Gordon "Butch" Stewart

Gordon "Butch" Stewart was born 6 July 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica to Gordon L. Stewart, an engineer for JBC and Jean, his wife.[1][2] He is a Jamaican businessman and the owner or Chairman of over two dozen companies throughout the Caribbean, North America and Great Britain. These companies include: Sandals Resorts,[3] Beaches Family Resorts,[4] Appliance Traders, Ltd.,[1] The Jamaica Observer,[1] among others.

Stewart began working at the age of 17 as a salesman and eventually rose to become the sales manager of Dutch-owned Curaçao Trading Company. After saving up some money, Stewart later left in 1968 to found his own business, Appliance Traders, Ltd. which specialized at first in manufacturing air conditioning units but has grown to sell almost everything. The company also founded the Jamaica Observer newspaper.[5]

In 1981 Stewart purchased two hotels and began to turn the venture into a profit with heavy investment. A number of years later he purchased Sandals Resorts Royal Caribbean which catered for an adult-only clientele. The brand 'Beaches' was developed for families while the company expanded around the Caribbean.[5]

Stewart was a recipient of Caribbean World Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in Jamaica,[6] and has been called one of Jamaica's most-admired businessmen, by Kamal King President of Cambridge College and Community Services Jamaica in an address to graduating students.[7]

He is twice married with six children[8] – his youngest son, Adam is currently CEO of the Sandals Resorts company.[9] His daughter Jamie Stewart-McConnell was formerly a brand manager at Royal Plantation,[10] while his eldest son Brian Jardim sits on the Board of the Jamaica Observer and is the owner of Rainforest, a seafood import company.[11] One of sons, Jonathan, was killed in a car crash in 1990.[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Caribbean Heroes". Grenadian Connection. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  2. ↑ "Father memorial service" Olivia Leigh Campbell,'Butch' Stewart's dad remembered as 'human to the core', Jamaica Observer, 7 January 2003
  3. ↑ Anthea McGibbon (13 January 2008). "Gigangic Gigantic Love from the Arts". Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  4. ↑ "Fast-Forward 25 years, Gordon 'Butch' Stewart's Empire Has Grown from One Sandals Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica to 18 Resorts on Five Islands". Hotel Online. 4 November 2004. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Story of Gorden Steward" Johnny Ringo, 'The Story of Gordon 'Butch' Stewart' and Sandals Resorts' Caribbean Current, 16 March 2013
  6. ↑ "Lifetime Achievement Award for Jefferis". Bermuda Sun. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  7. ↑ "Jamaica's Most Admired Business Leaders". Jamaica Gleaner. 22 March 2006. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  8. ↑ "Indy bio" Abigail Townsend, 'Gordon 'Butch' Stewart: 'It's been a great 25 years, man', The Independent (UK), 17 December 2006
  9. ↑ "Adam made CEO 2006" Desmond Allen, 'Butch' Stewart names 25 year-old son CEO of Sandals Resorts, Jamaica Observer, 12 November 2006
  10. ↑ "Orijin article" Barbara Ellington, 'Stewart-McConnell Gives Birth To Orijin', Jamaica Gleaner, 2 February 2012
  11. ↑ "Brian Jardim" Staffwriter, 'Brian Jardim named to Observer board' Jamaica Observer, 15 June 2012
  12. ↑ "Sandals interview" Judith Baker, 'Interview: The Stewarts on Sandals, business and family values', Travel Weekly, 15 January 2009