Adaptability & Grit Keeping PG Business Open 90 Years Later

The phrase ‘Swimming with the Tide’ perfectly captures the spirit of the small family in our next story. It’s about a mother and son, the last two leaders of a business in Punta Gorda that has weathered fierce competition and adapted to change over the past several years, just as it has over nine decades of existence. Over the years, the family business, which started as the largest retail grocery and hardware store in Punta Gorda, had to move three times because the buildings became too old to be safe. You’ll meet the mom, who was once a customer and is now a key part of the success story, and her son, whose education has been crucial in keeping the business thriving today. This week’s edition of Belize on Reel brings you the history of the family business that evolved from a huge dry goods store in the 1930s to a pharmacy and stationery store still serving P.G. and its surroundings. Here’s News Five’s Marion Ali.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Meet Nigel Vernon, a trained pharmacologist, who owns and is licensed to operate NJV’s Pharmacy on Front Street in Punta Gorda. Nigel registered the pharmacy back in 2009, and for the past fifteen years, he has been running it alongside his mom, Betty Coleman. The pharmacy is just the latest chapter in the story that Nigel’s grandfather, George Vernon, began ninety years ago.

 

Nigel Vernon, Owner, NJV’s Pharmacy

“I did not know my grandfather. He passed away in 1982. I was just about two and a half years old.”

 

Nigel’s mother, Betty Coleman, hails from Guatemala, where her Belizean mother and Guatemalan father lived. It was during those trips as a child that her parents took her to shop at the store.

 

Betty Coleman, Co-owner, NJV’s Pharmacy

“We used to pass by and you know, we used to go to the shop because it was the biggest shop, everybody, when I used to come and stay with my cousin in Forest Home, would say, let’s go to George Vernon’s Store.”

 

After George passed away, his son Vance began courting Betty. She moved to Belize in 1971 to be with him, and together they had four children, including Nigel. Betty reminisced about what daily life was like back when Vernon’s Store was still a cornerstone of the PG community.

 

Betty Coleman

“We used to sell almost everything you could think about, like alcohol, beverages. We used to sell flour, well groceries on a whole, building materials. We used to sell rum by pints. So we have to mix that in the morning, like by six, seven o’clock. We used to open and from then we start and we used to have some really hectic days because we used to have these boats come from Guatemala and they used to buy stuff like buy 50 cases, a hundred cases of soap or slim or cheese, all these things.”

But competition became fierce with the influx of the Asian community and to keep the business open after Vance died, Nigel put his studies to work. Betty isn’t a trained pharmacist like her son, but she learned the ropes from him and now qualifies to sell over-the-counter medication. Nigel, on the other hand, handles all the prescribed medications.

 

Betty Coleman

“I said I’m gonna be the cashier, but then I said, well, you know what, I could learn something. So, I went around looking at the medications and reading some of them to the back. I don’t sell the prescription drugs because that is his job. Yeah, and I don’t want to get charged for something.”

 

The pair chose to keep the last branch of the business not just to honor its long legacy, but because it made good business sense. They take great pride in the courteous service they offer, which keeps customers coming back.

 

Casalina Sho, Customer

“I always come right here. Mm-hmm.”

 

Marion Ali

“This is your favorite spot?”

 

Casalina Sho

“Yes. Yes. It’s good. Excellent.”

 

Joseph Ramclam Sr., Customer

“We used to live in the village up the road – Mafredi/San Antonio Road and my father used to take we down by the shop because he used to do business with them too, because he had a little petty shop up the road. And he used to buy his groceries from them to resell to at Mafredi. They have very good relationship with people and they work along with people good and very mannerly.”

 

Sherene Garay-Usher, Customer  

“My grandmother passed away three decades ago, but dehn days we used to buy groceries there. It was the place where everybody used to go. The people that serve at the store were very friendly – always – Mr. Vernon to today. And so you feel welcome for goh at the store goh buy and I could say up to now.”

 

With the arrival of Asian-owned stores and supermarkets, competition became fierce. As Nigel’s father, Vance, grew older, he passed the business down to Nigel, who decided to study pharmacology and transition into that direction. But the Vernon brand is experiencing a similar challenge with viability because of more pharmacies in the community. So, Nigel is thinking about adding a new dimension to the business to boost its strength and stay competitive in the challenging market.

 

Nigel Vernon

“Just doing the same like what we have at the moment, but basically do it in herbal stuff instead of doing just chemical medication. You can’t stay in one business forever now because it doesn’t work that way anymore.”

 

Interestingly, even though he is a trained medical scientist, Nigel believes that natural medicine is better for the body.

 

Nigel Vernon

“I personally would take the herbs over the scientific medication.”

 

Marion Ali

“Over what you’re selling now?”

 

Nigel Vernon

“Yeah.”

 

Marion Ali

“Why?”

 

Nigel Vernon

“Well, to me, I see it works better. The thing is that you have to be consistent with the herbal stuff. You have to be consistent. You have to take it every day for a longer period of time, but you get better results than when you do just the regular medications that the doctors would prescribe. Yes, you do get better, but with what? Cause sometimes you have side effects with most of these medications. Sometimes we don’t treat the problem and we just want to put a band aid on it and say, “oh, okay, I’m better now.”

 

Nigel dreams of seeing the business thrive in the future and hopes to eventually pass the torch to a successor.

 

Nigel Vernon

“Try to keep it in family.”

 

Marion Ali

“Fourth generation?”

 

Nigel Vernon

“Working on that one. Not yet. (Laughs)”

 

Marion Ali for News Five.