Sleep like a king Errol Lewin

Such was his immense measure and influence in this community of approximately 60,000 inhabitants.

• Leader, mentor, father-figure Errol Lewin is dead

Through his companies and personal interactions, Errol touched the lives of countless people with calmness personified, and a deft dose of wisdom always measured in appropriate proportion.

I remember meeting Mr Lewin for the first time in person. It was 2013 at a luncheon to launch the then Old Harbour Chamber of Commerce. The occasion was quite grand, as a good number of Old Harbour’s movers and shakers and the business community were present. He first congratulated me on not just having a vision to start Old Harbour News, but also the willingness to transfer my idea into reality. From then we developed a bond of mutual respect and admiration sharing ideas about how we can improve each other’s  businesses. Like a father to a son, he was that man to me. But I quickly realized that that was the nature of the man to everyone else who knew him on a personal level. It is for this reason why his death will be difficult to process and will take some time to accept for many persons like myself.

In a world where personal gratification and materialism are placed at the alter above seemingly everything else, men like Errol are a dying breed, as he is the kind of individual we want to see live on forever though we know that death is certain.

Yes, I believe we will be poorer without the presence of such minds like Errol Lewin’s. His wealth of knowledge, business acumen and social skills is a master class in leadership that was simply amazing to experience whenever sharing the same space. As a director of the South St Catherine Chamber of Commerce (formerly Old Harbour Chamber of Commerce), of which I too am also a director, Errol was the master conductor of this small, talented symphony of business minds. His guiding hands gave us confidence and belief, his words never rushed. We all shared a common ideal that Old Harbour can become that place that every well-thinking Jamaican wants a piece of, and that the chamber must be one of the key drivers to see to such realization.

There was no need to question is abilities as a leader who inspires and transforms dreams into reality, his wisdom and proven track record are self-evident.

We need not to look beyond how he – and of course with his brother Lloyd Lewin – has steered Jamaica Bedding and OJ Koolers as recognised companies in not only Old Harbour but in Jamaica. Such achievement is a legacy that will certainly outlive the Lewins, and is a major reference point to those of us who espouses a high degree of black consciousness and excellence.

Indeed, long before sprint legend Usain Bolt inspired a generation of athletes that you can train on local soil and not only compete at the highest level but be very successful at it too, Errol had proven that long ago. Armed with a university degree attained at the University of the West Indies, he would first honed his skills here in Jamaica and in the United States before returning to Jamaica in the prime of his life, to establish and operate successful businesses. Certainly the option to do business in the USA was a choice he could made, but instead he chose Jamaica, and more importantly Old Harbour.

Like everything else operating a business had its own challenges but with Errol being the consummate professional and wise sage he would always find a solution, while proving to the naysayers that black people from humble beginnings can run a business and do it successfully. A big part of this success was his penchant to give back to the community in particular. I recalled on a number of occasions, Errol would call me after a story was published about someone who had fallen on hard times, and informed that Jamaica Bedding had a deep desire to assist the family. And as the saying would go ‘the rest is history’.

Errol’s legacy is also a template for all of us as entrepreneurs on how to run a successful business which requires more than possessing the cerebral capacity but moreso having the human touch to influence change in people we encounter. This was reflected in the core nature of Jamaica Bedding which he had full oversight responsibility of its day-to-day operations and steering the direction of its sails.

Errol shared with me how the tagline of Jamaica Bedding came about. It was his firm belief that every man should have a comfortable mattress to sleep on after a hard day’s work. Its supreme line of mattresses remains its best seller because Errol wanted everyone to ‘sleep like a king’.

Now we must all pay tribute to a remarkable human being who made people feel like royalty and gave them self-belief by simple leading by example. There’s no question that he will be sorely missed, yet we can take comfort and smile in the fact that he’s now resting like a king.