TT Chamber honours business titans

The TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce has announced its Business Hall of Fame inductees – Trevor Lynch and Haji Gokool-Meah (posthumous) – who are being recognised for their lifetime achievements in the field of business. The award ceremony will be held on November 2.

In a release, the TT Chamber said the award recognises the contributions of businessmen and women to the development of the business sector, their communities and by extension the nation.

Since the award's inception, 42 business luminaries have been inducted.

Lynch is the founder and chairman of TL Holdings Ltd, TL Investments Ltd, and Hydro Tech Ltd (1987). With over 30 years of industry experience and knowledge, Lynch is considered to be the backbone and driving force behind the group of companies. He has served on the Economic Development Advisory Board and started the Mayaro Legacy Awards 2022 at bpTT Mayaro Resource Centre, where he was also honoured by the community.

"Lynch’s unconventional approach to business has not only set his entrepreneurial pursuits on the right track but also defied the odds of an evolving business climate," the TT Chamber said.

Gokool-Meah was born in Kashmir in 1847 and came to Trinidad at the age of six with his indentured parents. Originally named Madhoo, he was adopted by a Hindu family after the death of his biological parents and subsequently called Gokool. Nevertheless, retaining his Islamic heritage, he later undertook the hajj pilgrimage and was given the title Haji.

From his earliest labour in the cane fields, he purchased a donkey cart to transport and then became a prosperous village shopkeeper. He would go on to venture into cinema, real estate, and cocoa cultivation. He was committed to charitable activities, which he performed weekly, acquiring the title, Meah, and established the Haji Gokool Trust in his will. Today, two Port of Spain landmarks still stand, a testament to his influence: the Globe Cinema building in Port of Spain and the Haji Gokool Memorial Masjid in St. James.

The Business Hall of Fame category of the Champions of Business is sponsored by The National Gas Company of TT Ltd (NGC).

As the award programme celebrates its 18th year, it continues to recognise a wide range of business achievements, including innovation, technological advancements, sustainability, internationalisation and a lifetime legacy.

This year’s theme is Titans and Trailblazers and there are seven awards categories — Business Hall of Fame, Green Agenda, Internationally Known…T&T Owned Company of the Year, Breakthrough Exporter of the Year, and Entrepreneurship, Innovation and SME (small & medium).