History

Much has been said about our beginnings…”from a humble start in a church in the west”… and even more about where we are today…one of the Caribbean’s most prolific building societies with an international network spanning both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1967, the Westmoreland Building Society completed its first merger with the Manchester Mutual Building Society.

1970 might be regarded as the watershed year of the organisation. In this year, the Westmoreland Building Society engaged in its largest number of mergers, as well as undertook internal and external adjustments, including its name change to Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) in December.

During this decade, the Jamaica National Building Society merged with the St. Thomas Mutual Building Society, the Jamaica Permanent Building Society and the St. Mary’s Benefit Building Society.

In 1983, 2-4 Constant Spring Road became the Chief Office for the Jamaica National Building Society. Other key milestones in the 1980s for the Society, was its achievement as the #1 building society in assets in Jamaica, the opening of the UK Representative Office and the formation of JN Fund Managers. In 1989, JN achieved another significant milestone, when its assets were recorded as $1 billion.

JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL) began operating in October 2000, when JNBS purchased a small micro-credit portfolio from FINSAC. The company’s mission is to deliver innovative and accessible credit to small businesses which have limited access to loans from traditional banking institutions.

In 2001, the Jamaica Savings and Loans Building Society merged with JNBS, the Cayman Building Society was acquired, JN Money Transfer was incorporated, and in 2005, the JNBS Falmouth branch opened, which resulted in the Society being present in all parishes. That year, the Jamaica Automobile Association became a subsidiary of the JN Group and in 2007, JNBS acquired Pelican Finance Ltd., which subsequently changed its name to JN Finance Ltd. in 2008. The company provides insurance premium financing.

JN Life Insurance Company Limited (JN Life), a wholly-owned subsidiary of JN Group, was incorporated in April 2008 as Blue Sapphire Ltd. The name was subsequently changed in September 2011 to JN Life Insurance Company Limited.

Reorganisation of structure and change of name to
The Jamaica National Group

Launch of JN Bank