NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2025 3 MMS 35TH ANNIVERSARY FEATURE Messages IT GIVES me great pleasure to extend heartfelt congratulations to Manpower & Maintenance Services (MMS) Limited as you celebrate your 35th anniversary. What began as a vision in 1990 has blossomed into one of Jamaica’s most dynamic and versatile service providers, with an impressive footprint across Kingston, Mandeville, and Montego Bay. MMS’s growth over these 35 years speaks volumes about your commitment to excellence. From your core facilities maintenance and human resource services to your expanded portfolio that now includes janitorial services, grounds maintenance, landscaping, integrated pest management, and human resource outsourcing, you have consistently demonstrated adaptability and foresight. What particularly impresses me is your holistic approach to workforce development through the Institute for Workforce Education & Development (IWED). This initiative aligns perfectly with our ministry’s vision of creating pathways for Jamaicans to acquire valuable skills that enhance their employability and contribute to national development. With over 2,500 employees serving more than 220 client locations islandwide, MMS has become a cornerstone of Jamaica’s service industry. Your client base, spanning international, regional, and local businesses, reflects the trust and confidence your partners place in your capabilities. I value organisations like yours that prioritise continuous learning and skills development. IWED’s commitment to research-based training programmes that reflect current practices and techniques is commendable and essential for building a competitive workforce. As you mark this significant milestone, I encourage you to continue your excellent work in providing innovative solutions in facilities maintenance, workforce education, and outsourced services. Your contributions to Jamaica’s economic landscape and human capital development deserve our highest praise. Congratulations once again and best wishes for continued success! SENATOR DR THE HON DANA MORRIS DIXON Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information A DYNAMIC, VERSATILE SERVICE PROVIDER ON BEHALF of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, I extend warmest congratulations to Manpower and Maintenance Services Limited on the occasion of your 35th anniversary. For over three decades, Manpower and Maintenance Services Limited has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and service delivery. Your contributions to the Jamaican labour market via the service sector, and your employment of some 2,500 persons contributing to our historically low unemployment rates, our economy and the wider society are truly commendable. As we celebrate this milestone, we acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and resilience that have been the hallmarks of your success. I commend your initiative in creating additional entities in your strategic undertaking of expanding your brand and boosting the skillset of the Jamaican workforce through the creation of Manpower and Maintenance Business Services Limited. Further to serve additional needs in the service industry, you expanded your portfolio offerings to include Manpower and Maintenance Services Sales and Distribution Limited to offer a wide range of cleaning and sanitising products and Manpower and Maintenance Services Foundation Limited to boost your philanthropic efforts. This type of expansion and growth is a testament to the power of your vision as entrepreneurs and your commendable leadership in providing job opportunities for our citizens. This innovation and progress will secure your enduring legacy and presence in the industry, shaping the landscape for another 35 years. Your company has stood the test of time and will serve as an example to future generations of entrepreneurs as to the capacity for Jamaican brands. I wish you continued success, growth, and prosperity as you mark this significant chapter in your history. May the next 35 years bring even greater opportunities, achievements, and impact. Congratulations once again to Manpower and Maintenance Services Limited on this remarkable anniversary. THE HON PEARNEL CHARLES JR, MP, JP Minister of Labour and Social Security A MILESTONE CELEBRATED: 35 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE WHEN MANPOWER & Maintenance Services Limited (MMS) was founded 35 years ago, my aim was to fulfil my need for employment as well as to provide a service in cleaning and related areas that I believed was lacking in Jamaica at that time. The formation of the company came after a 22-year sojourn overseas where I worked in various capacities, both in the United States of America and the Caribbean. Resettling in Jamaica had its own set of challenges and to say these were overwhelming at times, is an understatement. However, with the assistance of family, friends and good old-fashioned moxy, I managed to put my skills and experience in the health sector to good use. As I have indicated in my book, The Will To Overcome… Reflections On Circumstance, Vision, Service, “the success that is seen today, has a history which is not for the faint-hearted but thankfully, it also reinforces the principle that when you have something to do, just do it, stick to it – because as the saying goes, ‘Every setback is a set-up for a comeback.’” I will forever be indebted to The Tony Thwaites Wing, UWI and Life of Jamaica, now Sagicor, the first two organisations that decided to take a chance on me. These are the foundations on which MMS was built and today I can reflect with immense gratitude and pride on the road that we have travelled and the experience gained. I also thank the approximately 200 clients who we now serve, not just as a single entity but as a multi-service group of companies, with some 3,000 employees who are the backbone of our organisation. After 33 years at the helm of MMS as founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), I officially retired from the position of CEO on March 27, 2023, and handed the day-today operations over to the very capable Don Gittens, while I continue to serve the organisation as chairman. Don brings to the position of CEO considerable expertise and experience in several critical areas including business development, strategic management, financial analysis and strategic planning, and he is making his mark both internally and in the marketplace. While he respects MMS’s past, he is charting an impressive course for the future A NEW CHAPTER PLEASE SEE CHAPTER, 4 M. Audrey Stewart-Hinchcliffe
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