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Tradewatch
•
The Official E-Newsletter of the Caribbean Export Development Agency • Vol.9 No. 3, 2015
CAriBBeAn exporters oF tHe YeAr 2015
“Delivering excellent service is not an option, it has to be part
of our core values, and it is”. Those are the words of Valrie Grant,
founder and managing director of GeoTechVision, specialists
in innovative spatial technologies and business ICT solutions
provider; recent winner of the Special Award for Service
Excellence at the Caribbean Exporter of the Awards 2015.
Whilst working in the industry Grant recognized a gap in the
Caribbean market; that there were no real solution providers.
Many of the Caribbean IT firms were concerned with ‘selling
boxes’ as opposed providing ‘customized end to end solutions
to meet the needs of clients’ - a service GeoTechVision set out
to deliver from inception after incorporation in 2008 in Jamaica.
The Excellence in Services Exports was awarded to
GeoTechVision due to their exemplary operation and success
in exporting services across the region. With 80 percent of
their business in the Government and 20 percent into Utilities,
GeoTechVision have penetrated 14 Caribbean Territories and
are now setting their sights internationally with their expansion
into new markets such as South America and Canada.
A Solution for Every Vision
Grant is the only female business owner in the Caribbean
operating in the geographic spatial technology arena, which
unfortunately comes with its own set of challenges. “I find that
I have to work a lot harder as a female in this space, but the
beauty of that is, that once we get our foot through the door
we normally have repeat business from the customer as our
service would speak for itself” she commented.
GeoTechVision received a direct assistance grant from
Caribbean Export to revamp their website and to develop
training materials for the training services that are offered
as part of the solution to customers. Employing 16 people
supported with a pool of consultants across the region Grant,
was grateful to receive the recognition for the work that her
organization has done. Receiving the award “reinforces for us
that we’re on the right tract and propels us to continue to push
the boundaries” Grant expressed.
After just 4 years GeoTechVision have already opened a
second office in Guyana in 2012, and as they continue to
expand Grant disclosed plans to develop GeoTech Academy to
develop the skills and ability needed as Grant recognizes that
“human capital is critical” for the success of the company, its
growth in the fast evolving web and mobile technology arena
and importantly for the regions industry as a whole.
(TW)