What an amazing 55 years it has been! In 1964, The Business and Employment Center, then known as Secretarial Services Limited was established by Jill Hamilton after her husband who was in commerce, realized the need for a secretarial agency after facing a shortage of secretaries at his company and suggested Jill start an agency for part-time secretaries. At that time it was particularly aimed at housewives who could not go out to work every day and students who wished to earn extra money during the holidays to find temporary work.
Decades later, the business has gone through many changes and has grown to be the largest and most reliable staffing agency in Barbados. It is an honor to have been serving our clients and candidates for the past five and a half decades. As we look back throughout the past 55 years, we’re truly grateful for everyone who has supported and positively affected our company in any way. We can’t thank you enough!
It’s a notable month for The Business and Employment Centre we are all incredibly proud to be celebrating our 55th anniversary and sharing our journey with you. While it has undoubtedly been hard work, we are grateful for the encouragement and recognition that we have received from our clients and within this industry.
A Brief History
Secretarial Services Limited was established by Jill Hamilton in 1964. Sonya Lawrence purchased the business in 1971. Jill Hamilton felt the time had come for a more energetic person to be at the helm and Sonya Lawrence (then Jordan) who had worked for a similar organization in Canada and as a roving secretary with SSL, jumped at the offer. In those days there was still a large typing pool, but the main focus was temporary workers and job placements.
Sonya Lawrence purchased the business in 1971, then in 1991 Catherine Impey and Marcia Ishmael–Hammans became the new owners. In 1995, it was decided to use the trading name of The Business and Employment Centre to better reflect the activities of the company.
Catherine Impey and Marcia Ishmael-Hammans served as Managing Director and part-owners respectively until they sold the business to Rosette Tasker in 2017.
1964 – 1970
1971 – 1990
1991 – 2017
1991 – 2017
How it is today
With all that has happened in the world these past couple of years, we found our business succeeding by proactively adapting, evolving and being at the forefront of every situation that comes our way. We are so proud of our internal staff for rallying around what was going on, making sacrifices, being flexible and making sure our company was able to sustain during the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our company would not have been able to sail through these perilous times without the direction of our managing director, Rosette Tasker.
Our current owner and Managing Director is Mrs. Rosette Tasker, she has been successfully able, since after taking up the position, to provide inspiration, motivation, and guidance to the managers, team leads, staff and candidates in the company. She has successfully been in charge of directing the company’s operations to make sure that our company achieves its objectives, and that they are met effectively and efficiently.
Commenting on the anniversary, Managing Director, Rosette Tasker
“Celebrating fifty-five years of providing excellent staffing services to our clients in and out of Barbados is an extraordinary achievement in the often challenging economic environment.
The Company has been resilient over the years thanks firstly to the vision of its founders, the dedication and sacrifices of employees, the loyal patronage of its clients, sustaining a pool of quality associates, the support and contributions from the directors and management team, and the ability to adapt, providing individualized service to suit each client’s needs over the years.
Today, The Business and Employment Centre (B&EC) is the leading provider of temporary staffing in Barbados and we have extended our reach into the market with our permanent recruitment, employee leasing and light industrial contract staffing services. We are more than just a staffing company – we also support small and medium sized growing businesses with payroll, administrative, HR and courier services.
Over the past year we have streamlined our processes, improved our technology and infrastructure. We now look to the future with optimism, that despite the challenges we will face we will not only continue to meet the staffing needs of all companies here in Barbados, but also become a leader in providing staffing solutions across the region.
We thank the staff, associates, clients and directors who built the company over the years and look forward to continued support in the future, as we look ahead to celebrating another major milestone in 20 years! Congratulations B&EC.”
In 2010 we moved from Beckwith Mall in the City to Kensington Court in Fontabelle to a more spacious office with convenient parking for our clients. Despite ups and downs over the years with difficult economic times and the present pandemic, the services of The Business and Employment Centre are still in high demand, especially the temporary help services, an indispensable tool for a flexible staffing strategy.
The front desk pictured on November 8th, 2010.
We offer more services
As the business continued to grow, so did the services we offered. The Business and Employment Centre now provides a variety of services aimed at helping business and candidates succeed. Our staffing services are no longer limited to just permanent or temporary placement, but we also provide temporary-to-hire and contract staffing. We also provide exceptional payroll services. With our new payroll services we allow business to save time, reduce costs, minimize compliance and regulatory risks and allow businesses to rather focus on their strategic goals to grow their company and culture. We have also introduced a new courier service, providing door-to-door collection and delivery throughout Barbados.
To our clients, candidates & customers
From its small beginnings in a small office at Balmoral Gap in Hastings, this company has become known in the business community as a reliable resource for providing competent and efficient staff at short notice. The Business and Employment Centre has many faithful customers who have continued to use its services from its modest beginnings to the present day.
To our clients, candidates and customers, you are the reason why we are celebrating this momentous milestone.
Without your support, we would not be where we are today.
Thank you for being our valued customers.
We are so grateful for the pleasure of serving you and and we will continue to strive to meet your expectations in the years to come.
