When the Company first started in 1973, it took over the trading assets of J.W. Thurston and Company Limited and H.F.Wildy
and Company Ltd. In doing so, it inherited a long and enviable tradition of service to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. On
its establishment, TDC adopted a Mission Statement which is as relevant today as it was then. This statement reads as
follows; “TDC is fully committed to total customer satisfaction, employee excellence through participation and training, to
provide maximum benefits for shareholders, while contributing meaningfully to the economic, social and cultural advancement
ofour nation.
Not having the funds to purchase the assets of Thurston and Wildy outright, the first Board of Directors, who included
WarrenTyson, Michael King, Jacques Cramer, Mary Moore, Arthur Lake and Samuel Hunkins, offered shares to the general
public – a move that created one of the earliest publicly-owned, private sector enterprises in the State of St. Kitts Nevis
Anguilla as it was then known.
Over the years the Company has grown from a relatively modest number of shareholders with Capital of 1.5 million dollars and
assets of 2.5 million dollars 2 in 1973, to over 2,200 shareholders with Capital of 52 million dollars and assets of 375 million
dollars today. The Company’s activities have expanded from just general trading and light manufacturing to include auto and
equipment rental, hire purchase, insurance, finance, airline agencies, tour operators, real estate development, hotel
operations and shipping.
TDC has maintained a consistent policy over the years of responding to the needs of the people. One initiative worthy of
note was the introduction of hire purchase financing in the 1980’s. It became an extremely significant and useful alternative
for the “ordinary man” who, hitherto, was unable to own modern day amenities and appliances because of insufficient
resources to purchase them outright or the ability to access credit from the commercial banks. Indeed many customers in
St. Kitts and Nevis today testify to being able to improve their living conditions through these credit facilities and the
important relationships that they have developed with the company over the years. We are most proud and humbled to be
able to make this type of contribution to the lives of the people of the Federation.
TDC has always supported and supplemented government’s initiatives to stimulate growth and development in the economy.
The establishment of Dan Dan Garments in the 1970’s, the building of middle income homes in the early 1980’s at Romney
Ground in Sandy Point, Frigate Bay and Bird Rock Extension, the high-end residential condominium complex at Leeward Cove
in Frigate Bay, the mixed use Sands Development at the Newtown Bay Road in the 1990’s, the construction and
redevelopment of our own commercial properties at Fort and Central Streets and on the Frigate Bay Road in St Kitts, and in
Charlestown and Pinneys in Nevis, are shining examples of the past. Today our efforts continue as we forge ahead with our
developments at Atlantic Views in Conaree, and Sunrise Hills and Oceans Edge in Frigate Bay.
TDC has provided direct and indirect employment opportunities to thousands of citizens in our 40 year history. Our present
employee role of over 600 persons throughout the Group, accounts for a wage bill, including statutory contributions, of well
over EC$ 20 million dollars annually. This figure represents a significant, direct input into the economy for persons to be able
to spend and meet their commitments. In our Flamboyant Tours and real estate and construction divisions, we follow a model
where TDC uses local providers to deliver services. In this way we have “spread the net wider” and created a new class of
independent business owners.
The Company’s business ventures in real estate and in the hospitality sector have also encouraged important foreign
investment into the country and generated valuable foreign exchange.
Consumer spending is stimulated by the many programs and special offers the Company has initiated over the years. One
remembers the “TDC Lucky Six Competition” in which shoppers were rewarded with opportunities to win substantial prizes for
spending their hard-earned dollars. Memorable too is the “Hire Purchase Train” which took TDC’s sales floor literally onto the
grounds of several village communities across St Kitts and Nevis.
TDC’s contribution to the social and cultural development of our nation has been long established and continues despite the
weak economic climate. Contributions to our annual Carnival, Music Festival and Culturama, our annual subventions to groups
like Rotary’s Advancement of Children Foundation are just a few examples of the ongoing participation of the Company in the
everyday life of our community. TDC’s sponsorship of the annual Inter High School Athletic Championship began back in 1978
and today stands as one of the longest, if not the longest, running sponsorship in the area of sport. In times of crisis such
as natural disasters, TDC has stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the nation and has done its part in recovery efforts
by committing substantial financial resources, equipment, machinery and manpower. Whether it was dispatching crews and
equipment to assist in clearing blocked roads to restore traffic, releasing staff to work with the National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA), or partnering with local contractors to repair andrestore local schools and other institutions,
“Your Company, TDC,” has done its part in times of need.
