National Rums of Jamaica has been producing rum since 1980 when the company was incorporated to combine the operations of three existing distilleries operated by the government, The Long Pond Distillery, the Clarendon Distillery, and the Innswood Distillery, which is currently no longer operational.
The company has three shareholders, the government of Jamaica, West Indies Rum Distillery Ltd of Barbados, which in turn is owned by Maison Ferrand of France, and Demerara Distillers of Guyana. It produces rum under the globally recognised Monymusk Brand and produces more than 60% of the rum exported from Jamaica.
One of the reasons National Rums of Jamaica holds such a large portion of the Jamaican rum market is the unique diversity of its offering.
“We’re the only rum producers in Jamaica that have distilleries in the north and south of the island,” says Martha Miller, CEO of National Rums of Jamaica. “The distilleries in the south produce more fruity, floral, spicy, lighter rums, but in the north, the focus is on more funky, potty, heavier rums. As a result, we produce the largest range across the island.”
New Leadership
Miller became CEO of National Rums of Jamaica in 2021, making waves as the first female CEO in the Jamaican rum industry.
“It came with some unexpected attention!” Miller recalls. “Usually, I’m an individual who just gets her job done, provides the deliverables, and deals with challenges. I’ve always maintained a low profile.”
But while she might keep a low profile, Miller is no stranger to getting her point across in male-dominated business environments, particularly in the alcoholic beverages industry.
“I’ve operated mainly within teams of men. My direct reports or management team, and the boards I serve on are heavily male dominated,” Miller points out. “That wasn’t new to me as I am used to operating in a male-dominated area.”
To succeed in that field, Miller is clear that she needs to be prepared to fight her corner.
“What I found is that I need to have clarity supported by facts in expressing any opinion I expressed. It’s critical to be clearly stated and fact-based,” she says. “The alcohol industry in Jamaica is highly competitive, so you have to be clear and factual in what you are saying.”
Two-and-a-half years into the role Miller has put together a highly supportive team and gained the respect of authorities across the industry. But from the start, her goal has been to build a productive, and happy team.
“What I’d like to achieve is a happy successful team focused on a common goal,” she says. “If I can achieve that it leads to the business booming, people feeling fulfilled in achieving their goals professionally and personally.”
In creating that team, Miller has two key priorities.
“Passion and the right attitude are the primary factors in ensuring you have the best staff,” she says. “You need competent individuals, but without the right attitude and passion for success, long-term objectives become more difficult.”
To promote and enable that passion, the National Rums of Jamaica, under Miller’s leadership, has made an increasingly focused investment in training.
This year everyone from the supervisor level up will have their Wine & Spirit Educational Trust (WSET) Level 1 certification. When we speak to Miller, two-thirds of the firm’s employees from supervisor up have completed the examination, with plans to start WSET Level 2 in the next financial year. This is combined with certifications in customer service and relations for the company’s entire staff complement, supervisory management and a project of ongoing continuous professional development.
A Time for Expansion
With the right team in place, and the right investment in that team, National Rums of Jamaica is ready for a period of expansion across all lines of the business. Miller makes clear she has plans to expand the company’s capacity and capabilities, alongside a slew of new ESG initiatives. National Rums of Jamaica has been BSCI audited and is in the process of actively seeking Bonsucro Mass Balance Chain of Custody Standard.
It is an ongoing project, and one it is clear that Miller is passionate about.
“We hosted a delegation from Vinmonopolet and Systembolaget in March 2023, as a part of a seminar to identify risks in the supply chain while increasing stakeholder dialogue with business partners,” Miller says. “The delegation visited our distilleries, to observe the initiatives we have been implementing in our effort to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts in our supply chain.”
That focus on human rights starts in National Rums of Jamaica’s own supply chain. Jamaica’s sugar industry has been on the decline for a while, and so to protect its supply chain National Rums of Jamaica has become its own sugar supplier, running its own cane fields, and even selling cane to sugar factories. As part of that, the company runs an ongoing project to improve the water, rest, and shade facilities for its farm workers.
“We’re working to improve water, rest and shade for cane workers, putting up shelters so they have access to shade during their work hours, but also planting trees for permanent natural shade,” Miller says.
“We ensure they have adequate water, giving them individual containers so they don’t
have to walk all the way to the water source. We ensure they have rest breaks and appropriate sanitation facilities. One of the biggest things people forget is sanitation facilities in the cane fields, so we’re working to increase the number of facilities for cane farmers.”
It is a process Miller expects to take around two years, and National Rums of Jamaica will use that time to measure the vital statistics of cane farmers so that the company can better support them.
“We are focusing on initiatives to make National Rums of Jamaica a great place to work,” Miller says.
By continuing to make sure the National Rums of Jamaica is a great place to work, Miller ensures that it will continue to produce a range of great rums. But ultimately NRJ is committed to promoting the well-being of all Jamaican citizens for the advancement of the nation as a whole.
The National Rums of Jamaica Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the NRJ, was incorporated as a means to advance community development through education, healthcare and infrastructural development. The Foundation is expected to be launched to the public in 2023.
