Celebrating 90 years Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited 1932-2022 Researched and written by Simon Lee Edited by Alice Besson

Dear valued customers,

Please be advised that there is an ongoing exploit targeting customers in the form of email phishing attempts. If you receive a suspicious email from Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited requesting that you confirm or submit personal banking details, unlock your account or reverse a payment, please report the email as spam and delete it immediately.

Here is a sample of one of the spam emails currently in circulation:

From: "Grenada Co-operative Bank" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 29, 2024 10:51am
To:
Subject: Your Peer Has Been Paid

A payment of $584 XCD has been debited from your account. If this transaction was not made by you, please click here to get a reverse payment.

Please be reminded that the Bank will never request personal banking information via phone, email or social media. Your financial safety is our priority. Let us work together to ensure our platform remains Swift, Simple, and Secure.

If you have questions, please contact us via telephone at 440-2111 or WhatsApp 410-CARE (2273).

On Friday December 8, 2023, Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited entered into an agreement with The University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus Grenada that will bring benefits to individuals wishing to pursue higher education at the institution.

The Bank has created “Earn and Learn”, an education loan product that is tailored to meet the needs of current and prospective students interested in becoming qualified while working. The facility offers unsecured financing up to $40,000, to finance tuition and school supplies, with a competitive interest rate and three attractive options to choose from.

Left to right: Co-op Bank’s Chief Experience Officer, Mr. Grainger signing partnership agreement with Dr. Phillip-Dowe, Head of The UWI Global Campus Grenada.

The agreement was signed at The UWI’s location on H.A. Blaize Street, St. George’s by Dr. Nicole Phillip Dowe, Head of The UWI Global Campus, Grenada and Mr. Willvorn Grainger, Chief Experience Officer of Co-op Bank. Mr. Grainger remarked that this product is a welcome addition to the Bank’s suite of financial solutions and complements the Bank’s existing line of education products. This is the third financial solution aimed at satisfying the educational needs of our population.

Dr. Phillip-Dowe expressed her appreciation to the Bank for this special offer which provides students of The UWI Global Campus Grenada with an option for financing their educational goals. She also expressed her gratitude for the Bank’s commitment to the institution over the years.

Co-op Bank’s team with Head of The UWI Global Campus Grenada.

As the only local commercial bank in Grenada, Co-op Bank is committed to creating opportunities for Grenadians to pursue educational advancement with ease, through financial solutions and community support programs. The Bank currently offers an Education Investment Plan (EIP), where customers can save for educational purposes.  The EIP also features an annual scholarship and star points program.

The Bank now has two financing  solutions: the Higher Education Loan Plan (HELP) to cover any tertiary educational  needs and the new Earn & Learn solution.

On July 17, 2023, Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited announced the successful transfer of assets and liabilities of CIBC FirstCaribbean, Grenada branch. Customers are now able to access Co-op Bank’s full suite of financial solutions, through its conveniently located Retail Banking Units, CONNEX ATMs and eBanking (online) platform.

An acquisition of this magnitude marks a significant milestone in the Bank’s 90-year history. It involved the migration of over 13,000 customers, Loans valued at EC$154M and Deposits totaling EC$398.6M. This was a major undertaking for Grenada’s lone indigenous commercial bank and is testament to the experience and quality of its staff.

Customers are advised that the Bank is working assiduously to rectify any issues and challenges and wishes to thank all customers for their patience and understanding.

Noteworthy, during this process, the Bank rolled out many strategic initiatives that new and existing customers can now enjoy. These include:

  1. An enhanced suite of credit cards with an attractive rewards program
  2. Upgrades to the eBanking (online) platform
  3. Creation of a customer contact centre to assist with the transition and provide  virtual and real-time responses to customers’ queries.

The Bank has prioritized a few post-acquisition initiatives, which will be undertaken in the coming weeks, including:

  1. Implementing further enhancements to its eBanking and digital platforms to allow for more seamless and efficient user experiences.
  2. Embarking on updating customer records to comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and other regulatory standards.

Further, the Bank is pleased to announce that several former CIBC FirstCaribbean employees have joined the Co-op Bank family. This will provide customers with familiar faces as they become accustomed to doing business with the Bank and to further improve customer service delivery.

Co-op Bank remains committed to providing excellent customer experiences each and every time and wishes to thank all stakeholders involved in making this acquisition a success.

