French company Rubis Energy is coming.
And it will be bringing $2 million in investments, as well as keeping 73 Barbadians employed.
This month the international company will complete the rebranding of what used to be Texaco gas stations across Barbados.
Rubis Caribbean chief executive officer Mauricio Nicholls told reporters yesterday the company considers the Caribbean a “great” place to do business and they will also be rebranding gasoline outlets in St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, and Guyana.
The company has been based in Barbados for 18 months and is completing a multimillion-dollar deal to take over the Texaco brand from international giant Chevron.
“We have some very exciting plans for Barbados and soon people will see those benefits. This is a very large investment. We will be spending $2 million in the first instance to complete the rebranding,” Nicholls said during a Press conference yesterday at Rubis’ Warrens office in St Michael.
The rebranding starts October 15 at the Sunset Crest station, which is expected to take about five days. After its completion, 11 other stations will be rebranded, the entire process expected to finish mid-November.
Nicholls noted that even though individual dealers run the various outlets, no job losses are expected with their takeover of the brand.
Rubis has hired 73 people and also put on individual contractors who worked with Texaco but not as appointed staff.
The Colombian-born CEO said the European company is very serious about service excellence, so staff would be subject to continuous training. Rubis has already partnered with the National Initiative for Service Excellence in a special programme to increase service provision once the rebranding is complete.
Nicholls noted the company’s first featured product would be Ultra Tec, a special form of petrol formulated with a special additive that cleans engines, improves response, and increases milage.
The company has also spent almost half a million dollars for a high-tech, no-touch Caraway Music System to be installed in the Rubis outlet at Kendal Hill, Christ Church. (BA)
