Mayberry and GraceKennedy finalised an agreement on October 13 under which Mayberry will distribute the GK Caribbean Fixed Income Fund, a mutual fund being marketed by GK Funds, a GraceKennedy company.

Launched in the Cayman Islands in September 2002 and listed on the stock exchange there, the fund is targeted to the high-end market, consisting primarily of persons who are able to make an initial investment of at least US$10,000. The fund is now available to the Jamaican market through Mayberry.

"This is a significant target market for us at Mayberry," says Gary Peart, Mayberry Chief Executive Officer, "and we are delighted to be able to make this product available with less risk than we would have had otherwise. We consider GK Funds an important component to our commitment to provide superior products and services to our clients."

For his part, Oliver Chen, Vice-President for Mutual Funds at First Global Financial Services under whose portfolio GK Funds falls, said: "We at GK Funds welcome Mayberry Investments Ltd to our distribution network. While this relationship may appear to be new, GraceKennedy and Mayberry go back to the days of its founder, the late Maurice Berry. Our present alliance will be beneficial to both companies. Mayberry's clients will have an opportunity to invest in the GK family of funds and in this instance, the GK Caribbean Fixed Income Fund, our flagship product.

The fund was established in the Cayman Islands in September 2002 to provide a unique product for Caribbean investors. Opportunities for diversification were identified as a key need within the Caribbean and the fund was established to address this. The fund invests primarily in US dollar sovereign debt instruments throughout the Caribbean, and has performed well since its inception, with an average annual yield of 6.5%. For these reasons, our product is ideal for our Jamaican investors who wish to hold US dollar denominated securities, and who are seeking the benefits of diversification. The fund is currently registered for distribution in Cayman, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica and in The Bahamas."

Gleaner, November 18, 2005