Whitter Village 10 Years Later

NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020 11 Road, Ironshore. Whitter Village is an important source of employment for scores of persons. In addition to the staff of the Whitter Group, each of the 92 shops at the centre, in turn, em- ploys many persons of different so- cio-economic backgrounds from Montego Bay, elsewhere in St James and other parishes. The economic multiplier effect is tremendous. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended business activities all over the world and created ad- verse effects for businesses within Whitter Village, leading to a decline in revenues for the operator of the shopping centre, theWhitter Group has maintained its staff. “I cannot send my staff home because I know they, like so many other people, are facing real diffi- culties at this time and we have a duty to ensure that they and their families can survive during these challenging times,”MrsWhitter says. The significant social and eco- nomic impact of Whitter Village is also to be seen in the role it plays in the lives of the people who de- pend on the services provided by the businesses operating there. The 92 commercial enterprises which occupy the shopping centre provide vital services to their wide-ranging clientele, including groceries, phar- maceuticals, bill payment, banking, gaming, fast food, elegant dining, consular services, motorcycle prod- ucts, paints, shoes and clothing, gifts and much more. “There is something at Whitter Village for everyone. It is a safe place for people to shop and to take their families,”Mrs Whitter points out. With the impact of COVID-19, Whitter Village, like businesses around the world, has had to make changes. “At this time, as a business oper- ator, you have to be wise, and you must pivot. Every day is a pivot. There is no same two days in any week, but the business must go on,” says the entrepreneur who admits that her approach to business has been described as shrewd. AngellaWhitter concedes that she was trained by a master business- man, her late husband, who, by his example, demonstrated how to suc- ceed in business despite the odds. TheWhitter Group CEO has a pos- itive outlook despite the pandemic and its many negative effects and uncertainties. “My outlook for the future is bright,”she says optimistically, look- ing to the future.“I know that we are going to rally back. This virus cannot be forever. A wave of different new developments are already taking shape to happen. I am looking to get my plans together for projects I want to do when the virus has passed. These include housing and other commercial developments.” The businesswoman shares that: “After COVID we will be returning to the core business of real estate development. It might not be so focused on tourism. Jamaicans returning from abroad, young professionals starting their own businesses will need housing. The sky is the limit moving forward as soon as COVID is gone.” WHITTER VILLAGE 10TH ANNIVERSARY