Archives: News Items

On Tuesday, November 11, Massy and Republic Bank signed an agreement to offer a Massy Credit Card – a credit card accepted at over 20 Massy merchants nationwide.  The participating Massy merchants, where the card will be accepted include:

• Massy Automotive Components Ltd.
• Massy Distribution (Trinidad)
• Massy Machinery Ltd.
• Massy Motors Ltd.
• Massy Stores, Massy Stores SuperCentre & Massy Stores Pharmacy
• Massy United Insurance Ltd.
• Massy Technologies (Trinidad) Ltd.

The Massy Credit Card will offer a revolving line of credit, issued by Republic Bank Limited in collaboration with Massy. The card will function as a dual purpose card, combining our first class Massy Card Rewards with the flexibility of a payment card. In addition to being eligible to receive exclusive offers from Massy Stores nationwide, Massy Credit Card holders will receive an additional 50% Bonus on Massy Points at Massy Card partners – cardholders will continue to receive 10 points per $100 spent from Massy Card plus an additional 5 points per $100 spent when payment is made with the Massy Credit Card.  

In speaking about the launch at the contract-signing ceremony, Gervase Warner, President & Group CEO, Massy commented that “after launching our new brand and our new identity, Massy, we decided that we wanted to revolutionise the way our customers interface with us.  We wanted to create new opportunities for the customer to be more than a customer but rather, part of our family.  This means that we have to continuously find ways of making our customer interactions meaningful and rewarding so we developed the Loyalty Card concept even further to offer a Massy Credit Card.”  

“As a Massy Credit Card holder, a customer will now have the flexibility to pay for their goods and services at over 20 Massy merchants nationwide, earn 50% more points than before and have the opportunity to redeem the points for attractive gifts at participating Massy merchants and other partners.  For example, a customer can buy groceries with the Massy Credit Card, accumulate more points than ever before and be able to redeem them for their next purchase at Massy Motors, in a shorter time frame.  This is the value of being part of the Massy family, as a Massy Credit Card Holder.  We saw Republic Bank Limited as a trusted partner in this venture, with the right combination of technical competence and a commitment to customer service,” he added.

The Massy Credit Card was launched publicly today with a media campaign.  There will also be a series of promotional activities in the month of November and December at select Massy Stores locations.  RBL representatives will be present to facilitate customer applications.  Customers can also apply for the card at Massy Stores West Moorings on November 22^nd, Massy Stores Marabella on November 28^th and Massy Stores SuperCenter Gulf View on November 29^th, 2014. For more information about applying for the Massy Credit Card, visit our website at www.massycard.com

The contract was signed by Mr. Warner and Mr. David Dulal-Whiteway, Managing Director, Republic Bank.  Other members of the respective teams were on hand to witness the signing including Earl Boodasingh, Executive Chairman, Integrated Retail Business Unit (Massy); Curtis Tobal, Chairman, Consumer Finance Line of Business; Jorrell Best, General Manager (Massy-Consumer, Finance); Nazra Ali, Head, Consumer Finance (Massy- Consumer, Finance Trinidad) and Derwin Howell, Executive Director, Republic Bank; Anthony Wong, General Manager, Electronic Channels & Payments Divisions (Republic Bank Limited) and Michelle Palmer-Keizer, General Manager, Group Marketing and Communications (Republic Bank Limited).

From left to right: Anthony Wong, General Manager, Electronic Channels & Payments Divisions (Republic Bank Limited); David Dulal-Whiteway, Managing Director, Republic Bank; Curtis Tobal, Chairman, Consumer Finance Line of Business (Massy); Derwin Howell, Executive Director, Republic Bank; Gervase Warner, President & Group CEO, Massy Group; Earl Boodasingh, Executive Chairman, Integrated Retail Business Unit (Massy)

Formally known as Neal & Massy Automotive Limited, Massy Motors offers the complete automotive experience. At Massy Motors you earn points with your Massy card when you purchase new and pre-owned vehicles. With the change in name, signage and brand, customers will now be able to better connect our subsidiary brands to our corporate brand, and access more services and rewards, as MASSY Card cardholders. Customers can also access more services when purchasing a car, such as financing through MASSY Finance and automotive insurance offerings, through MASSY United Insurance, both located in all MASSY Motors Showrooms.

Find out more about how you can get your own MASSY Card at www.massycard.com

The Massy Group is pleased to welcome Massy Energy Colombia as a part of our Group of Companies.

Massy Welcomes Massy Energy Colombia to the Group

On Tuesday October 7, 2014, Massy Group acquired Wood Group PSN Colombia S.A., a company engaged in providing production, maintenance and engineering services to clients in the oil and gas and mining sectors in Colombia.

Wood Group is the largest energy services company worldwide, employing about 40 000 employees across the globe and operating in more than 50 countries.  Wood Group is Massy’s 50% Joint Venture partner in Massy Wood Group which operates in Trinidad and Tobago.

