The Tribune

The Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company has integrated all Abaco staff into its Nassau operations while it rebuilds a retail outlet that was reduced to a shell by Hurricane Dorian.

"Abaco holds a special place in my heart. The people, the land, and the community brings a lot of warmth and great memories for me," said the brewery's general manager, Gary Sands.

"My ancestors are descendants from Abaco, and holding this connection to the community is extremely important to me. The customers of Abaco also need to see companies reopening to create a positive impact on the communities, and to assure them we support their rebuilding efforts."

Teams began refurbishing the building that housed the company's Jimmy's Wines & Spirits retail store in October. "We had to cut out all the water-logged infrastructure and clear out all the damaged product to prepare for reconstruction," explained Gerry Summers, the brewery's Abaco sales manager.

"We've begun the process of ordering what we need, and we're anxious to reopen our doors and serve our customers, but when that happens will depend on the overall restoration of the island. Until power is restored island-wide we're likely to be operating purely on a generator, and so there are certain considerations that will have to be made."

The Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company has stayed true to its pledge to avoid lay-offs during its post-Dorian recovery by retaining all Abaco staff in its Nassau operations. Five of the seven employees are currently working within the Brewery's Nassau offices, with the other two choosing to move on to other opportunities.

"Some of our Abaco staff members have been working with us for eight-plus years, and others worked for my grandfather at Butler and Sands for 20-plus years," said Mr Sands. "This type of dedication and commitment to the company makes me motivated to reopen the Abaco store as soon as possible to restore some type of normality to their lives."

Along with its locally produced beer, the brewery, through its Jimmy's Wines & Spirits operations, is also the primary distributor for Anheuser-Busch, Philip Morris International and other brands such as Tito's Vodka, Macallan Whiskey and Jackson Family Wines.