When
Tortuga Imports got a request from a North Carolina woman to donate
to troops overseas some of the rum cakes that her husband, an Army
chaplain on duty in Iraq, had fallen in love with on a cruise, the
Kendall company didn't hesitate.
It sent to Iraq 300 rum cakes worth $1,500 - enough to feed not only Chaplain
Cody Vest but all the other members of the 313th Battalion, an intelligence
unit stationed around Baghdad. ``It was really exciting when they said
yes, especially since we hear so much negativity about the war,'' said
Jennifer Vest, the chaplain's wife. ``It was really exciting when they
decided to help the troops by sending a little care package that could
help their morale.''
Capt. Justin Brown, spokesman for the 313th Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division,
out of Fort Bragg, said in a phone interview that the rum cakes were
en route to the Middle East and that he couldn't guarantee they'd get
there in time for the holidays.
But, he added, the Army is certainly grateful.
``Everybody in charge at Fort Bragg involved in the coordinating of sending the
cakes is excited,'' he said. ``We want it to be a surprise for the
troops. It's great that a company from the U.S. thought about us and
made a nice donation.''
To Monique Hamaty-Simmonds, founder and president of the 9-year-old Tortuga Imports,
giving away rum cakes - even across the world - is part of the company's
marketing plan.
``We always offer free samples,'' she said, ``because once you've tried our cakes,
we know you'll want to take some home.
Tortuga Imports, which also operates as Tortuga Rum Cake Co., handles worldwide
distribution for Tortuga Rum Co., a nearly 20 year-old maker of rum
and gourmet products founded by Hamaty-Simmonds' parents, Robert and
Carlene Hamaty, in the Cayman Islands.
The leading exporter of goods from Grand Cayman, a Caribbean island halfway between
Cuba and Honduras, Tortuga Rum produces rum cakes ranging in price
from $16 to $29 and in variety from the original golden to coconut
and key lime. The company's other gourmet products include Tortuga
Hell-Fire Hot Pepper, Rum Bar-B-Cue, Jerk and Spicy Mango sauces and
six flavors of coffee.
Tortuga Imports earned $2.5 million in revenue in 2002 and expects to earn $3.5
million in 2003, said Marcus Simmonds, chief financial officer and
Hamaty-Simmonds' husband.
Its primary customers? The major cruise lines, he said.
It is lucrative market to pursue. In 2002, on-board spending on food and beverages,
casinos and gifts accounted for 16 percent of the $14.3 billion spent
by the 9.2 million North American cruise passengers, according to a
study commissioned by the International Council of Cruise Lines, an
industry trade group.
``It's the only rum cake we sell on board,'' said Arlene Palanca, a purchasing
agent at the Los Angeles-based Princess Cruises. ``When ships run out
of them, they ask me to rush them new supplies. Among desserts, rum
cake is one of the most popular.''
Tortuga Rum has saturated the cruise ships, Simmonds said, and is looking for
fresh venues. During the holidays, it operates kiosks featuring a full
selection of its gourmet products at the Bayside Marketplace and at
the Aventura, Dadeland and Galleria malls.
It also has a permanent store in Key West, he said, and is exploring opening
more in such cruise ports as Miami and some in Texas.
The key is finding locations where the company can benefit from year-round traffic
from tourists familiar with its products.
``You don't want to see cakes sitting there, not making money, six months out
of the year,'' Hamaty-Simmonds said.
For now, the couple and the company's 45-person staff is content to spend the
holidays, their busiest time of the year, selling gift baskets and
other products to connoisseurs around the clock.
