General Manager (Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited)

Jamaica, as well as other countries in the region, is working to promote and attract foreign investment.What would you say are Jamaica’s competitive advantages compared to other countries in the region?

First of all, our location. We are strategically located in the region. Even with the shipping industry that we have, we operate as a big a transhipment hub for the region. Cargo comes here in bulk and we strip it, put it into smaller vessels and ship it out. As you know we have the seventh largest deep-water natural harbour in the world so it is as if we had a gift. Our port is one of the biggest revenue earners for the country and so we can certainly grow and capitalize on this area especially with the expansion of the Panama Canal. With bigger ships coming here, we’re talking about more cargo, more business, more transport, more airlifts and more business visitors so there are a lot of spinoffs. We have the necessary skills to capitalise on this and enough professionals who can make this happen.

As you know, President Obama just became the first US President to visit Jamaica in 33 years. How do you think Jamaica will benefit from his short yet historic visit?

As a well-liked and respected world leader, President Obama’s visit was indeed momentous and inspired hope in the hearts of many Jamaicans. His visit also demonstrated US support for Jamaica and the region.The impact is primarily long term but within the short term, there may be an appetite for more foreign interest to invest. This is because of the commitment made by Obama to assist and facilitate goods and services in the region, including the supply of LNG and the possibility of Jamaica becoming a hub for this fossil fuel.

Sol is the premier supplier of petroleum products to the Caribbean basin, with operations spanning across 23 countries. In your opinion what are the reasons behind Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited’s success and performance?

Sol has successfully leveraged its partnerships with two global energy companies, Shell and Esso. By combining global expertise with local understanding, Sol has been able to grow as a strong and respected regional brand.

Sol also has a robust portfolio offering. The Sol Group supplies fuels, lubricants, and LPG through an extensive service station network and supplies petroleum based products to commercial customers who are involved in shipping, luxury boating, aviation, mining, trucking and fleet operations.

In addition, two things are of paramount importance for a business. One, the way you do business and two, the people who get that work done. We have more than nine hundred staff in the Group and they are the best and brightest in the region. We are an equal opportunity employer and we invest in the training and development of these highly efficient staff. For these reasons, we have made ourselves capable to be truly competitive.

Jamaica has a relatively small yet very competitive market. How have you managed to make your way through the energy market?

Sol continues to do its due diligence on opportunities within the energy sector. This includes areas such as aviation, bunkering, power generation, manufacturing and retail. We have already noted that Jamaica is strategically located in the region, which creates an opportunity for growth and expansion.

The Sol Group provides a diversified product mix. What products and services does Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited offer in the Jamaican market?

Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited is the macro distributor for Shell lubricants in Jamaica. We supply Shell’s full portfolio of products and cater to all areas namely powergen, manufacturing, agriculture, fleets and automotive. The company provides lubricants for /gasoline engines, heavy-duty diesel engines, transmissions and gears, hydraulic and axle fluids as well as greases are also available. Brands include the Helix range, which features the popular fully synthetic Ultra and Hi-Mileage options, Shell Rimula synthetic high-performance motor oils, and Shell Nautilus marine lubricants. We also supply Gadus greases and Tellus hydraulic oils, we recently launched Shell’s fully synthetic Helix Ultra premium lubricants made with patented Shell PurePlus Technology. This is the first motor oil designed from natural gas.

Cleaner, more efficient fossil fuels and renewable energy are viable alternatives for reducing the carbon footprint and saving that extra dollar. How is Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited diversifying its energy sources? Do you see a shift in Jamaica’s energy mix to cleaner more efficient energy?

Energy is a significant cost to both commercial and domestic consumers in Jamaica. It can be so significant that just the poor management of this cost can put companies out of business. The high cost of production makes us uncompetitive internationally so we have no choice but to work on our energy sources. The cost of energy in Jamaica is about 40cts per kilowatt hour but the government is trying to get this cost down to about 12.9cts per kilowatt hour. I see a shift to natural gas and also renewables. We have two wind farms currently running but they contribute to a small portion of the grid’s energy. We also have approximately eight hydroelectric power stations in the country. Additionally, we recognize that solar energy is being used in Jamaica but this energy is being used for domestic and commercial use.

Once the power generation companies shift to LNG, this will probably ease the burden for consumer and commercial entities in terms of cost. That is where we see the push now and Sol Petroleum would want to be the supplier of this fossil fuel.

The Jamaican Government is working on several measures to attract FDI and if successful, these could benefit Sol Petroleum tremendously. So why should any new businesses that come to Jamaica choose to use Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited for its services and products?

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Sol Jamaica is supported by The Sol Group, which is a leading petroleum company that operates in 23 countries across the Caribbean region. Sol Jamaica’s product portfolio is fully supported by superior marketing, technical and customer service expertise. We operate with integrity and equity in all that we do. We have a customer mandate that is focused on the consistent, world-class service delivery of goods and services. In addition Sol has a strong safety culture that we implement in all processes and sections of the business.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a useful measure for giving back to the communities in which you work as well as your hard working personnel. What projects is Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited involved in locally?

At Sol, we work to be responsive and provide value to the communities where we do business. We want to make a difference in the lives of our customers and the wider community so our objective is to form mutually beneficial relationships with local groups and partners who can work with us to execute our sponsorship and community programs.

Our focus is primarily on education. Sol’s Scholarship programme provides support for the University of the West Indies. Over the last three years Sol has invested over USD $90,000 in Jamaica through this programme. We also undertake mentorship and career development activities to better accommodate the future workforce in the labour market. We also work with three basic schools within this community and assist them with books and materials and also give them Christmas treats and presents. We have also been involved in training at Jamaican German Automotive School, specifically in a technical programme that targets up and coming mechanics.

The readers of Harvard Business Review include many of the world’s most influential business and political leaders. What message would you like to send them about Jamaica?

Jamaica is poised for growth and we have the objective to make this country the place of choice to live, work and do business. Vision 2030 Jamaica is a strategic road map to guide the country to achieve its goals of sustainable development and prosperity by 2030. It is guided by seven principles that firmly place the people of Jamaica at the forefront of the nation’s development strategy. The principles that guide the Vision are: Transformational leadership, partnership, transparency and accountability, social cohesion, equity, economic sustainability and urban and rural sustainable development. Jamaicans possess a spirit of resilience and determination and so we have no doubt that we will build a better Jamaica in our quest for Vision 2030.

What message would you like to send about Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited?

Sol is a respected regional business leader and has earned a reputation for the consistent delivery of world-class service. The Sol Group is a preferred employer and employs more than 900 talented professionals and we are proud to be a part of this prestigious organization. We are a conscious entity, a supporter of higher education through our partnership with the University of the West Indies. The prospects are good and we are optimistic about the future of Sol Petroleum Jamaica Ltd and Jamaica as a whole.