What is a Corporate Citizen?

Companies have for years contributed to the development of the country in which they operate. This may be through their supplies of goods and services as they conduct the regular business or they may step outside of their circle of business and sponsor the development of business, industry and education in their country. 

As we move around Barbados many signs of the philanthropy of our local businesses may be witnessed. A Corporate Citizen by estimations of this author will be any local business which has over time demonstrated an interest in the development of this country by their contributions and sponsorship of physical structures or activities that lend to positive progress of the nation. 

You may argue that all companies do in some way, be it large or small, contribute to our development. If these companies have been enjoying profits directly from the goods and services they offer then they are merely conducting business and no accolades to them. 

It is the company that deliberately puts something back into the country by expending capital realized or unrealized. These philanthropic do-gooders are rewarded often immeasurably through returns of investment or by increase goodwill. 

The erection of a building for community purposes may represent and expenditure of $4,000,000.00 yet may show and increase in business to the company due to increase awareness by the community. Over years this goodwill may easily pay for the expended value. 

Largely because of this exchange of benefits companies are willing to contribute to meaningful ventures that will result in the increase of business. Sponsorship should come easily yet many companies are reluctant to affiliate with some kinds of benefactors and rightly so. In the same way that good publicity may lend to increase revenues, bad publicity by being tied to failing, unpopular ventures may cause the demise of a company. Hence the reservations by companies to sponsor. 

When a company has managed to affiliate itself with recurring events that are successful the company often looks forward to upcoming events and may add increasing amounts to the promotion of these events. We may come to see these companies and they promoted brands as household names and make the association with their benefactors when ever activities are featured.
 
Sometimes sponsoring an activity may become a company’s most productive marketing tool. What ever the reasons for initially sponsoring, companies have to take a risk. They have to demonstrate a level of trust in their benefactors and they should generally look at the positive value sponsorship will serve. A company that undertakes to give back to the society which has been responsible in making them successful may opt to venture without forecasting returns in value. But no company will enter any arrangement that will result in certain losses without any form of gain. 

Although their decisions may therefore seem calculated, companies that invest in their public are heroes of the nation and are special citizens. They sometimes are called by short names as if they have taken on their own personality. We welcome all organizations who have in their way added to the development of Barbados. Their contributions we consider as gifts to the nations. Gifts which have no ulterior motive which have been given to aid the development or the promotion of a cause designed to develop this nation. 

Philanthropy is noble and by definition is given charitably. The Companies featured here are some of a growing list of companies that have qualified through their generosity as Corporate Citizens. Their contributions to the nation’s development have been as varied as the organizations and may be witnessed in their construction of buildings or sections of buildings, scholarships, grants, sponsorships of organizations, individuals or events, commemorative monuments or plagues, challenge trophies, sports and many other forms. 

Often, their gifts go unnoticed by the generations long afterwards and sometimes may even be forgotten over time. These Corporate Citizens are our nations unsung heroes and have donated incalculably to enhance the progress of our nation. 

Bajan Elite has undertaken to immortalize their activities for all to see. We think it would be tactless for them to blow their own trumpets and boast of their contributions. But the truth should not go unnoticed and untold. We therefore undertake to feature these Corporate Citizens with a pride that makes no wanton boast. We write their names on history’s page with expectations great. We look forward to our community now and the benefactors years to come recognizing the importance of the contributions made by these Corporate Citizens as they aided in the development of the arts, entertainment, sports, education, infrastructure and the general progress of this nation. 

Politicians are given the opportunity to shout to all who would listen and often to those who wouldn’t. They reminisce of what they have done and have an audience to hear their cries. They are rewarded for they efforts to build the nation whether fair or unjust. It seems unacceptable that businesses that have done so much continue to go unnoticed because information is lost through the years to the silent remains of the artifacts they contributed. This shall be no more as we gradually accumulate historical data that substantiate our Corporate Citizens’ place in history. 

View them here as we list their more substantial contributions. Or link to their main website for those still under construction.

A.S. Bryden and Sons Ltd
Abeds
Advocate Publishers
Automotive Arts
Banks Breweries
Barbados Hardware
Barbados Light & Power
Barbados Lumber Yard
Barbados Mutual
Cable and Wireless
Carters
Cave Sheperd
CBC
Cheffette
Chickmont Foods Ltd
Clico Mortgage Finance
CO Williams Construction
Courtesy Garage
Courts
Da Costas and Mannings
Esso
File-it
Firstcaribbean
Harris Paints
Insurance Corporation of Bdos
Lasco
Magna Rewards
Mall Internationale
Nation Publishing Co.
Oran Ltd
Pine Hill Dairy
Pizza – Man – Doc
Purity Bakeries
Shell
Sheraton Centre
Simpson Motors
Solar Dynamics
Standard Distributors
StarCom Network
Supercentre Ltd
TMR
Williams Industries Ltd