Cohort 5
A.V. Knowles Group
The A.V. Knowles Group is the largest credit and debt management conglomerate in the region, providing end to end accounts receivable and collections management business solutions. Established in 1985, A.V. Knowles & Co. Ltd. provides credit bureau and third party debt recovery services. Their affiliate CIM Limited offers first party early receivables management. From state of the art proprietary software to responsive reports and novel collections strategies that fuse call center techniques with debtor psychology, they strive to be at the cutting edge of the financial services industry. They employ 76 staff and serve banks, credit unions, financial institutions, and hire purchase companies.
The company applied to Scale Up to seek continuous improvement and potential revenue increase. Their aspirations include getting better at executing sales, having a motivated team driving revenue, an improved sustainable ethos, market leadership, increased operational capability, expansion to a larger location, and always innovating. A fun fact: they have the best Easter egg hunts ever.
Contact:
Phone: 299 0510 | Website: avknowles.com
CinemaONE Limited
CinemaONE is an entertainment company based in Trinidad and Tobago offering differentiated and innovative digital cinema entertainment in multiple movie formats. The company opened the first IMAX theatre in the Caribbean and operates in three locations: One Woodbrook Place (Port of Spain), Gulf City Mall (La Romain), and Price Plaza Shopping Center (Chaguanas). Their products and services include movie experiences (Hollywood, Bollywood, IMAX educational documentaries), food and beverage with full dine in service including beer, wine and cocktails, advertising and sponsorships, and corporate events. The company was formed in 2010, with its first IMAX opening in August 2011. Headcount ranges from 50 75 persons based on season.
CinemaONE is the first publicly listed company on the SME tier of the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange. After successive years of COVID 19 impacts (2020 2022) followed by Hollywood guild strikes in 2023, the company needs to realign with its purpose and drive growth and profitability. Their Scale Up aspiration is to re imagine the company, realign key employees with company purpose, deliver revenue growth, and return to profitability. A fun fact: they are in the FUN business and often dress up in movie character, including the CEO, to greet patrons.
Contact:
Phone: Brian Jahra 868 678 4910 | Email: [email protected], [email protected]
D’Master Cobbler
D’Master Cobbler is a company with 202 years of shoe anatomy experience across four generations. They manufacture and mass produce non traditional hand crafted leather sandals and slippers in sizes 4 14. They also produce belts, wallets, card holders, portfolios, clutches, watch bands, passport holders, key holders, and other trinkets for tourists and corporate gifting. The company is led by CEO Claudette L. Daniel, with a team that includes her son Deon R. Daniel as Director of Production (a retired Warrant Officer of 30 years), and other family members.
Their strength is in each other, ensuring no individual is left behind, nurturing and motivating one another. Their Scale Up aspirations include increasing production capacity to meet local and export demand, standardizing procedures to improve staff performance, and becoming eco friendly through digitalization and energy conservation. Fun facts: the CEO was previously a housewife and mother of six; the fourth generation runs the business alongside the second generation, who mentor and share family secrets.
Contact:
Phone: 1868 793 9351 | Email: [email protected] | Instagram: d_mastercobbler.tt | Facebook: dmastercobler
Freebird Restaurant
Freebird Restaurant at Petrea’s Place is a farm to table fine dining restaurant, bed & breakfast, and event venue located in Pointe a Pierre, Trinidad. Their menus are globally influenced, incorporating local ingredients, modern techniques, and international flavors to create what they call “Modern Caribbean.” Their mission is to guide guests through the Freebird Experience – unique in food, service, and ambience. They have 23 employees, with major customers including corporate groups from the oil & gas industry, accounting firms, and general dining customers. The company has existed since October 2017.
Their team effectively communicates in an open and respectful environment, ensuring everyone is aligned with the team’s goals. They applied to Scale Up to learn and grow personally and professionally. Their aspiration is to gain knowledge about business development and growth that they can apply to the business and educate others. A fun fact: they are an environmentally conscious company that repurposes ingredients to eliminate waste, composts kitchen waste, uses compostable materials, and feeds birds and animals on the compound.
Contact:
Office: 279 9969 | Email: [email protected]
Media Insite Ltd
Media InSite Ltd. is a pioneering media monitoring agency serving business, government, and NGOs. Founded in 2011, they create innovative ways to monitor paid, earned, and owned media across the Caribbean. They track, measure, and analyze media mentions of brands, competitors, organizations, and industry topics, as well as advertising placements and competitive advertising activity. They offer the Caribbean’s most comprehensive monitoring of offline, digital, and social media content, making them the global leader in Caribbean media intelligence. Their services include ad monitoring, media monitoring across 22 Caribbean countries, and social listening. They have 56 employees and serve commercial banks, energy companies, insurance, retail, telecom, manufacturers, government, advertising agencies, and media houses.