Bridgetown, Barbados, 19 May 2023 — FirstCaribbean International Bank Limited (“FirstCaribbean”) and Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited announced today that the sale of FirstCaribbean’s business in Grenada to Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited has received approval from the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

The banks further announced that the process of transferring FirstCaribbean’s clients to Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited is expected to be completed by 14th July 2023.

CIBC FirstCaribbean announced the proposed divestiture of its business in St. Vincent, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis and Dominica in October of 2021. CIBC FirstCaribbean successfully transferred its St. Vincent clients to Bank of St. Vincent & Grenadines last month.

Donna Wellington, CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Managing Director for Barbados & OECS, noted: “We are pleased at the approval of the sale in Grenada. This helps us deliver on our strategy of simplifying our business. We give our clients in Grenada our commitment that while we are working with Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited to complete the transfer, we will continue to provide them with first class service right until the moment we close our doors for the last time; and our employees with the best possible work experience.”

Larry Lawrence, Managing Director of Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited, commented: “We wish to thank all the stakeholders involved in this process thus far and express our delight in having received the approval of the sale. We are working assiduously to ensure a smooth transition of FirstCaribbean’s customers and look forward to welcoming them to the Co-op Bank family.”

The two banks will shortly begin communicating to clients about the plans and dates for the withdrawal of services from CIBC FirstCaribbean and the transfer of client information to GCBL, as part of the transition process.

***END***

On Sunday April 23, 2023, the streets of St. George were transformed into a sea of green as thousands participated in the 12th Co-op Bank Pump it Up Family Fun Walk. This is the main feature of the Bank’s Healthier Lifestyles Programme, returning after a three-year break due to restrictions relating to COVID-19.  

After a short opening ceremony and warm-up session, the walk began promptly at 4:00 p.m. from the Morne Rouge playing field to the National Cricket Stadium.  While most participants took the normal route, others opted to tackle the challenge route up Lowther’s Lane, down Marrast Hill, through River Road, and on to the National Cricket Stadium.

Participants in the 2023 Pump it Up Family Fun Walk

Co-op Bank has been collaborating with corporate Grenada since 2017 to raise $500,000 for the benefit of one major sustainable initiative – the re-establishment of the Carlton Home. Speaking to participants during the closing ceremony of the 2023 Pump it Up Family Fun Walk at the National Cricket Stadium, Mr. Larry Lawrence, Managing Director of Co-op Bank, announced that the Bank will be making its largest contribution to date of $43,000 for the Grenada event. The amount was presented to Mr. Kevin Andall, Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Wellness and Religious Affairs in the Ministry of Health, the ministry with which the Bank has been working closely for this project. When combined with contributions from Carriacou, a total of $50,070 was raised by the Bank in 2023.

Mr. Lawrence further stated that with the Bank’s contribution and pledges made by benefactors the total amount secured towards this project is approximately $488,800, just $11,200 shy of the targeted $500,000. Mr. Lawrence indicated that the funds secured will continue to be managed by the Board of Trustees made up of the three (3) initial benefactors and the Bank.

Jonas Browne & Hubbard (G’da) Ltd, FLOW Grenada Ltd, and Guardian General Insurance (OECS) Limited were the first benefactors coming on board to support the initiative in 2017. They were followed by Antillean Group in 2018, Coyaba Beach Resort in 2019, and Waggy T Rentals & Sounds Co and Body Image Health Club in 2020. 

Between 2009-2016, different health related charities have benefitted from the proceeds of the walk, including the Grenada Heart Foundation, Grenada Diabetes Association, Grenada Kidney Foundation, Sickle Cell Foundation of Grenada, Grenada Cancer Society, Pink Ribbon Society and Lupus Foundation of Grenada. The Bank remains committed to promoting vibrant and physically active lifestyles, encouraging preventative approaches to health issues, and making information concerning health matters available to the public as part of its Healthier Lifestyles Programme.

On Wednesday March 8, 2023, Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited held a press event at the Coyaba Beach Resort Conference Room to officially launch the 12th annual Pump it Up! Family Fun Walk. 

