Meet Cherry Ann Bisnauth, the Director of Radica Trading Co Ltd, a leading importer, wholesaler, and retailer of predominantly USA-made upholstery fabrics and accessories. As the Director, Cherry has led the company’s continued growth, building on a family legacy that began more than five decades ago on the pavements of Chaguanas.
Cherry’s parents, Mr. S.N. Bisnauth and Mrs. N.D. Bisnauth, started Radica Trading from a modest two-storey home. However, they soon realized that supplying the raw materials themselves could generate greater returns. They then moved a step further and started buying raw materials for automotive, furniture, accessories, and tools for small upholsterers.
Soon Radica began importing new lines of materials for boats, office fabrics, stuffing materials, machines, parts, wallpaper, and leather goods. As Radica Trading grew, it also built its wholesale market. The company also started its line of furniture from all around Europe, the USA, and South America. Under the leadership of Cherry’s father, Mr. S.N. Bisnauth, and her late mother, N.D. Bisnauth, the company evolved into a diversified enterprise with four locations across Trinidad.
Today, Radica Trading proudly serves customers not only throughout Trinidad and Tobago but also in Grenada, St. Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica, and many other Caribbean territories.
When Transition Becomes Key
Cherry firmly believes that one of Radica Trading’s most important strategic decisions was to build on the company’s original foundation and diversify into complementary industries. Rather than remaining dependent on a single market, the company continuously looked for adjacent opportunities where its expertise, materials, and customer relationships could create new avenues for growth.
“We expanded into sewing machines, upholstery fabrics, marine materials, leatherette, and PVC vinyl. This was under the bag, furniture, car, boat, and heavy equipment materials,” she says. “With the most recent market changes, we expanded into banner materials and specialized industrial supplies. We also developed a comprehensive range for tent manufacturers, supplying tent fabrics and accessories to support their production requirements.”
Another significant milestone for Radica has been the brand’s expansion into local pillow manufacturing through its Radica Sleep Pillow range. These decisions allowed it to serve multiple industries, strengthen its customer base, and create new opportunities for sustainable growth. Radica’s philosophy has always been to recognize opportunities, adapt to changing demands, and never become dependent on a single market.
A Family Legacy
For Cherry, Radica Trading is more than a company. It is a family legacy, and being part of that family business has deeply shaped her identity as a leader.
“Our decisions are guided by the understanding that we are building something that must endure beyond any one individual,” she explains. “The business was named after my beloved late mother, Mrs. Nankie Devi Bisnauth, affectionately known as Radica, who passed away 21 years ago. Her name remains at the heart of our identity.”
Cherry’s father, Mr. S.N. Bisnauth, built the business alongside her mother through perseverance, sacrifice, and determination. Financial discipline and strong relationships with customers and suppliers were central to their approach. His journey from selling on pavements and market stalls to establishing a respected enterprise continues to inspire Cherry.
Now, as the Director of Radica, Cherry considers it her responsibility to preserve their legacy while taking the company to greater heights. Cherry’s two sons, Arjun Manansingh and Akash Manasingh, are also tremendous driving forces behind her success.
“From the pavements of Chaguanas to the markets of Port of Spain and Tunapuna, my parents built their dream through sacrifice, perseverance, and unwavering determination. Today, Radica Trading stands as a testament to their remarkable journey. It carries my mother’s name, my father’s vision, and the future I am building for my sons. Our roots keep us grounded, our legacy gives us purpose, and our determination drives us forward,”– says Cherry.
Built on Dependability and Trust
Cherry firmly believes that Radica Trading’s dependability and the trust it has earned from its customers over the years distinguish the company in its market. Over the years, Radica Trading has built that trust through consistent service, product availability, and an understanding of the diverse needs of the industries and individuals it serves.
Radica serves individual customers, upholsterers, manufacturers, printers, and commercial businesses, including government departments. Its four locations, supported by a head office, warehouse, and manufacturing operations, provide customers with convenient access to the company’s wide range of products and services. However, for Radica, the relationship goes much beyond the transaction. Many of its customers rely on the materials they purchase to run their own businesses and livelihoods, and the company takes that responsibility very seriously.
Balancing Quality and Reliability
Radica’s strategy is built on strong international sourcing relationships, careful purchasing, and effective inventory management. This strategy helps the company respond to customer needs while balancing cost, quality, and reliability.
Cherry and her team at Radica fully understand the importance of competitive pricing, particularly for manufacturers whose profitability severely depends on material costs. At the same time, she also understands that quality, consistency, and reliability are equally important to customers, so price should not be considered in isolation.
By sourcing strategically and negotiating directly with manufacturers, Radica aims to deliver products that provide genuine value without compromising the standards its customers expect.
A Good Name Can’t be Bought
Over the years, Cherry has learned that in Radica’s line of business, trust is built over time through consistency, honesty, and reliability. Price may initially attract a customer, but it is the relationship a company builds and the quality of service it provides that encourages customers to come back. At Radica Trading, many customer relationships have been built over years and, in some cases, across generations. The company values these relationships and maintains them by consistently listening to customers, understanding their concerns, and addressing them fairly when issues arise.
“In a market like Trinidad and Tobago, your reputation is one of your greatest assets. A good name cannot be bought; it has to be earned. We have more than 5 decades in this business; we understand that a customer’s trust and continued support is worth far more than a single sale,”- Cherry explains.
Local Manufacturing is a Necessity
Cherry believes one of the biggest opportunities for businesses in Trinidad & Tobago in 2026 lies in strengthening local manufacturing and developing products that can replace some of the goods the country currently imports. She also feels that local companies have tremendous potential to expand beyond Trinidad and Tobago and serve the wider Caribbean market.
“As business owners, we have to look at what our country needs, what we are currently importing, and ask ourselves,’ Can we manufacture or provide some of this locally at a price our people can afford?” she says
While Radica sources materials internationally to remain competitive, Cherry also underscores the importance of using those resources to support local production, create employment, and keep more value within Trinidad and Tobago. She believes companies that will be able to identify these opportunities, control costs, embrace technology, and produce good quality products at prices accessible to local consumers will be at the forefront of the country’s economic development.
This perspective also aligns with Trinidad & Tobago’s broader focus on economic diversification, including greater attention to non-energy exports, manufacturing, and locally produced goods and services. Government initiatives promoting local consumption further reinforce the opportunity for businesses to strengthen domestic production while developing products with potential for regional markets.
Never Underestimate the Power of Humble Beginnings
“My parents began their journey on the pavements of Chaguanas markets. At the time, we lived in a small apartment beneath a house which also housed the manufacturing company, a space barely suitable for two people. Yet my parents were raising my brother and me, while also caring for my mother’s youngest brother,”- Cherry recalls. “They had very little materially, but what they possessed in abundance was determination, sacrifice, and hope. With sacrifice, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in their vision, they laid the foundation for the remarkable business Radica Trading has become.”
Their humble journey taught Cherry that success requires discipline, resilience, integrity, and the courage to adapt. It also taught her to protect the company’s reputation, value its customers, and never lose sight of the people who inspired its journey. For Cherry, success is not measured solely by the size of her business. Instead, it is measured by the legacy Radica Trading preserves, the opportunities it creates, and the foundation it establishes for future generations.
“My mother’s name lives on through Radica Trading. My father’s determination continues to guide our journey, and my sons, Arjun and Akash, inspire me to keep moving
Forward. Our beginnings were humble, our journey has been remarkable, and our ambitions remain limitless,”- she concludes.
