Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
General manager of Caribbean Cement Company, Anthony Haynes (centre), and his wife Suzette share a joke with Silvera Castro.

The stars of Caribbean Cement Limited for 2007 shone on Thursday as the company hosted its annual awards dinner at the Hilton Kingston hotel.

This was a real swanky affair from the outset as the workers swapped their hard hats, uniforms and overalls for dapper suits and silky gowns.

During dinner, guests were serenaded by the quintet Total Five, made up of young men from Oberlin High School's Choir which won the first two stagings of the All Together Sing choir competition. The lads were flawless as they entertained with hits from Let's Just Kiss And Say Goodbye to No Woman, No Cry. Recording deals abound we think.

There were long service awards to go along with the performance awards. Workers who have given between 10 and 35 years of service plus two retirees were recognised. Among the performance awards, the Sports Personality of the Year went to the company's football team, the Outstanding Community Involvement Award to Silvera Castro and the Department of the Year went to the Quality Department team.

The big award of Employee of the Year was Ingrid McKenzie. The awards presented, it was time to shake a leg to the music of Fab 5.

Guests included Dr. Rollin Bertrand, Hollis Hosein, Hayden Ferreira, Alice Hyde, Orville Hill, Donna Allen, Adrian Spencer, Gary Bruce, Winston Dixon, Stainton Fletcher, Horace McKoy, Kenroy Strachan, Cebert Witter, Wainrite Montaque, Cheryl Poser, George Wilson, Patrick Dunn, Fitzroy Johnson, Desmond Long, Michelle Needham-Graham, Joseph Morell, Hector Smith, Donovan Ferguson and Benford Sinclair.

-D.K.