FCGP is a project of the PIOJ || Government of Jamaica
Foundations for Competitiveness and Growth Project

FCGP pumps new life into Rita Hylton’s Carita through DBJ/World Bank Loan

How many Jamaicans do you know, who, at 77 years, are not just employed full time at the top of a growing export business, but is quite excited about making another significant capital investment to scale up the enterprise even further?

But then again, Rita Hilton is no regular Jamaican. More than 30 years ago, the trained and experienced educator launched out into the unknown world of business for a very good reason. “I had three kids to send to college. As a school teacher, married to a civil servant, I realised early on that there was no way I could send them to college on those salaries, so I decided that I had to do something else to be able to finance their higher education”, she explains.

And so, Rita pounced on the first opportunity that seemed to have some promise. An acquaintance in New York mentioned that he was in the market for a lot of scotch bonnet peppers. That’s it, she was in business, but still very wet behind the ears. In her own words, her knowledge of the business “was very scanty, I had no business training whatsoever, so this was a leap of faith”.

After many challenges over the years, including debt, Rita approached the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank to explain her situation and to lay out the great potential of her business. By her account, she persevered through some tense moments, but her perseverance paid dividends, and at the right time, when a loan was approved through a special window at the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ).

She said, “Thank God DBJ believed in me, through the instrumentality of the EXIM Bank and their intervention allowed me to scale up my business. I was able to add another sizeable client and build my reserves to the point where I could write a cheque without wondering whether it was going to bounce or whether it was good.” Since then, CARITA Jamaica has been able to add a new line of Jamaican products to complement the foundation fresh produce. This includes a range of nutraceutical teas, breadfruit flour and soup mixes without the controversial MSG additive.

Success Story details
  • June 8, 2019
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  • Rita Hilton’s CARITA
  • Kingston, Jamaica
  • 2019
  • Product Brochure