PeterJ on a growth trajectory - Nottingham businessman with Jamaican roots touts expansion in Africa, Caribbean

A Nottingham-based international businessman, who claims a family link to Jamaican national hero Samuel Sharpe, is pointing to the economic growth and potential in the Caribbean and Africa to inspire black communities.

Peter Robson, referred to as ‘PeterJ’, is CEO of The Drinks Group Holdings,

and branding company D’vine Distillates Group, which has operations worldwide developing and supporting its core range of products.“I am passionate about the growth of our brothers and sisters. What’s interesting today is that Africa and the Caribbean countries are growing exponentially, so the economy is moving in the right direction with the resources they have available, which has been untapped for many generations ... “ he said.

“If we look at global economy, it is predicted that the African content will outgrow other parts of the world in years to come, and also in the Caribbean, albeit at a much slower rate. In the Caribbean, Jamaica’s economy is growing and it is one of the fastest-growing countries in the CARICOM today,”PeterJ added.

Born to parents who hail from Trout Hall in Clarendon, Jamaica, PeterJ said: “In the course of trading on the world stage, I have rarely come across any other black business in this sector, if any at all; and the challenges are clear when you look into a room and realise that the playing field is unequal. Nevertheless, I am resilient and dismiss negative views, perhaps as a result of the DNA ... in me from my forefathers.”

LINKS TO SHARPE FAMILY

Formerly known as Peter Sharpe, PeterJ claims to be a descendant of the famed Jamaican national hero Samuel Sharpe. Born into slavery, Samuel educated himself and rebelled against his owner in the 1800s, which subsequently led to the Baptist War slave rebellion, in the 1830s, in Jamaica.

Some historians link this to the eventual abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. The Sharpe family home remains in Trout Hall where the family still has business roots – successfully growing and marketing the citric Ugli fruit for decades.

PeterJ also has historic links in Nottingham: his late uncle Tony Robinson rose from driving buses in the city to become the first black man to become the sheriff of Nottingham in the mid-1990s, and later a city councillor.

PeterJ works with the Nottingham Growth Board to stimulate investment in the East Midlands city he calls home, and is also in an ambassadorial role at the BGlobal charitable organisation, which helps its black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) members start up in business.

PeterJ worked for Trent Engineering/Vaughan Associates for over seven years and during this time, managed and worked on projects for the company at the Royal Ordnance facilities and Aerospace industry. PeterJ later joined BSL, a company supplying engineering parts and giving technical advice to engineering businesses and his old employers.

After a career with BSL, PeterJ joined OMSG, an American international auto source company based in South West Germany, he was posted to an office of OMSG on an AAFES complex, a “Nato regulated Military Base,” called PX in Kaiserslautern, where he worked for many years.

On his return to the UK, he continued his working life by joining Nynex. Nynex, a media company based in New York. After promotion to management, PeterJ progressed to a pilot project where he managed a team.

PeterJ is also an Ambassador for B-Global, a non-profit organisation helping budding entrepreneurs with business advice and guidance. He is the Ambassador for corporate branding and marketing strategy growth hub for taking businesses into market via Global and through the steering group.

PeterJ is extremely active in his day to day role on international trade in many countries working closely with the British Embassy Department of international Trade for brand strategy and route to market analytics in his day to day role for The Drinks Group.