The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The $400,000 contract give to a Bahamian start-up to upgrade and repair South Bimini’s airport has created employment for 10 islanders, and “opened up an entirely new industry previously untapped by Bahamians”.

Speaking at yesterday’s contract signing between Airport Maintenance Services, the Bahamas Striping subsidiary, and Resorts World (Bimini), Allen Albury, the former’s managing director, said providing such opportunities to Bahamian entrepreneurs was “the best way to revive a sluggish economy.”

He added: “Opportunities are alive in the Bahamas. We obviously recognise that small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.

“It marks and ushers in a new day of opportunities... for Bahamians. Today is not about today, it is about tomorrow and a brighter future. It is opening up opportunities for Bahamians to be trained and empowered in a new industry.”

Urging “creative solutions” as a means of reigniting the Bahamian economy, Mr Albury said AMS was set to shortly send 20 Bahamians away for training on runway repair, maintenance and marking with its global partner.

Bahamas Striping/AMS currently has 13 employees, and Mr Albury said the group had just hired “10 young Biminites” to facilitate the airport contract, many of whom were likely to go abroad for training.

“We will complete the project in Bimini on time and on budget,” Mr Albury added. “Our goal is to see all airports come up to International Civil Aviation Organisation and Federal Aviation Administration required standards.

“South Bimini is the first of many airports that will [be upgraded] throughout the Family Islands.”

Resorts World (Bimini) executives indicated that the $400,000 airport upgrade was part of its commitments to the Government under the agreement for its $150 million investment on the island.

Atario Mitchell, Bahamas Striping’s president, and who founded the company five years ago from a $5,000 Self-Starters grant, emphasised that with an almost-16 per cent unemployment rate, Bahamians had to be put back to work.

“We must believe in ourselves and the Bahamian economy, and must believe in the potential for expansion and job creation,” he added.

Shane Gibson, minister of labour and National Insurance, who attended on the Government’s behalf, urged Bahamians to “take advantage of these opportunities” that will be created by the 450 full-time, and 100 construction, jobs that will be created by Resorts World Bimini’s expansion.

He emphasised the need to avoid a repeat of the experience with the former Four Seasons Emerald Bay resort, where Bahamians from other island came to work only to leave several months later because they were missing family.

Describing the agreement signed by AMS as “momentous”, and praised the quality of work by Bahamas Striping as “exceptional”, meeting the UK standards adopted by the Ministry of Works.

Sean Brennan, an AMS/Bahamas Striping Board member, said: “This company is primed for great growth and development.

“It’s a young Bahamian company, full of energy, full of desire, full of promise. We want to be a role model for Bahamian companies. We are a beacon of light.”