Renwick: The Man, the Entrepreneur, the Philanthropist
Constantly reminding himself of the importance of generating a fair profit and being a good corporate citizen, Christopher Renwick, the managing Director and Founder of one of Saint Lucia’s leading distribution companies Renwick and Company Limited, continues to make a significant impact on the country’s economy through solid entrepreneurship.
But he was not always an entrepreneur. In fact, what eventually led him to get his feet wet in the business ownership arena was the unfortunate death of his father while he was just a juvenile. The heart-breaking event had forced Mr. Renwick to make the decision to quit his studies in order to provide for his family.
The Grenadian-born began his working life with a five-year stint as an accountant at the Barclays Bank in Grenada until he accepted an offer to work with auditing firm DeGale & Rapier in Saint Lucia. It was then that he, along with his wife Marge, and daughter Cheryl relocated to Saint Lucia.
By late 1965, about six years after moving to the island, Mr. Renwick launched his own business with partner Mr. Denis Barnard and from then on he has been climbing the commercial ladder.
Decades later, and after having survived much more than the economic crisis, Renwick and Co. stands strong, employing over 130 employees and representing over 100 suppliers of products globally. The company has long been a household name in St. Lucia.
On top of being a model entrepreneur, Mr. Renwick’s staff and even outsiders have lauded him as an exemplary employer.
His aim has consistently been to provide an excellent working environment for his employees and to reward them fairly for their efforts.
With all the success however, Mr Renwick has not been detracted from his philanthropic principles. Guided by another motto which he holds dearly, ‘you must give if you want to receive’ Mr. Renwick is never far from his humanitarian works. He has over the years served on a number of community projects and organizations in the field of sports such as football, squash and swimming, and other sectors. Many other non-profit initiatives have been, and continue to be realized through his company’s input.
These days Mr. Renwick may not be physically participating in community affairs but he is still deeply involved through the Rotary Club of Saint Lucia. He has been a Rotarian since the early 1970s and served as president from 1975-1976, during which time he spearheaded a drive to build community laundry shower units to help eradicate Bilharzia in Saint Lucia.
Mr. Renwick believes that the hallmarks of success for any company are hard, dedicated work, honesty and integrity – qualities that undoubtedly he possesses.
The work of his company has not gone unnoticed as Renwick and Co. has received various accolades for excellent service over the years. These include the awards of Distributor of The Year and Best Commercial House.