Kitson Group Marks 75 Years In Bermuda
Kitson Group of Companies has officially marked 75 years of business in Bermuda, celebrating its four-generation legacy with a special anniversary event for current and former staff at the Rosedon Hotel.
A spokesperson said, “Kitson Group of Companies officially marks 75 years of business in Bermuda.
“The fourth generation family-run business, which is headquartered at Windsor Place, 22 Queen Street, Hamilton, recently held a special anniversary celebration for current and former team members at the Rosedon Hotel.
“With its founding roots in Bermuda’s tourism industry, today the group focuses on its commercial real estate, hospitality and retail subsidiaries.
“Kitson’s operates the landmark Rosedon Hotel and associated Huckleberry Restaurant, and is the majority shareholder in hardware store Gorham’s. This year, it launched Altura Workspaces, a flexible office space rental business in Hamilton.
“Kitson’s also manages its own offshore investment portfolio. Additionally, it has the largest privately installed base of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal hot water in Bermuda.
Family and community focus
“Fostering a family and community ethos, in its heyday the company employed approximately 150 staff, and currently Kitson & Company has a team of 12 on its books. Each employee is empowered to contribute in decision making and grow with the business, as well as giving back to the community, with many actively volunteering and contributing to local causes. Numerous staff have worked for Kitson’s for decades, across multiple subsidiaries, and have even had their children join the group.
“As well as employing generations of Bermudians, the group also continues to support local enterprise and invest in the Island’s future. Kitson & Company has donated considerable sums through its charitable trust, as well as providing educational support to Bermudian students at secondary and tertiary level.
“The group was started by Commander Geoffrey Kitson, who was posted to Bermuda with the Royal Navy in April 1937. The following year, he met his wife Elizabeth, and they married in September 1939 and went on to have two sons – Kirkham, who is chairman of the company, and Richard – and a daughter, Susanna.
“The business was started in 1947 to support Richard, who is disabled, and formalised as a company in 1950. Initially, it was based at the Windsor Hotel in Queen Street, Hamilton and specialised in real estate, general insurance and life business. Among its first businesses were the Crown Life Agency of Canada and Kitson Real Estate.
“The Kitsons then bought Rosedon Hotel in 1955, which is today a 32-room boutique hotel. In the 1960s, they also established Bermuda Island Cruises [BIC] and Water Tours and ran Loch Lomond lobby shops.
“In 2002, Kitson & Company bought Gorham’s. In 2017, the Huckleberry Restaurant was opened at Rosedon Hotel, followed by Clarabell’s, an outdoor pizzeria, in 2024.
“Kitson Insurance Services was the exclusive general agent of AIG and was admitted at Lloyd’s of London. Other insurance subsidiaries included Kitson Brokerage Services and Kitson Marine & General Insurance Company – a cargo insurance company. Kitson Benefit Services, meanwhile, specialised in the life business.
“Elizabeth, who lived to the age of 100, founded the Reading Clinic in 1968 to help children with dyslexia. Today, the clinic – a not for profit registered charity, which was initially based in her Cave House, Warwick home provides a range of specialised tutoring services for individuals with specific learning disabilities. Elizabeth’s granddaughter Heather is currently president of the Reading Clinic.
“Kirkham has been active member of the Bermuda community throughout the years, serving as a former president of Hamilton Rotary Club. Both he and his father have generously sponsored Bermudian students through the Hamilton Rotary Club and Outward Bound programs.
“Kirkham’s son, Scott joined the company’s insurance division in 1991, worked his way up through the ranks, eventually becoming president and CEO.
Early memories
“Scott’s earliest memory of the company was watching his father look at the sky to decide whether the cruises could go ahead. The first BIC boats were converted PT boats. He also recalls being handed a dustpan and broom by the Rosedon Hotel’s then chef Clarabell when he went there after school one day and asked for a sandwich. In the 1950s, his grandfather was also known to happily accept fish as payment from lifelong insurance client Fanshaw Lamb.
“Scott’s sister, Lee Petty, creative director at Kitson & Company, started working on the cruise boats as a summer job, aged 18. After a stint working in graphic design and marketing in Bermuda and overseas, she returned to the company in 1998 to help her grandmother decorate the rooms and main house at Rosedon. She went on to spearhead the redesign of the hotel including its Huckleberry restaurant, and other Kitson projects including Windsor Place, the Honey Hill condos, and the 5 Reid building redevelopment and Altura Flexible Workspaces.”
Lee said: “There are so many fascinating story lines of Kitson & Company’s 75-year history. We really enjoyed the trip down memory lane compiling the company’s timeline below. Many of my favourite memories revolve around our children growing up in and around the Kitson businesses and our dedicated staff. Long time employees like Gerald Simonds, Clarabell White and Frederick ‘Beau’ Robinson became like extended family and were excellent role models for us and our kids.”
A spokesperson added, “Kitson & Company is now in its fourth generation of the family, with Scott’s eldest son, Matthew, general manager at the Rosedon Hotel, while Lee’s son Christian also works for Kitson & Company as does her daughter Rachael via her own strategic marketing business.”
Kitson & Company’s current president, Greg Soares, said: “Very few family businesses survive two generations let alone four. It’s a remarkable achievement that the Kitson family has been able to successfully navigate between industries and businesses over so many decades. They are a very generous family committed to their Bermuda community, employees and their core values are well rooted in warm Bermudian hospitality. Commander Kitson and his wife Elizabeth [Betty] would have been very proud how their family continue to work together.”
The full Kitson Timeline follows below [PDF here]:
