Once riding high on years of stable growth, Paramount Trading now finds itself in the throes of a strategic reawakening—forced by mounting losses and the erosion of its once-dominant market edge.
The company, a longtime staple in Jamaica’s industrial chemical space, has quietly initiated a company-wide transformation in response to declining revenue and shareholder concerns. Behind closed doors, leadership has been dismantling outdated systems and redrawing internal roadmaps, hoping to steer the business away from further erosion.
“We’re not just talking about a recovery. We’re talking about reinvention,” one senior insider shared off-record.
Culture First, Then Commerce
One of the most notable pivots has been Paramount’s internal restructuring, where department heads were tasked with realigning personnel based not on hierarchy—but on raw capability.
“This isn’t about job titles anymore,” said CEO Hugh Graham in a private briefing. “It’s about output, alignment, and shared direction.”
Staff-wide engagement programmes have been rolled out in phases, including town halls, anonymous feedback loops, and incentive structures designed to refocus morale. The belief? Fix the culture, and the numbers will follow.
A Temporary Lift?
And they just might. In its latest quarter ending February 2025, Paramount posted a modest profit of $9.3 million, a welcome blip in an otherwise difficult fiscal year that’s still in the red by $43.1 million. Nine-month revenue fell 5.5% year-over-year to $1.2 billion.
Graham acknowledges the short-term gain but tempers expectations: “This isn’t a victory lap. It’s a checkpoint.”
New Alliances, New Bets
Part of the company’s new direction includes bold external partnerships. At this year’s Expo Jamaica, Paramount inked a multi-year manufacturing and distribution agreement with Manpower & Maintenance Services Group (MMS), one of the region’s most prominent facilities firms.
The deal will see Paramount produce, warehouse, and supply chemical products—including the well-known Powersol line—under MMS’s private label. It’s a tactical move that expands Paramount’s relevance beyond its traditional B2B base.
Not Out of the Woods Yet
While company executives maintain a confident front, questions linger about whether the company’s shift will be enough. Analysts are still cautious, pointing to yearlong losses and what one described as a “fragile rebound.”
Still, Chairman Radcliffe Knibbs remains optimistic: “We’re tracking new revenue paths and eliminating inefficiencies. The path forward is clearer now than it’s been in months.”
A Company on the Brink—or on the Verge?
Whether Paramount’s pivot proves to be a masterstroke or a last gasp remains to be seen. But what’s certain is that the company has finally broken from its old playbook—and that may be the most important change of all.
