–  its thirteenth
THE Shell Service Station at Mc Doom, East Bank Demerara, was officially commissioned yesterday with its new image ‘The Shell retail visual identity-Evolution’. It was the third such service station to be opened for business this year and its upgrading and rebranding is in keeping with SOL’s strategic plan to deliver to customer quality products and services at state-of-the-art facilities across the country.

Speaking at the Mc Doom commissioning, General Manager of SOL Guyana Inc., Mr. Ken Figaro said the branded retail sites, though representing a relatively small percentage of the local market and an even smaller percentage of SOL’s total regional retail network, have the highest retail efficiency locally and one of the highest among the 17 markets and 437 Shell sites in the Region.

Last June 20, the Regent Street facility was commissioned and, on June 29, a similar ceremony was held at Ogle, East Coast Demerara. The local retailing network comprises 13 sites of which 10 are owned by the company and operated by retail contractors while three are owned and operated by dealers.

Figaro told motorists and other customers that McDoom has been built with the aim of providing services to them 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, serving all their fuel needs, among others along this line.

He added that Shell V Power gasolene is the only performance fuel in Guyana’s market created with the technology developed to Ferrari Formula One racing fuel and then adapted for road cars.

“This V Power fuel is designed to actively clean and protect engines as they work, helping to keep new engines in top condition and restore older engines to give optimum performance. It is also designed to improve acceleration and responsiveness, to help engines obtain the maximum power from fuel and give better overall performance generally,” Figaro boasted.

He announced that, with every purchase of $3,000 worth of V Power, purchasers will be eligible to win any of the special prizes available in the ‘Wish and Win’ promotion exclusively being run by Shell currently.

DELIGHTED
Also speaking at the ceremony, Vice-Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Mr. Yog Mahadeo said he is delighted to have yet another service station start operations here in Guyana.
“Having begun operations in Guyana in 2005 with the acquisition of Shell operations, SOL further expanded in 2007 with the purchase of Exxon’s assets,” he recalled.
Mahadeo said Guyana welcomes such an investment which will contribute to the creation of jobs and the expansion of the Private Sector.

“We are particularly pleased with SOL’s record of humanitarian assistance, as was shown in the efforts towards earthquake relief in Haiti and its propensity towards community involvement,” he said.

Mahadeo said that, as SOL continues to invest in Guyana, the nation is seeing an acceleration of factors that can lead to continued progression of the economy.

“It is important to note that, in these recent years, we have experienced one economic shock or the other, from the failure of banks, the collapse of national economies, the havoc of weather and the social and political unrest of certain places, they all affect us in a macro sense since we borrow, buy and sell, generally, trading with the wider world and so are not insulated from what’s happening out there,“ he pointed out.

The Guyana  Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T) General Manager said that, for the first quarter of the year, imports of fuel and lubricants amounted to some US$136.5 million out of the total import bill of US$369.6 million.

He said that is a significant amount of expenditure for a small economy like Guyana’s but it shows, however, how important the transportation sector is to the country’s industry and people.
“We are, therefore, well disposed to a company like SOL, which ensures that we get the very best products for our expenditure,” Mahadeo offered.
He continued: “The smooth functioning of our manufacturing, mining, construction and agricultural enterprises depends upon a steady flow of quality fuel and petroleum products and we are assured of SOL’s ability to deliver these.”
Mahadeo observed hat Guyana is well poised for an increase in its foreign direct investment and, as such, the PSC recognises the adoption of incentive policies to spur investment. But it must be noted that such incentives for new stakeholders must not diminish or destroy the bedrock that was laid by other members of the PSC throughout the years.                   
He said SOL is a clear example of continuous progress which will be expanded, adding that, each time the PSC makes an additional investment in the country, it signals continued confidence in the nation or at least continued hope.
Mahadeo congratulated SOL on the official opening of Shell’s thirteenth service station and wished the company long and sustained symbiotic relationship in Guyana.
SOL presently supplies fuels, lubricants and bitumen among other products through an extensive service station network and its aviation, marine and commercial operations.
It uses the Shell brand under licence across its service stations network and acts as the sole distributor of that brand of fuel and lubricants which is fully supported by Shell’s world class technical expertise.