home – a residential home for children living with HIV/AIDS – to meet a variety of other pressing needs, including the medical, emotional, spiritual and educational needs of young children and teenagers. Owned and operated by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Cyril Ross Home houses thirty-five (35) children between the ages of 2 and 18 years.

When asked what has been the Home’s biggest milestone in the last five years, Manager Claudia St. Bernard beamed as she spoke about its role in curtailing the number of HIV/AIDS related deaths. “When people ask what sort of impact we’re making, I always mention our role in curbing the number of deaths at the institution itself. The kids here receive anti-retroviral medication every month and it has been making a tremendous impact. It’s good to see a child, come in at an early age and live beyond childhood”

She continues, “We’ve also become a haven for the children who are usually in need of love, care and attention.” In 2011, statistics show that more than 13,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS in Trinidad. Claudia is happy that her home is able to make what she calls a ‘small’ but ‘important’ impact on society.

Even as Cyril Ross continues to make strides, Ms. St. Bernard is looking forward to developing their psycho-social needs even further.  She notes, “With all the care and medicine they receive, many of the residents still need to develop a sense of self-worth, self-esteem and healthy respect for authority. We would like to hire a trained professional, who can manage this for us.”

For the last nine years the Massy Foundation has provided annual grants in support of the NGOs work.  

Repeating another historic victory, Massy Trinidad All Stars won the National Carnival Band Association’s Band of the Year title for 2015. Decked in all white, the National Panorama champs stole the competition with its presentation ‘Ships Ahoy at a French Festival.’

Last year, the steelband dominated the field with its portrayal of sailor mas and went down in history for being the second steelband to capture the coveted title since the competition was inaugurated in 1963.   

This year, All Stars racked up 842 points to take them 93 points  ahead of second place winner.  

Congratulations to the entire band who continue to work tirelessly in their production of infectious music and beautiful mas.

Massy Distribution (Trinidad & Tobago) is now offering a great new one-stop-shop package for healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals, such as doctors and other healthcare providers, can now receive:

·         Medical Equipment and Pharmaceuticals (through Massy Distribution)

·         Lab and Point Of Care Equipment (through Massy Distribution)

·         Office Equipment and Solutions (through Massy Technologies InfoCom)

·         Financing (through Massy Finance GFC)

·         Insurance (through Massy United Insurance)

All these services can be accessed via Massy Distribution, as the primary point of contact.  See attached ad for more details.

Months after completing a massive rebranding exercise, the Massy Group of Companies opened T&T’s first SuperCentre at the Trincity Industrial Estate, Tacarigua.

With 38,000 square feet of retail space, the one stop shop offers increased shopping options with a wide range of electronics, household and personal care items in addition to its supermarket offerings. The opening attracted hundreds of customers who lined up outside the outlet long before its doors opened to the public