Perhaps our most significant contribution, though, has been our ongoing commitment to the development of the human
resources of our nation at all levels. From financial support for school activities and programs like Spelling B’sand quizzes to
actually staging the “TDC Test of the Best Quiz” and FINCO High School Debating Competition; from refurbishing school staff
rooms, libraries and bathrooms to having TDC employees visit schools to participate in morning assembly and classroom
lectures; from repairing and restoring school facilities to outright “Adopt a School” programs, TDC has paid particular
attention to the development of our nation’s youth. TDC’s Warren Tyson Memorial Scholarship Program has assisted
approximately two hundred and ten needy high schools and local college students over a thirty year period. This program
provides financial assistance, business and personal development training and mentoring for these students during their
secondary and tertiary school careers.
This program has yielded teachers, doctors, lawyers, economists, accountants, IT specialists and business entrepreneurs
among many other fields of endeavor. We now see them working and making their contributions in Government and in the
private sector across our Federation and indeed around the world.
Inside the Company the TDC Jacques Cramer Awards reward employees for outstanding performance on an annual basis while
the Michael King Advanced Education Scholarship Program has enabled employees to continue schooling at local institutions
and to pursue higher education at universities and colleges in the region and around the world, utilizing both distance and
residential programs on a full-time or part-time basis. Scores of employees have attained qualifications at certificate,
diploma, associates, bachelors and masters levels as well as professional certification using this assistance. Many of these
persons have also gone on to work for other employers and are therefore making valuable contributions elsewhere across the
Federation. Ongoing programs of professional training and personal development assist present employees not only to do a
better job but also to manage the challenges of daily life.
Augmenting these programs is the TDC Michael King Scholarship Grant which is an annual bursary of US$ 5000.00 each, to
four university students across the Federation – two in St. Kitts and two in Nevis, who cannot be employees of the
Company. Awardees must demonstrate a clear intention to return to the Federation to participate in nation building. It is
our firm belief that if our nation is to develop and prosper, this investment in the development of people must take place.
An investment in human capacity is the surest way of ‘Investing in our Future.”
As we look back over the years, we are keenly aware that all this could not have been possible without the investment of
our shareholders and the important support and patronage of our many loyal and devoted customers. From the “Common
Man” to the most “Well-to-do” business person – they are all represented across the board both as shareholders and as
customers. The St.Kitts Nevis Anguilla Trading and Development Company therefore says a sincere “Thank you” to all the
people of our Federation for the opportunity to have served you over the past forty years. It has been exciting and
rewarding. Your support for many of our business initiatives has not only been gratifying but on many occasions quite
humbling, as we observe the loyalty and commitment of you our valued customer.
As we embark on a new chapter in the company’s existence we are developing a “road map” comprising a body of policies,
plans and programs to ensure the growth, strength and viability of our company given the present and future realities. We
see a future filled with hope for our company and our Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, hope that can be realized only if we
continue to work together and to forge even stronger and more meaningful relationships and partnerships. Therefore, as we
celebrate this our “Ruby” anniversary, we encourage all our citizens to adopt that true spirit of co-operation, patriotism,
entrepreneurship and hard work that has allowed our Company to prosper and which has put our nation on the road of
development. We encourage investment in our people, especially our young minds. In this way, we will not only proudly
celebrate ourl egacies but we would have gone a long way towards securing a brighter future.
During our planned year of celebrations, which commences 1st February 2013 the Company will have a full calendar of events
which will include several exciting benefits for the general public. Our first formal event will take place when we attend
church service at the Wesley Methodist Church on Seaton Street at 9:00a.m. on Sunday 3rd February 2013. We invite all to
join us as we give thanks to the Almighty for the privilege to have served, for his many blessings over the years and to pray
for wisdom, strength and direction in the future.
As I end, I again crave the continued support of all our loyal shareholders and, our dedicated and committed staff, and thank
once again all those who made it possible for us to achieve this significant milestone.
TDC for Service, TDC for Quality, TDC Your Company.