NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022 7 JAMAICA AT 60: MANCHESTER Keisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer AS A young engineer, Lyden ‘Trevor’Heaven started what has been a phenomenal journey in the parish of Manchester. In 1977, he was recruited by two of the island’s major bauxite companies, Alcan and Alumina Partners of Jamaica (ALPART). He chose Alcan, and since then has been an influential figure in the development of the town of the Mandeville and its environs. “Mandeville is really an attractive residence town. Many returning residents come here from North America and Europe. It is extremely salubrious in terms of its climate and the diversity of the town’s elevation. When I came to the town, Cecil Charlton was the mayor at the time and one of the things that attracted me to it was that more than any other town, it was one of the cleanest towns,” Heaven recalled. Heaven is a graduate of the University of Reading, a chartered electrical engineer by profession, with extensive experience in the bauxite/alumina industry. He has been in the petroleum industry as a franchise operator since 1988. The town, he said, has evolved over time and there have been major developments in terms of business, education and industry. “Bauxite has basically died, but guess what? We survived because of the infrastructure that is here and the kind of attractions that bring people to the town,” Heaven said. “Our education system is one of the best right now, with almost all major tertiary institutions having a branch here now. Our high schools are also quite impressive. I pride myself in heading a few of these school boards. I think we have done exceptionally well as a town and I pride myself in living here,” he added. During his early years in the town, Heaven, along with his job at Alcan, started out as a distributor for Island Dairies Limited. The opportunity then came for him to become a retailer for multinational company Texaco. “I have always contemplated my position in this life. I have always said I was not born to be an employee, and so business has always been a mainstay in my efforts in terms of building a career. I always have my eyes open for opportunities,” the businessman said. He is currently the owner and operator of Heaven’s FESCO ’s i n Mandeville. He is a twotime past president of the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association. “We have grown and evolved. Fourteen years ago, we joined with several local entities to start Future Energy Source Company. We are among the first retailers to have accepted fuel from a newmarketing company, to compete with other multinationals. I am proud of the Jamaican landscape and my pride and joy, Manchester,” he said. Heaven is also a justice of the peace, serving currently as vice-president of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica and a Rotary Club past president and district chair. He currently serves as chairman of Cornerstone Trust and Merchant Bank (CTMB), chairman of the credit and audit committees for CTMB, and serves on several other corporate and school boards. keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com We survived the death of bauxite in Manchester – Heaven Lyden ‘Trevor’ Heaven, owner and operator,FutureEnergySourceCompany. NATHANIEL STEWART/PHOTOGRAPHER jamaica at
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