Take a look at the launch announcement event in Colombia (all dialogue in Spanish):

United Insurance Company Limited has changed its name to Massy United Insurance Ltd. This comes as part of a Group-wide strategy to have one common, unifying corporate brand, Massy, across all subsidiaries.

In addition to its new branding, the company, which previously occupied the mezzanine floor of the Melville Shipping building at London Street, Port of Spain, relocated to 61-63 Edward Street, Port of Spain. The new location provides increased accessibility to broker clients and direct customers.

Concurrent with new branding, Massy United Insurance has also increased its focus on growing its business through new strategies.  In October 2013, the company began offering Automotive Insurance as a value-added service to the Massy Motors customer base.  Representatives are located in the Massy Motors Showrooms to conveniently facilitate timely processing of motor insurance policies.  This is one of the areas in which the insurance business connects to other important services offered by Massy companies to create a ‘one-stop-shop’ experience for valued Massy customers.  For instance, a customer can purchase a vehicle at Massy Motors, finance it with Massy Finance GFC and insure it with Massy United Insurance, all at one location.

Our new location, along with a new brand and new business strategies, give us an optimal position for capturing other similar synergies across the Massy Group, as well as optimizing growth for all our products and services, and creating value for our stakeholders.

Massy United Insurance provides a full range of policies to cover personal and corporate risk including insurance coverage for Property, Motor, Marine, Liability and Accident. With over 35 years of experience the company boasts an A.M. Best International Rating of A- (Excellent), which is an indication of the company’s financial strength and continued stability.

In addition to operating in Trinidad and Tobago, Massy United Insurance also operates in Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Turks & Caicos.

The Massy United Insurance Team at their new offices.  Centre left is Howard Hall, CEO, Massy United Insurance Ltd. and centre right is Dennis Benisar, General Manager (Trinidad Operations), Massy United Insurance Ltd.

The Massy United Insurance Team at their new offices.  Centre left is Howard Hall, CEO, Massy United Insurance Ltd. and centre right is Dennis Benisar, General Manager (Trinidad Operations), Massy United Insurance Ltd.

Dennis Benisar, General Manager (Trinidad Operations), Massy United Insurance Ltd. 

Massy United Insurance Relocates

The Boys To Men: Rites of Passage programme (BTM) was started 6 years ago in Trinidad under the guidance of Ian Jeffers.  The programme is essentially a developmental programme designed to build leadership skills of young men with a view to positively improving their lives and the lives they touch – families, friends, colleagues
 
The essential programme model follows on the ‘Rites of Passage’ journey that is incorporated by several societies, for instance, according to the western ideal, boys make the transition to manhood when they complete a University education and are able to earn a sustainable income.  After such time, financial support from the home ceases and the ‘men’ assume their duties as providers in the household.  Alternatively, in some traditional societies, young men are mentored by community elders and then face a series of ‘rites’ or ‘tests’ to prove their manhood, ranging from scarring their bodies to performing dangerous feats to demonstrate and prove their readiness for manhood.

 
The BTM programme is conducted in 8-week stages during which young men of selected communities meet in a common place at a common time (usually Saturday mornings or evenings at a facility in the community).  The young men are usually between the ages of 14 and 21 however based on the needs of the individuals in certain communities, some participants are not within that age range.  Meetings are facilitated through developmental conversation – the principal tool in creating positive dialogue among participants – to bring about an improved understanding of particular areas of discussion such as relationships, career development and education, family, fatherhood, self-esteem and spirituality.  Boys 2 Men 2

Similar to the traditional ‘rites’, we employ the proverbial village elders to guide discussions on their particular areas of expertise, at select meetings.  For instance, for the meeting in which the topic of career development is discussed, we have often called upon business leaders of Trinidad and Tobago to lead the discussion.  Some leaders are drawn from within the Massy Group and others from the wider pool of leaders in the local business community.  These ‘elders’ are carefully selected as they are usually individuals who have a story to tell – stories in which they are able to identify with the young men and speak about their attitudes and abilities to overcome the challenges that they faced on their journeys of development.

The programme is funded entirely by the Massy Foundation.

If you are interested in learning more about the Boys To Men Programme, email us at communications@massygroup.com.

Kingston, Jamaica – The Jamaica leg of the Massy Launch Campaign, hosted by President and Group CEO, Gervase Warner, saw over 100 of the country’s leading business luminaries and media gathered at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Monday July 14.

Cecil McCain, Director of Post and Telecommunications within the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy & Mining, attended as the official ministerial representative.  The attendees included members of the Diplomatic Corps, representatives from the Financial Services Commission as well as key Massy Jamaica clients. Representing the powerful lobbying organization, Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica were CEO, Dennis Chung and the President, Christopher Zacca.

Moderated by Richard Barrow, CEO of Massy Distribution, the programme was brief and featured an engaging 30-minute audio-video presentation by Mr. Warner. The evening started with the National Anthem followed by a health and safety presentation by Massy Gas Products team member.  The safety drill interlude is a rare occurrence at Jamaica’s corporate functions and precipitated much conversation on the topic.

