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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
 Bradley B. Roberts Tribute to Sir Albert Joel Miller and the FOCOL Holdings (30th August 2015):
I recently attended funerals of two very close colleagues - Alfred Bismark Coakley MBE and Sir Albert Joel Miller - and as I reflected on my dearly departed brothers and colleagues, the name of another of our brother and friend, Stanley Alexander Wilson Jr. who died on Oct 5th1990 at a young age of 48, constantly came to mind.
It was Stanley Wilson who Sir Lynden Pindling had seconded to Grand Bahama to review and offer advisement to his government on the transformation of Freeport. It was Stanley Wilson who convinced Edward St. George and Jack Haywood to sell at market value a number of Companies that were owned by the Grand Bahamas Port Authority. Freeport Oil Co Ltd was sold to a group of Bahamians in 1980’s for $6 million with the support of Chase Manhattan Bank.
Sir Orville Turnquest was invited to participate in the purchase and he in turn invited Sir Albert Miller to join the investment group comprised of a number of Bahamians from humble beginnings.
Freeport Oil, once a part of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Group of Companies, has grown by leaps and bounds over the last thirty years and in the process acquired the Oil Assets in the Bahamas and Turks Islands of that global oil giant, Shell and is now a publicly traded Company with thousands of ordinary and preference shareholders.
It should be worthy of note that today the Company that was once owned by the GBPA is generating considerably more profits now compared to the era of its former owners due mainly to the hard work, vision and commitments of Sir Albert Joel Miller our long standing Chairman, present Chairman Franklyn R Wilson, Alfred Bismark Coakley and President Anthony Robinson.
I salute and give thanks to the vision of Sir Lynden and creativity and genius of Stanley Alexander Wilson for his wisdom and foresight.
There are many life lessons as we reflect on the life and contributions of Sir Albert Miller.
Firstly, it is clear that no man is an island and that we are intrinsically linked, both in the private and public sectors and to our fellow men. It is said that there is power in numbers. Sir Lynden, Sir Orville, Bismark, Franklyn or Sir Albert did not achieve success and transformed the economy of Grand Bahama acting alone.
Secondly, without trust and respect, there can be no progress and success. In a spirit of mutual trust, respect, team work, hard work and with a goal oriented approach to nation building, the sky is the limit and Sir Albert’s body of work proves that adage.
The Bahamian giants from that era continue to serve as an example of endless possibilities if we could only dream, dream big, galvanize our resources, believe in ourselves and trust in ourselves and the power of Almighty God.
Sir Albert and his contemporaries applied those principles of success and the proof of their success is very tangible and all around us.
In pure numerical terms, Sir Albert and his colleagues bought FOCOL from the Grand Bahama Port Authority some thirty years ago and today the FOCOL Holding Group of Companies is bigger and more profitable than the entire Grand Bahama Port Authority, with 2015 net operating income projected to eclipse $20 million.
Many salutes have been paid to Sir Albert Miller but I wish to embrace this opportunity to pay special tribute to him for the leadership he provided to FOCOL Holdings Group of Companies. In memory of Albert Joel Miller, let all with responsibility and influence commit to redoubling their efforts to return the “magic” to Grand Bahama Island. Sir Albert demonstrated what was achievable with a then $6million Company, a vision and hard work.
Let us do it for Sir Albert.
May his soul continue to rest in peace and rise in glory.
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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