Directors of Caribbean Insurers Limited during an occasion on July 18, 2014 to mark the company's second anniversary since opening its Virgin Gorda office. From left to right are Jackie Malone, Christopher J. Chippendale, Simone T. Monsanto, Brian Jermyn and Arleen Parsons. Photo: VINO

A group photo of management and staff of CIL. Photo: VINO

The Virgin Gorda branch office of Caribbean Insurers Limited. Photo: VINO

Company officials of CIL sharing a light moment yesterday July 18, 2014. Photo: VINO

Everyone enjoyed themselves at the CIL anniversary celebration and customer appreciation event. Photo: VINO

“We opened the Virgin Gorda Branch two years ago and in six months’ time there was need for us to hire a full time staff. I started one day a week,” said CIL Director Simone T. Monsanto, speaking to Virgin Islands News Online.

She said the company ran its Virgin Gorda operations in a smaller office at first before moving to a larger one because of the demand for the services and more business being conducted.

“This is so the [Virgin Gorda residents] don’t have to come into town to pay bills or [do other transactions] which can be done at the Virgin Gorda branch office,” she said.

Speaking to this news site, General Manager of CIL Christopher J. Chippendale said that it is a matter of giving customers better service. “For years we have not had a presence here which really we should have had an office here to serve the people of Virgin Gorda, so we are pleased that we can now offer that,” he said.

He added that clients can collect certificates of insurance for their vehicles, “saving them a lot of time and effort coming down to Road Town.”

When the office in Virgin Gorda opened, Monsanto came up one day a week to conduct the company's business. Then the operations grew to three days per week and then there was the need to hire full time staff resident in Virgin Gorda because of the growth in demand for their services.

“Every class of business that you could imagine we offer it here. It is an extension of our office in Road Town,” said Chippendale. Some of the customers expressed pleasure that they do not have to take the ferry to Road Town just to conduct business since they can do so at the CIL Virgin Gorda branch.

One man who did not want to be identified said that "it is a burden off his shoulders now that the branch is operating," since he would have had to take time off from work and also delve into his pocket to make the trip to the Road Town main office to conduct business.