In her welcome remarks, Mrs. Ericka Hosten, Manager, Marketing & Customer Insights Unit, advised that the return of the Bank’s annual Pump it Up! Family Fun Walk will be held in Carriacou on Sunday March 26, 2023, starting at the Harvey Vale playing field and ending at the Hillsborough playing field. On Sunday April 23, 2023, in mainland Grenada, the Fun Walk will go from the Morne Rouge playing field to the Grenada National Cricket Stadium. 

She emphasized the Bank’s continued commitment toward the re-establishment of services at the Carlton Home rehabilitation center for substance abusers and reflected on the contributions of Jonas Browne & Hubbard (G’da) Ltd., Flow Grenada, Guardian General Insurance (OECS) Limited, Antillean Group, Coyaba Beach Resort, Body Image Health Club and Waggy T Rentals & Sounds Co. – the benefactors that have joined with Co-op Bank since 2017 to pool resources toward this initiative. 

Mrs. Hosten continued by adding: “Due to the enormity of the substance abuse problem in Grenada and the significant amount of resources required to combat the health challenges arising from it, we invite other local corporate citizens to join the efforts of the Bank, its benefactors, and the Ministry of Health…companies that share similar core values and understand the importance of this challenge to come on board.” 

In his feature address, the Bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Larry Lawrence spoke about the status of the fund to re-establish the services of the Carlton Home, which is managed by a Board of Trustees. “When we started in 2017, our goal was to raise $500,000 in five years. To date, we have raised $350,000 and we intend to extend our efforts for two years, 2023 and 2024.”

He also stated that the Bank is “further committed to increasing the amount matched for each participant registered from $1.00 to $1.50 per person per mile. In addition, we are pleased to announce that for 2023, all collections from the sale of packages will be deposited directly to the Re-establishment of the Carlton Home Fund.”

The benefactors gave a show of their commitment by presenting their financial contributions to Mr. Lawrence. 

Since 2009, a different health related charity has benefited from the proceeds of the Pump it Up! Family Fun walk, such as the Grenada Heart Foundation, Grenada Diabetes Association, Grenada Kidney Foundation, Sickle Cell Association of Grenada, Grenada Cancer Society, Pink Ribbon Society and Lupus Foundation of Grenada. As the Bank celebrates its 12th Family Fun walk, it remains committed to promoting vibrant and physically active lifestyles, encouraging preventative approaches to health issues and making available information concerning health matters as part of its Healthier Lifestyles Programme to the public.


Photo: (left to right) Kevin Andall, Permanent Secretary wrf Wellness & Religious Affairs; Kennie John, Managing Director Antillean Group Grenada; Nigel Adams, Managing Director, Guardian Group OECS; Larry Lawrence, Managing Director Grenada Co-operative Bank Ltd; Osmond James, General Manager (ag), Jonas Browne & Hubbard G’da Ltd; Lincoln Baptiste, Commercial Director B2C & B2B Flow; Ronald Hughes, Chairman Board of Directors Guardian Group Grenada.
Mr. Larry Lawrence, Managing Director Grenada Co-operative Bank Ltd.

The Grenada Co-operative Bank has posted a subdued first-half performance. Profit after tax (unaudited) for the six (6) months ended March 31, 2022, amounted to $3.2M. This performance reflects less than expected profits compared to the budget of $3.5M, resulting from a growth in operating expenses over the period. 

Total Assets now stand at $1.59B, an increase of 11% or $160.5M for the first six (6) months of the financial year. A 4% favourable variance over the budgeted asset growth for the period. 

Customer Deposits grew by $150.5M (12%) compared to a 5% budgeted increase for the period, with deposits moving from $1.28B at September 30, 2021 to $1.43B at March 31, 2022. 

The Bank’s Capital Adequacy, Solvency, and Non- Performing Loan ratios all remain within regulatory requirements, with the Non-Performing Loans ratio at 0.32%, which has been consistently maintained below the prudential benchmark of <5%. 

Our local economy continues to show signs of a positive recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This recovery has been led by construction and agriculture, supporting an expected expansion of real output. Food, fuel, and transport prices are expected to continue pushing up inflation, reflecting the impact of strained global supply chains. The main risk to the outlook (albeit a reducing risk) is a prolonged pandemic, with implications for tourism and students’ return to Saint George’s University (SGU). At Co-op Bank, we are well placed to respond to the foreseen challenges. 

As we advance into the second half of the financial year, we are determined to leverage opportunities to maintain the Bank’s profitability and serve our stakeholders.