Two local businesses react to Sandals closure

Two local companies which depend heavily on Sandals hotel for business are hoping the resort will scrap its decision to close for five months.
Michael Burton of Burtons Laundry and Cleaners says he has had a contract with the resort for almost seven years.
“Out of all the hotels in island, the majority of my dry-cleaning comes from Sandals…at the end of the day Sandals is one of the hotels that you know your money is sure. A brand like Sandals you don’t play with so at the end of the month I know I’m collecting my cheque and it definitely goes to my mortgage,” he says.
He says he has set up his business to specifically suit the needs of the two Sandals properties at Dickenson Bay.
Burton says he has hired two drivers to provide a 24 hour-laundry service, with pickup and delivery, as per his contract with Sandals.
“I’m going to be optimistic and I want to believe that the prime minister is going to figure a way out and he is actually going to the listen to the people and calm down a notch and find a solution that best serves the country so that everyone can have a win-win situation.”
“I would have no choice but to simply let go one of my drivers, but I really want to be optimistic because it’s not about politics  at this point it’s about the country because I am just one, what about the 700 workers?” he adds.
Meanwhile a senior official at Caribbean Distributors Company, Christos says the pending closure of the hotel will be a blow to both his wholesale and retail business.
The official says he has already ordered some three to five containers of goods for the tourist season, with delivery starting at the end of this month, and staggered until early next year.
The supplier says he provides dairy products, pickled meat, salted fish, sugar and other items that are considered necessary for Sandals guests.
He says if the hotel proceeds to close from September to January, then he would have to reduce his orders significantly or postpone the delivery until he can find alternative markets for them.
That’s for the wholesale aspect of business.
Speaking of the retail aspect, he says Sandals staff support his business and if they are out of work they would no longer be able to do so.
He says Sandals is one of his bigger customers and the company is most reliable, above many of his other customers