Speech by Travis E. Johnson

Good Morning, Honourable Member of Parliament Mr. Brensil Rolle, and Ladies and Gentlemen of the press.

My name is Travis Johnson and I’m President of Cold Patch Bahamas that we are here to launch today. Cold Patch Bahamas is a company established to address the vexing problem of potholes found throughout Nassau and these beautiful islands.

Let me ask: How many of you saw a pothole coming here today? How many people do you think will hit a pothole this week and damaged their car? How many tourists will be sent flying to the pavement and end up in hospital, spoiling their holiday? These happen every day and the hidden cost to our reputation, to our pride and to our economy is huge. Taxpayers expect their roads to be drivable without danger. They wonder why a hole lies in a road so long. And once it is fixed, they wonder why it keeps coming back.

My company is being formed to attack every pothole in the Bahamas. Not only do we want to fix potholes quickly we want to fix them properly, with the right material. I’d like to share with you how our methods and our special cold patch can make a big difference. Our repair service is not a slam-bam, thank you Ma’am service. Our repairs are designed to last longer – saving everyone money and trouble.

I’ve spent the last two months researching the best cold patch methods and material available – and I’ve found a cold patch that will stand up to the Bahamian heat and our flooded streets. I’ve made many calls to the USA and UK. I’ve read many news stories and reports. And I’ve read many studies that show how different materials and methods perform on real heavy traffic roads around the states. These studies were preformed by objective scientists and expert engineers hired by US State Departments of Transport.

They show how each method and each cold patch brand performed in more than seven States. These reports are there on google for everyone to see and we’ll be putting these studies on our future web site. It’s hard to argue with the science of what is best for our roads and what saves money in the long run. It’s clear that here in the Bahamas today we are either using inferior materials or inferior methods. Our road crews are stretched thin. The result is that potholes come back too fast and the road crews can’t keep up. And with potholes, if you can’t keep up, the problem just gets worse. It’s a dreaded cycle.

But with Cold Patch Bahamas, we can fix them right the first time and make repairs last longer. We can help we can help break that cycle so that more holes are fixed and stay fixed. The result will protect our cars and trucks and save us and the government money. Fixing potholes is money well spent.

We recognize that getting to the problem fast, is important. That’s how we want to be known – as the pothole pros that fix it fast and fix it right the first time. As the single most visible professional and rapid service, we’ll be helping both the private and public sectors. I expect the Bahamas Government to be my largest client very soon. One of the great benefits of this launch today is the human factor. Cold Patch Bahamas will be hiring, at the very least, three young men who don’t have jobs.

If the demand is great, we imagine we could have two or even three crews operating around Nassau and the islands. Everywhere we go, our team members will be trained professionals. Our young men will also learn responsibility and how to be a good employee. These are skills that young men in our society needs.

I want to emphasize about being professional. We won’t just be throwing the cold patch in the hole, tamping it down and expect it to last a long time. Although that is very common, research has proved that’s not the best way. Instead, we’ll take the time to saw the pavement at a 90 degree angle. That gives the repair a much greater chance of surviving longer.

After filling the saw cut hole with compacted quarry limestone, we’ll apply a 2 or one and a half inch layer of cold patch to seal the hole. That is the correct method and it’s required by the Ministry of Public Works for government roads. We’ll be following the Ministry engineers’ specifications and recommendations and we expect to be qualified to do public roads in very short order.

For private clients who have shops or malls, the great thing about cold patch is that it is clean and cars can drive on it instantly. Women won’t get their heels stuck and it won’t create a tacky mess. It’sa product you can have absolute confidence in. So, ladies and gentlemen, when you see a hole in a driveway, in a shopping mall or on a government road, call Cold Patch Bahamas. Just imagine that we could be there in an hour and have it fixed. Our tag line is “rapid pothole repair” and we aim to live up to that.

And, government engineers, road crews and Ministry officials, if you need several tons of cold patch for your own operations -- either here or in the Family Islands -- give us a shout. You’ll be sure of getting a super-performing cold patch that will last a longer time at a better price – saving your budgets and stretched resources. The bottom line is that more holes will get fixed and we’ll be able to more easily keep on top of the problem. Along with our material we’ll also training any road crew anywhere ion the Bahamas.

I’d like to thank my Garden Hills Member of Parliament, the Honourable Brensil Rolle, for coming here today. I greatly appreciate his encouragement and guidance over the past several months in helping me launch this great business for which there is a great demand. Three months ago when I met Mr. Rolle, he asked me if I had a proper business plan and asked if I really knew how to fix a pothole properly. The challenge inspired me to go out and learn even more. Yes, Mr. Rolle your challenge to me has produced a great result and now you are standing here at my launch. I’d like to thank you for helping me to realize my dream. Ladies and Gentlemen, to say a few remarks, I present the Honourable Brensil Rolle, Member of Parliament for Garden Hills.