Warner’s presentation which concluded with the Massy song by Kerwin Dubois was followed by a vote of thanks.  Presented by Carol Wongsam, a director at Massy Technologies, who was flanked by Sharon Laidlaw, HR Manager at Massy Distribution, the speech expressed gratitude to the players that helped bring success to the event and the rebranding effort on a whole.

Warner used the opportunity in Jamaica to visit the Jamaican subsidiaries, do site tours and meet and greet Massy team members at Massy Distributors, Massy Gas Products and Massy Technologies.

The Massy Group commenced sponsorship of “Trinidad All Stars” in 1988. This was a choice association as the band has always been an integral part of the rich and colourful history of the steelband movement in Trinidad and Tobago. From their origins in the 1903s as Hell Yard Boys, the band’s roots are deeply entrenched in the indigenous culture of this country and its turbulent early beginnings and explosive creativity are the hallmark of steelband music today. The band’s name changed several times over the years, and finally “All Stars” was chosen because of the perceived superior ability of the players. Soon after, “Trinidad” was added to the name.

Trinidad All Stars pioneered the introduction of classical music on the road played to the rhythm of calypso. They were also the first band to fuse melody and harmony by playing the pan with two sticks. The band made the first “Quatro Pans” later called the grundig and the guitar pans. A former captain of Trinidad All Stars, Neville Jules, is credited as the inventor of the first bass pan.  

 In 1982, the contributions of Trinidad All Stars to the steelband movement were recognizes by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago with the presentation of a national award – the Humming Bird Medal (Gold).  

Massy “Trinidad All Stars” is recognised for its groundbreaking position within the steelband movement through its members, who have carried the vibrant culture of Trinidad and Tobago around the world. The ban has received many accolades, and has become a premier steelband with an enviable track record of discipline and musical excellence. 

In 1993, the Massy Group of Companies became associated with Derek Walcott and the Trinidad Theatre workshop, through the sponsorship of one of his epic works – The Odyssey, which was staged at the old fire station building in Port of Spain, Trinidad. In 2005, the Group reviewed its connection with the Nobel Laureate, and co-sponsored with BG Trinidad and Tobago the production of Steel by Derek Walcott and Galt Mac Dermot. In doing so, the Group filled a void that has existed in the history of the Arts in the Caribbean – the fundamental telling of the story of the birth of the steel pan. The sponsorship of the production of Steel naturally evolved from the Group’s direct involvement in the steelband movement through its sponsorship of the Trinidad All Stars.   

The Neal and Massy Group has changed its name to Massy as part of a comprehensive rebranding exercise that unifies all subsidiary companies to create a strong, consistent corporate identity. Redefining the corporate brand strengthens cohesion and clearly communicates the advantages of choosing to do business with the Group. The rebranding maximises marketing efficacy by powerfully connecting the equity of strong subsidiary brands with the corporate brand and vice versa. The new brand conveys the promise of reliability and value throughout the Massy range of products and services.

The Group’s new strategic direction focuses on activating existing synergies that connect products to relevant services, creating more efficient and cost-effective value propositions for consumers. These synergies are defined as ecosystems in the context of the Group. 

For example, with respect to buying a new vehicle, customers have the option of purchasing a vehicle from Massy Motors; financing it through Massy Finance; and insuring it with Massy United Insurance; all under one roof. There are several ecosystems within the Group. The rebranding exercise unifies and identifies the elements of each one under a single recognisable name. 

The Massy logo is simple, bold and modern and represents the mutuality of our Group of companies, with a stylised infinity symbol that retains the N and M of our previous corporate identity. The visibility of both letters in the logo design is a deliberate reference to the heritage of founders Harry Neal and Charles Massy. The original company name is commonly abbreviated to Massy, which over more than 90 years, has become strong enough to translate well across different languages and territories.

The Group will introduce a Group-wide loyalty card for our Trinidad and Barbados customers. We will convert existing Hi-Lo Smart Shopper cardholders in Trinidad and Classic Card cardholders in Barbados to a new Massy Card which will earn loyalty points when used at many Massy companies. The loyalty programme will also offer a credit facility that can be used at Massy companies.  The credit component of the loyalty programme will be introduced in due course. 

A corporate advertising campaign that demonstrates how Massy companies work together to simplify customers’ business transaction will run in the media in Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and St. Lucia. 

Trinidad & Tobago (link)
Barbados (link)
Jamaica (link)

Massy United Insurance offers a full range of market-leading personal and general insurance solutions designed to meet the changing needs of consumers. Massy United Insurance now provides Motor Insurance in the Trinidad and Tobago market, with offices in Port of Spain, Morvant and San Fernando. At Massy United Insurance you can now also earn points when you pay your motor insurance premium.

Massy Stores is the new face of HiLo Food Stores. Repainted in navy blue, light blue, orange and yellow, select Massy Stores now include non-food merchandise such as small and large appliances, soft furnishings (such as towels and bedding) and furniture. At Massy Stores you earn points with your Massy Card when you purchase groceries, pharmaceutical items, and small appliances from the store. Today, Massy Stores operate over 40 stores in Trinidad, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent.