PM Christie Sees First Fruits Of $4.5 Million Industry He’s Helping To Create

• PLP’s execution of election promise to “Invest In Bahamians” spawns new striping and road maintenance industry worth millions.

• Company projects 40 new jobs throughout The Bahamas by end of 2013.

Prime Minister Perry Christie toured a work site on Carmichael Road Thursday to meet with new striping employees now in training with Bahamas Striping, the prominent local striping company.

The five new trainees, previously without steady jobs, started training with the company four weeks ago at Old Fort Bay Shopping Center. The five are the start of an expansion projected to create 40 new jobs by end of 2013.

On Carmichael Road, Prime Minister Christie and other officials saw the first fruits of a private and government sector cooperation to create a striping industry. Bahamas Striping, which invested in bringing in a certified UK trainer for the five recruits, showed the Prime Minister new men’s skills.

President of Bahamas Striping, Atario Mitchell, claims that, were it not for the government’s sincere desire to deliver on its election promise, that these young men would not have jobs or careers. Mitchell says that last year he decided to invest in expensive equipment and training because he believed the government would be true to its word and put Bahamians first. That is now happening, he says and that other entrepreneurs could do the same thing and use training to give more Bahamians skills and jobs.

“A few months ago, the status quote—that existed for over a decade—was that this striping work would have gone to foreign multinationals almost guaranteed—no questions asked,“ said Mitchell. “Today, here we are with five new young Bahamians striping a public road.”

“We want to show Prime Minister Christie and his government the benefits of their pro-Bahamian policy. Here are five young men who were pretty much idle but now have jobs, skills and positive futures. We want to thank the PM for the good things this policy is having on my company and these young men’s lives.”

Mitchell says he took a gamble on investing in new equipment and hiring an expert trainer when his company had no jobs in the pipeline.

“I took the risk because I believed the Christie government would be true to its word and put Bahamians first. I’m able to hire these new recruits because the government has given us opportunities to work on public roads, just like DPM Davis said he would back in August last year. We’re pleased to say that the Christie’s government is helping.

“In our first two years, old habits and cozy relationships with foreigners worked against us. We couldn’t work on our own public roads. In those two years we grew thanks to private contactors giving us work. But now thanks to the Christie government, this huge market has been opened up to locals. And why not? We now have Bahamians working on Bahamian roads. That’s the way it should be,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell said focusing on training is just what The Bahamas needs to combat crime and help society. “I am only one example what could happen right across the country. Many entrepreneurs could do more to train Bahamians and create jobs. In our case, it’s government/private sector cooperation producing positive results,” said the 26-year old president.

“Now that Christie’s PLP government is giving us equal opportunity to work in a $4.5 million market in the next five years. Getting work on the public roads from the Ministry means we’ll hire more. In fact, in six weeks time, we’ll be training another new five man crew,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell informed the Prime Minister of his plans to make Bahamas Striping into a road maintenance company with added services. Bahamas Striping is expanding into sidewalk and curbs construction, man-hole and drain cleaning, man-hole lifting and manufacturing of parking wheel stops. The company also announced that it will immediately hire five local Abaconians when it opens a second branch in Marsh Harbour in June, and will offer a range of striping and road maintenance services.

Sean Adderley, Bahamas Striping’s Managing Director, said: “Our vision is to create a one-stop-shop for road maintenance. Except for supplying hot mix, we want to be able to provide anything that a road or parking lot needs. And training is one of the keys. There’s nothing in this field that can’t be done by good young men such as we’re training now,” said Adderley.

“Actually, the sky’s the limit. Every week we get requests if we could clear drains, supply wheel stops or make sidewalk curbing. Our equipment will soon be in place. We’ll be bringing in more certified and experienced trainers for these new services. They’ll teach more young men in depth. We think we’ll need 40 or more staff within a year, possibly 20 in the other islands including Abaco.”

“This is not just sweeping roads: our trainees will learn how to take down these machines, maintain and operate them to stripe roads and car parks,” said Adderley. “They’re valuable skills where the men can one day own their own businesses.”

Bob Bower, Bahamas Striping’s Marketing Director, said: “Now we’re being told there’s a lot more striping and road maintenance work needed in Nassau and the islands. The airports also need renovating and striping. We’re actually looking to bring in another trainer soon. To establish this industry for the long term—as the Christie government is encouraging us to do—we’d like to see institutions such as BTVI offering courses in road marking and traffic management. Drive on our roads and you can see many road crews that need traffic management training.”

Bower said one of the reasons he was inspired by the company was its ability to take young struggling Bahamians and give them a positive base. “One of our key policies is to train and give young men a second chance in life. Some, not all, have experienced prison. Most of our trainees never graduated from high school. We found them in a state of semi-hopelessness, living day to day. At any moment they could have gone off the rails committing crime. You can see how training gives them a sense of self-worth. The help that the Christie government has given in allowing us to stripe public roads has an immediate benefit for many families,” said Bower. “The more we can choose training and skills instead of unemployment and crime, the better our society will be.”

