In Business

The Sol Group, the leading supplier of energy products to the Caribbean Basin, is making a serious investment in the St. Lucia energy market. The company is currently rebranding all of the Shell service stations on the island to the Sol brand name. Similar rebranding exercises are in progress in the neighbouring Caribbean countries of Barbados, St. Vincent and Grenada.

At a time when increasing globalisation is turning an international lens on the economic potential of Caribbean markets, Sol, a Caribbean-owned company, is holding its own, competing competitively in an industry typically dominated by global players. The decision to rebrand the Shell service stations to the Sol brand name is characteristic of the company’s continual investment in this region and complements its ongoing investment in the local community. The Sol name is highly recognised for its investments in the community through youth outreach programmes such as the Boys Rehabilitation Project, and the former Sol-BTC (Boys’ Training Centre) Greenhouse Project. With the ongoing rebranding, the company is set to affirm its commitment to the St. Lucia community, market and economy.

Lawrence McNaughton, General Manager of SOL EC LTD., noted that the transition from Shell to Sol is a significant milestone for the company and its customers. McNaughton also noted that customer experience is at the forefront of Sol’s operations, and the company is working to keep any disruptions to a minimum during what he described as an exciting transition from Shell to Sol. He confirmed that customers can expect the rebranding process to be completed in 2015.

“Since we first acquired Shell’s business in the Eastern Caribbean in 2005,” said McNaughton, “we have established ourselves as a major player in our region. We are very happy to celebrate this growth through the rebranding of our service stations in St. Lucia, and other territories in the Eastern Caribbean. We are especially happy to express our faith in St. Lucia’s economic growth potential and in its capacity to embrace Sol, a truly Caribbean brand. We expect our customers to be very pleased when our service stations re-open under the Sol brand name this year.”  

The rebranding is part of the company’s efforts to develop a world-class company that combines the best of Caribbean understanding with international technical expertise. For the 10-year-old company, the name Sol— Spanish for ‘sun’— embodies a vision and mission that embraces the diverse heritage of its Caribbean roots.

Mr. Gerard Cox, Chief Executive Officer of The Sol Group, noted that the rebranding process is going successfully for Sol, its team members and its customers across the region.

“We are excited to be expanding the Sol retail brand in St. Lucia,” Cox said. “The rebranding in St. Lucia and across the three other Caribbean territories is a signal of our commitment to grow and solidify Sol’s presence across the region. We are proud to be successfully competing in the global market and increasing our capacity to make significant investments in the social and economic growth of our communities.”

Sol is a world-class company managing large, highly complex businesses in 23 territories across the Caribbean and Central and South America. The Caribbean-owned company is currently celebrating ten years of providing customised energy solutions to individuals, families, businesses and government organisations throughout the region.

Updates on the current Shell to Sol conversion process are available via the Sol website at www.solpetroleum.comand via its social networks.