Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness recently said that the entrepreneurial prowess of Jamaican business titan Lascelles Chin made LASCO a household name, and his philanthropy improved countless lives.
Lisa Hanna, Member of Parliament for South East St. Ann who had known Chin for over three decades said he was a central force in uplifting Jamaicans and their quality of life. She added that Jamaica will miss his pioneering approach to manufacturing and brand development. Senator Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, called Chin a “titan of industry, an innovator and a philanthropist,” while Senator Peter Bunting, Opposition Spokesperson on National Security, said Chin was an inspiration for local entrepreneurs and praised his pioneering efforts in social responsibility through the LASCO Awards for teachers, police, and nurses.
Lascelles passed away on May 27, 2023, at the age of 86 in Florida. Here are 10 things to know about the legendary Jamaican entrepreneur.
10 Things To Know About Lascelles Chin
1. Lascelles Chin was born in Bog Walk, St. Catherine, and grew up in Kendal in Manchester and Balaclava in St Elizabeth.
2. Coming from humble beginnings, Chin even had to make his own toys as a child.
3. Chin acknowledged that he was teased a lot during his school day because he was Chinese, but this only made him more determined to reach his goals by studying hard to be successful.
4. In 1961, at the age of 23, Chin used his savings of £175 and began importing black pepper from Asia and peas from Portugal and the United States, rapidly becoming Jamaica’s largest trader in black pepper.
5. Chin partnered with the German company Henkel Limited in 1965 when he heard Henkel was planning to establish an adhesive plant in Jamaica. He became the chair and managing director of Henkel’s Jamaica operations and made the island the top per capita user of its adhesives in the world.
WATCH: The Leo Gilling Show on Jamaicans.com Interviews LASCO Chairman Lascelles Chin
6. In 1988, Chin used his business skills and experience to establish LASCO Affiliate Companies, a group comprising LASCO Manufacturing, LASCO Financial and Services, and LASCO Distributors, that currently manufactures and distributes more than 300 products under the LASCO brand name.
7. Chin was presented with Jamaica’s fourth highest civilian honor, the Order of Jamaica, in 2001 in recognition of his commitment to philanthropy and his contributions to the development of commerce and business in Jamaica.
8. Chin also received two honorary degrees: the Doctor of Laws from the University of Technology in Jamaica and the Doctor of Humane Letters from Northern Caribbean University.
9. Chin served on the board of the Kings House Foundation, was Director of the Standards Council at the Bureau of Standards in Jamaica, and was a member of the Rotary Club of St. Andrew North.
10. Lascelles Chin was married to Eileen Chin, and the couple had two sons. Eileen Chin is also an entrepreneur who joined the LASCO Group in 1999 and became general manager of LASCO Foods, LASCO Food (Successors) Limited, and LASCO Properties in 2008. She is a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of Directors of LASCO Manufacturing Limited and LASCO Distributors Limited and has an MBA in Global Management and skills in negotiation, risk management, and Lean Six Sigma.
