RJ Rums has cultivated a relationship-based culture that prioritizes retention over rapid turnover. “Because we’re a small company, we’re less than a hundred people, everybody kind of works together. They understand what needs to be done,” Anand says. “We don’t have layer upon layer in many departments. Everybody pitches in and gets the job done.” The approach proved resilient during the pandemic’s economic uncertainty.“During COVID, we never laid anyone off. We kept everyone on payroll even though we weren’t producing. So, the company took the hit on that.” Long-term employment relationships have become a hallmark of the operation. “Most of our staff stay with us and we have a small turnover every year, but nothing out of the ordinary. We’ve got employees now going on eight to ten years with us,” Anand notes. Brain drain remains a regional challenge, but the company’s community-focused approach has helped maintain workforce stability in an increasingly competitive global labor market. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND MARKET TRENDS RJ Rums positions itself at the intersection of traditional Caribbean rum-making and emerging 33 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 06 RJ RUMS & SPIRITS
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