As hardware store Kooyman marks five years of operations in Barbados this week, CEO Juri Kooyman credits the company’s growth to the dedication of its staff and the continued loyalty of its customers.
The CEO, who spoke to reporters at the conclusion of the company’s island-wide motorcade celebrating its fifth anniversary in Barbados, acknowledged the challenges faced since its launch. Despite a difficult start due to the impacts of COVID-19, storms, and ashfall, he noted that Kooyman continues to thrive and successfully serve the Barbadian market.
He said: “Looking back the last few years we have seen just about everything you can throw at a new store opening.
A pandemic, volcano ash, hurricanes [but] the store is doing well. The team is growing, the number of customers are growing, and [with] the five years we are proud of the number of things we’ve been able to accomplish, it’s amazing.
“I’m very proud. A lot of the team that we took on, retail was the first for them, so with a lot of training we have very experienced employees advising our customers when they walk into a store, So I’m not only happy, but proud to see how that has grown.”
He noted that on a whole, the Dutch Caribbean-based Kooyman was celebrating their 85th year anniversary, and as such the company has been undertaking a number of giveaways in recognition of the occasion, including a number of specials in-store.
HR Director Sharon York also spoke on Kooyman’s experience in Barbados thus far, acknowledging both the fortunate timing of the store’s opening in February 2020 and the unforeseen challenges brought by the pandemic.
“The timing of our launch was good, but with the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, it certainly could have been better. However, our staff remained incredibly loyal, and we were able to push through and pull through – that has been one of the highlights,” she said.
York also emphasised the company’s commitment to internal growth and knowledge sharing across its regional locations.
“We believe it’s important to encourage internal mobility, allowing employees to learn from each other and exchange best practices. It’s not just valuable professionally—it’s also fun. Travelling and learning from our other stores across the islands is something that happens frequently.”
She added that Kooyman’s strong workplace culture has played a key role in employee retention.
“The enthusiasm of our team is remarkable, and it’s worth noting that the majority of the employees who started with us in 2020 are still here. We’ve built a strong core team that has been with us throughout the journey,” she said. (SB)
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