A key strength is their real time media intelligence and dedicated client success team across 23 markets. They applied to Scale Up to strengthen their organization while contributing to the SME ecosystem. Their aspiration is to build stronger internal structures, identify growth gaps, and develop in a scalable and sustainable way, enhancing client satisfaction and empowering employees. A fun fact: their 50+ team members work entirely remotely, staying connected through weekly virtual meetings, quarterly in person meetups, wellness events, and birthday celebrations.
Contact:
Phone: 1 868 607 4MIS (4647) / 1 868 367 0202 | Email: [email protected]
Omega Pest Management
Omega Pest Management has been delivering pest, disinfection, sanitization, and odour control services since 1984. Their customers benefit from flexible, tailored services that assure health and asset protection through competent service delivery and responsible care in domestic, commercial, and industrial environments. The company is 41 years old, with 21 in house staff and significant partnerships with HSE, ICT, and pest control product suppliers. Their portfolio of approximately 300 customers includes Proman Limited (MX, AX, AUM divisions), Massy Stores, Nutrien, and Unit Trust Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago.
Their robust integrated management system includes policies, procedures, and guidelines. They applied to Scale Up as an accessible way to participate in a proven growth process led by expert faculty and experienced mentors. Their aspiration is to achieve at least 100% growth in profit and turnover within seven years. A fun fact: Omega was the first pest control company to practice structural integrated pest management locally.
Contact:
Phone: (868) 638 7378 / 674 6423 / 675 2447 | WhatsApp: (868) 678 4122 | Email: [email protected] | Website: omega-pest.com
Star Global Production Studios
Star Global Production Studios (SGP Studios) is a premier film, television, and commercial production company based in Trinidad and Tobago, offering high quality video, audio, and graphic production services. With over 31 years of industry expertise, they deliver world class content for local, regional, and international markets. Their services include commercials, documentaries, films, television series, social media content, live and recorded coverage, post production, audio mixing, color grading, and marketing consultation. They have 30 employees and serve major clients including the ODPM, Medical Associates Hospital, Guardian Group, CNC3, Carib Brewery, Unit Trust Corporation, Caribbean Airlines, KFC, and many others. The company is 8 years old (since 2017).
Their team are experts at creating marketing, television, and social media content. They applied to Scale Up to partner with forward thinking organizations and leverage collective expertise to drive innovation. Their aspiration is to achieve greater operational efficiency, strategic growth, expanded market reach, and data driven decision making. A fun fact: SGP Studios is responsible for creating the “JJ and Friends” television show nearly 15 years ago, featuring Jared and Jada Seemungal as the main stars.
Contact:
Phone: +1 (868) 379 8781 | Email: [email protected] | Website: sgpstudios.com
Styroforms Limited
Styroforms Limited is an architectural company specializing in processing expanded polystyrene foam into beautiful architectural forms. They provide real solutions to end users who need specific looks for their homes. Additionally, they recycle their own and others’ waste styrotex into eco friendly construction materials. Their products include architectural mouldings, E blocks, planters, and solutions for people who want gorgeous and efficient buildings. The company has 25 employees, serves homeowners, contractors, and event planners, and is 29 years old.
Their helpful assets include problem solving, strategizing, and creativity. They applied to Scale Up to increase sales by 400% and to export. Their aspiration is to have a clear organizational structure understood by all staff, a sales team with clear targets and tools, efficient operations that increase profitability, and the ability to reward all team members. A fun fact: they have a CNC machine that allows them to be as creative as they want with their products.
Contact:
Phone: 279 4964 | Email: [email protected] | Website: styroformsltd.com
Varsha Maharaj Investments (Urbancraft Limited)
Varsha Maharaj Investments is a forward thinking property development and construction firm specializing in gated communities and residential housing solutions. As they transition to Urbancraft Limited, they are positioning themselves to attract high net worth individuals and businesses interested in diversifying through property investment. They sell homes that offer lasting value and secure investment by incorporating innovation, safety, and peace of mind. Their core team consists of over 20 professionals including in house staff, contractors, attorneys, architects, engineers, and project managers. Their primary customer base includes middle income families, young professionals, and first time homeowners, with plans to expand to high net worth individuals and institutional investors.
One of their most valuable assets is over 70 years of combined real estate and construction industry experience (spanning three generations), giving them unique foresight in identifying development opportunities and navigating regulatory frameworks in Trinidad and Tobago. They applied to Scale Up to refine and streamline their business to become more efficient and grow. Their aspiration is to fine tune operations, strengthen financial management, adopt innovative approaches, and transform into a strategically driven, scalable, growth focused company. A fun fact: “Some families pass down recipes, we pass down blueprints!”
Contact:
Phone: +1 (868) 485 8816 | Email: [email protected]