Certified striping trainer Brian Bostock from Liverpool was enthused about his new team members and their productive attitude.

“They seem to respect that this is a place for learning and work and for giving the client a great job without mistakes. I’m pleased how they’re shaping up. They’ve learnt a lot already,” said Bostock. “You can see these young men believe in quality and hard work.”

Two of the new five-man crew spoke excitedly about their new prospects. Ashton Bullard, 26, was downsized from Atlantis back in 2004 and having done small jobs here and there, says it feels great to be stable again. He was amazed to learn how much effort went into marking car parks and roads. Now he knows how to mark out arrows, a stop junction and how to chalk up a whole parking lot. Bullard’s dream is to one day operate the thermoplastic machine himself and have his own crew to supervise.

Donavon Colebrook of Pinewood Estates said before he started training with Bahamas Striping he was “scrapping around doing yard work” and small odd jobs where he could get them. This steady job is a foundation to start building a whole life, he says.

“I could do this for 20 or 30 years—the rest of my life,” said Colebrook. “I like the outdoors, construction-type work. I never realized how complex and in-depth this car park striping business is. Before my training, I thought you just went and slapped it down. But for a good job, it takes a whole lot of preparation and knowledge.”

According to president Mitchell, when Bahamas Striping goes to the Family Islands, it tries to hire a few local islanders each time, and to teach them as much as possible about the striping industry and a positive future they could have working in it.



One of Bahamas Striping’s new trainees, Rashad Thompson (right) stripes Carmichael Road with a thermoplastic handliner only three weeks after being hired by the striping company. Bahamas Striping President, Atario Mitchell (left) says Prime Minister Christie’s government is investing in Bahamians and is helping to create a new industry worth more than $4.5 million, which is expected to create 40 new jobs by end of 2013.

For the past two days, Prime Minister Perry Christie has refused interviews with reporters as to what the public can expect in the aftermath of Monday's failed referendum.

Since the resounding no vote, Mr Christie’s handlers have sought to block interaction with him on several occasions, telling reporters that the Prime Minister was not making any comments.

The Tribune has been trying to ask the nation’s chief three questions which include:

 a. Was he serious about shutting down all web shops?

 b. Is the police force able to spare the resources to shut down every web shop?

 c. How does the government plan to tackle the country’s crime situation if the police’s resources are concentrated on the number’s racket?

 Up to this point, Mr Christie has answered the first question through a press statement which was released on Tuesday night, however, the other two remain unanswered.

Court action taken by web shop bosses over the government's order that the sale of numbers is to cease sparked criticism from FNMs yesterday. Peter Turnquest, Member of Parliament for East Grand Bahama, told Parliamentarians that despite a decision by Bahamians that they did not want web shops to be taxed or regulated, the numbers bosses were still able to use the court system to remain in operation. As House Members met in the Upper Chamber lawyer Wayne Munroe was submitting an exparte application on behalf of operators of Island Luck, Island Game, FML, Chances and Whatfall.com.

The action would allow their operations to continue until Monday when papers will be filed. Mr Tunrquest said he believed that Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson could have given the government better advice on its next course of action. “The Bahamian people,” Mr Turnquest said, “are incredibly confused and quite frankly angry”. “As has been referenced previously, we are now made aware of some injunction that has basically, for lack of a better definition in my words, negated the whole exercise. “In my opinion, she could have given more or better advice.” Before he could continue, seated Members of Parliament shouted: “Don’t go there.”

Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell interjected on a point of order saying that blame could not be placed on the government for a decision that the court had made. Their orders, he said, would only stand until a judge was able to rule in the matter. House Speaker Kendal Major urged Mr Turnquest to avoid speaking of the court process. However, Mr Turnquest continued to criticise Mrs Maynard-Gibson. His comments were ordered withdrawn and expunged from the records.

Defending the Attorney General, State Minister of Legal Affairs Damian Gomez said his office could not have prevented the web boss’s move to defy the Prime Minister’s orders. ”I am surprised,” he said, “by the comments being made now on the floor. An action has been commenced as is publicly known that certain principals of a number of web shops have hired a lawyer who has taken out an exparte on notice application to a judge.

“The Attorney General’s office could not have done anything to prevent that. “I am surprised before any decision has been made the criticism is being channelled to my office which is completely unfounded and distasteful.” On Monday, as Bahamians turned out to the polls for the first referendum under the Christie administration, 48,012 no votes were cast regarding web shop gaming compared to 30,767 yes votes. There were 46,961 no votes and 32,170 yes votes to the question of a national lottery.

HEART disease is the number one killer of people in the Bahamas and around the world.