‘Saint Lucia Has Lost A Giant’

Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has paid glowing tribute to the late pioneering Saint Lucia businessman Arnott Francois Valmont. “Saint Lucia has lost a giant,” he noted. In a statement during Monday’s regular pre-cabinet press briefing, Pierre stated that Valmont’s contribution to the society’s social and economic fabric was unparalleled. “He helped pay civil servants’ salaries during a critical part of our nation’s history,” the Prime Minister recalled. In addition, Pierre said the late businessman extended charity to schools and offered soft loans to aspiring entrepreneurs when traditional banking was inaccessible. He observed that Valmont dedicated his life to empowering fellow citizens. Pierre also spoke of the many successful business enterprises Valmont established, employing Saint Lucians and praised the late businessman’s commitment to advancing the nation. He said Valmont’s leadership of the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce was ‘transformative’, setting the foundation for modernising business practices. According to Pierre, Valmont’s selfless legacy will continue to inspire. Valmont was awarded the Saint Lucia Cross (Gold) in 2007 and once cited simplicity, hard work, and integrity as his guiding principles. In the 1940s, he became a nightclub owner and later established the retail department store chain A.F. Valmont and Co. Ltd. At...