Senior Reporter
Employees of bottled water manufacturer Blue Waters Limited were yesterday assured that operations remain unaffected and their jobs secure, following a company-wide meeting convened by management amid ongoing concerns surrounding the detention of the company’s owner, Dominic Hadeed.
The meeting, which brought staff across the organisation together, was convened after Hadeed, his wife Genevieve and her aunt Star Sabga were placed under Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) by police as part of an ongoing investigation that has gripped national attention.
The Hadeeds were taken into custody last Wednesday, after police executed court-approved search warrants at their Westmoorings home and the Blue Waters’ Trincity compound, seizing electronic devices of the Hadeeds and other family members at their home and from the company’s compound.
Against that backdrop, management at Blue Waters moved to address unease among employees yesterday.
Guardian Media understands CEO Pradeep Subrian headed the leadership team and management focused primarily on providing reassurance to staffers and ensuring them that stability within the company would be maintained.
“We give the assurance that everything is running as usual, nobody needs to be concerned about a job or salaries or anything like that. Everything is operating as per usual,” one employee who was part of the meeting said they were told.
The session, which was led by senior management, is understood to have emphasised continuity of operations and the company’s commitment to its workforce.
Staff were also told explicitly that there would be no disruption to salaries or employment, despite the uncertainty surrounding recent developments involving the Hadeeds.
While operations remain steady, employees described a noticeably subdued atmosphere within the company’s environment.
The staff member said the emotional impact of the situation was evident among workers, many of whom had a close professional relationship with Hadeed.
“The atmosphere is sad because he was a loved boss. Everybody had loved him and they’re just concerned with what is happening with him,” the employee said.
“Everybody is working as per usual, but you could see it … you’re feeling like something is missing,” the employee said, describing a “melancholy vibe” across the workplace.
Management did not address or provide any details regarding the circumstances surrounding the Hadeeds’ detentions.
Employees were also told that the company would not be commenting on the matter, nor would there be any internal discussions about the situation.
“They are not commenting on anything. They’re not talking about what happened… they have no comment at all on anything regarding the situation,” the employee said.
Staff were also advised to refrain from engaging with the issue publicly, particularly on social media platforms. Management reportedly cautioned employees against posting, commenting or participating in online discussions related to the matter.
Meanwhile, security officers at the Blue Waters yesterday said they were instructed to keep the media off the compound when Guardian Media visited.
A few minutes later, CSO Wasim Daniel arrived. When told of the reason Guardian Media was there, he said, “Nah no comment.”
He then walked away.
About Blue Waters
When Blue Waters Products Ltd was founded by Dominic Hadeed in 1999, it had 12 employees, including just one salesman and two trucks, operated in an 800-square-foot space, and was setting up in a market that already had 42 brands of bottled water.
Today, the company operates a modern bottling facility estimated to be 250,000 square feet on the Orange Grove Estate in Trincity.
In the last 27 years, the company has grown to be one of the largest bottlers of water in the Caribbean.
That growth was based on a number of acquisitions and joint ventures, including an existing water bottler, Aqua Pur, in 2001, and a joint venture arrangement with the Pepsi Cola franchise in T&T.
Hadeed acquired state land in Orange Grove from the French beverage giant, Pernod Ricard, in March 2007.
He commissioned its flagship bottled water and artesian well facility at Orange Grove Estate, Tacarigua, in mid-2008.
Hadeed also served as T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) president from 2011 to 2013 and received the association’s Excellence in Service Award in 2016 and Manufacturer of the Year (large category) award in 2022. He was also named EY Master Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015 and Blue Waters received the Deloitte Best Managed Company in 2019.
