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Local Company in Process of $30MM Renovations of Resort Properties
JEM Worldwide, LLC, Completes Upgrades to Their Portfolio of Resorts
St. Petersburg Based Company continues progress on its $30 million renovation and expansion plan
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – February 25, 2019 – JEM Worldwide, LLC, recently announced completion of upgrades to their existing Cayman Islands’ dive resorts as well as future expansion plans. Although the resorts are located in the Cayman Islands, the company’s management, sales, and reservations offices have been located here in St. Petersburg for over 25 years. Company owners and directors are descendants of long-time St. Petersburg entrepreneur, Linton N. Tibbetts, who is best known for building then selling his 28-location Cox Lumber company to Home Depot in 2006 – later reentering this market with Tibbetts Lumber company that is also headquartered in St. Petersburg.
On February 20, the company who markets their resort properties as Clearly Cayman Dive Resorts held a grand reopening of their Little Cayman Beach Resort slightly more than 25 years after the resort first opened in June 1993. Company directors Michael Tibbetts and Emily (Tibbetts) Allenbach cut the ribbon with Hon. Moses Kirkconnell, Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism of the Cayman Islands. Following the ceremonies resort staff conducted tours showing off major updates including a new reception and lobby area, an outdoor atrium with fountain, and an expanded dining room, indoor bar and outdoor pavilion.
“Our rooms thankfully remain at nearly full occupancy by divers year-round,” stated Resort Manager Mick Maher. “We’ve had dining room capacity challenges when most guests chose to come to meals at the same time. Moving our front desk to the new reception center and converting the entire space into a modern environment for enjoying meals gives us the ability to seat large groups together plus smaller groups and individuals all at the same time – so everyone will be happy.”
The new facility also includes a bar open to dinner guests during evening meal service. The screened outdoor pavilion is available for those who prefer al fresco dining.
“This is another step in our multi-year master plan to improve our resorts,” according to Michael Tibbetts, the company’s CEO and Chairman of the Board. “We are 100% devoted to promoting tourism in the Cayman Islands and see upgrading our facilities as a way to make the islands and our resorts top choices when consumers are planning dive vacations. We want to provide outstanding experiences so guests return year after year, bringing more friends and family on future visits.”
Within the past few years, the company has also made significant improvements to their other family-owned resorts and dive operation, Reef Divers:
• Remodeling the rooms at Cayman Brac Beach Resort and reshaping the property to include the addition of a 4,000 square foot beach entry pool, hot tub and three-level bar with upper deck that provides great views of the Caribbean.
• Acquiring Cobalt Coast Resort on Grand Cayman, upgrading the rooms, pool area, and dining facilities, and constructing a dock-level shore diving station.
• Expanding the world’s largest fleet of Newtown dive boats (now 12 total) with the purchase of two Newton 46’ custom-built boats in 2018.
Future projects remain in the planning stages, but the company is already looking ahead to expansion of both their Little Cayman Beach Resort and Cayman Brac Beach Resort with the addition of 16 oceanfront rooms at each resort – a 40% expansion in capacity. Renderings of the expansion plans were presented at the reopening event.
“Through these and other projects, we work toward our mission of becoming the preeminent dive resort and dive operator in the world,” noted Jason Belport, General Manager of all Clearly Cayman Dive Resorts. “Our facilities provide the stage, but it’s truly our resort and Reef Divers staff who are the stars by virtue of the exceptional service they deliver, which guests cite as the reason they return again and again.”
“My sisters and I come from a long line of Caymanians, dating back to the early 1700s,” stated Michael Tibbetts. “Our grandfather Linton Tibbets was instrumental in the early growth of tourism and economic development in the Cayman Islands. Our father Dan Tibbetts carried on this legacy by founding Reef Divers and constructing the Little Cayman Beach Resort.”
“Unfortunately, our Dad passed away in 2006 and Granddad in 2011 but we have inherited their passion for the islands. Their dream is now also ours, and our children already love the Caymans as much as we do. I’m confident this company has a long and bright future ahead.”
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About the company
JEM Worldwide, LLC, is a family-owned business with operations dating back to 1978 when Linton Tibbetts built the first of two dive resorts on Cayman Brac. They are the only company with resort and dive operations on all three Cayman Islands. These include Little Cayman Beach Resort, Cayman Brac Beach Resort, Cobalt Coast Resort on Grand Cayman, and Reef Divers locations at each resort. Their corporate offices are located in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Press Contact
For more information on the company, contact Debbie Speer, Director of Marketing, at 727-323-8727 or Marketing@ClearlyCayman.com.
Consumer information about the resorts and services is available on our websites:
https://www.littlecayman.com/
https://www.caymanbracbeachresort.com/
