NASSAU, Bahamas –- The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce celebrates Chamber Week 2010, under the theme, “Business Unusual” from Tuesday, June 22nd to Friday, June 25th. The exciting weeklong activities will be held at the Hilton British Colonial Hotel starting with a Mix ‘N Mingle Cocktail Reception on Tuesday at 6:30pm with entertainment by Tingum Dem.
On Wednesday the 23rd, the Annual General Meeting and Luncheon will be held at 12:30pm where the keynote speaker will be Franklyn R. Wilson, CMG, the Chamber’s 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient.
On Friday, the 25th, the Chamber’s 39th Annual Awards Presentation will recognize the Chamber’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Recipient, Rupert Roberts, Businesspersons of the Year, Christopher and Eleutherios Tsavourssis, Entrepreneur of the Year, Randy Butler and a winner for Business of the Year from a group of distinguished finalists. A cocktail reception begins at 7:00pn with presentations starting at 8:00pm followed by a reception at 9:30pm where the evening’s entertainment will be provided by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force Band. The dress code will be business attire.
HIGHLIGHTS:
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce 2010 SPEAKER FOR THEIR AGM AND LUNCHEON:
Franklyn WilsonFranklyn Wilson, distinguished businessman and our 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, will be the Chamber’s special guest speaker at this year’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 at 12:30pm at The British Colonial Hilton Hotel. Given the current economic environment and the state of the Bahamian economy there may be a need for businesses to re-think their strategies or re-visit their fundamentals as a matter of not only growth, but also survival. Mr. Wilson has been asked to address the topic chosen for the Week – “BUSINESS UNUSUAL” – and to provide his insight and perspective on our current economic dilemma and the way forward. As a visionary and a pioneer of the Sunshine Boys, Mr. Wilson is the most constant link of the distinguished group which has gone on to create or manage many businesses including, but not limited to Arawak Homes Ltd., (which has delivered more homes to Bahamian families than any company in history), Sunshine Insurance (Agents & Brokers) Ltd., Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance (Bahamas) Ltd., Purity Bakery Ltd., Snack Food Wholesale, Eleuthera Properties Ltd. (owners of over 4,600 acres of land including Davis Harbour Marina at South Eleuthera) and Freeport Oil. Over a period of some thirty years, Wilson has written and spoken extensively on the economy of The Bahamas and continues to be recognized for his untiring service. His list of recognitions and accomplishments is extensive, but we are happy to have had him accept ours in 2008.
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce 2010 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT:
Rupert RobertsVeteran businessman Rupert Roberts will be heralded as the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient for his enormous contributions to the business in The Bahamas in the areas of food, retail, banking and real estate over. His outstanding career and accomplishments span over 50 years and he has become an icon. Rupert opened his first Super Value on East Street in April 1965 with the mission of “putting food on the Bahamian table at the best possible price.” The chain grew along with the Bahamas to 11 stores and a staff of over 550 employees.
Numerous endeavours followed including banking, real estate and the Bimini Sands Resort & Marina development. Rupert has assisted in many charitable causes and has received awards including a Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary, the Distinguished Citizen’s Award by the Chamber of Commerce and also the Silver Jubilee Award in Business from the Government of The Bahamas. In January 2004, he received the
Honour Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). In May 2005, he received the CEE Global Awards for Ethics & Excellence. In June 2005, he received the Outstanding Service Award by the Margaret McDonald Policy Management and Administration Centre.
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce 2010 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR:
Captain Randy ButlerCaptain Randy Butler is an outstanding pilot who has worked in numerous roles in the civil aviation field. Over his career he has obtained impressive credentials and gained admiration from his peers and the public. Randy has experience a “first” in two career paths. In 1996, he became the first Bahamian practicing in The Bahamas to be designated by the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority as a Pilot Examiner and from 2007 to 2008 he was the first ever Manager of Public Safety at the Lynden Pindling International Airport. Over the 22 years in the aviation industry, Randy has spent 7 working as the Flight Standards Inspectorate as an aviation safety inspector, he has obtained numerous certificates and experiences and holds US, Canadian and Bahamas Airline Transport Pilot Licenses with type-ratings on the Boeing 737, Dash 8, Cessna Citation, Beech 1900 and seaplane aircraft as well as earned 8 distinctions amongst his diplomas and certificates.
As an owner and shareholder of SkyBahamas, Randy is currently the CEO and President with responsibility for the company’s day-to-day management. He reports directly to the Board and leads a team of highly skilled aviation professionals to ensure SkyBahamas continues to succeed in the challenging and highly competitive climate of commercial aviation. Randy believes that strategic scheduling targeting key domestic routes and on-demand flights linking The Bahamas and the United States. He underlines this necessary strategy will bring more lucrative opportunities to tourism and hospitality throughout the archipelago.
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce 2010 BUSINESS PERSONS OF THE YEAR:
Christopher P. TsavoussisBrothers, Christopher P. Tsavoussis and Eleutherios “Terry” Tsavoussis are seasoned, high-energy entrepreneurs and management professionals. Their backgrounds include new business and human resources development and strategic marketing and planning. Combined with a keen knack for recognizing golden business opportunities, they currently own and operate Wendy’s (Bahamas) and Marco’s Pizza.
Their individual careers span decades and include the successful operation of a variety of businesses such as Dunkin Donuts, Domino’s Pizza, Atlantic Satellite, Caribbean Franchise Holdings Limited, Premier Homes Ltd. and Aetos Holdings Ltd. In the past 5 years, they have grown the Wendy’s franchise to 8 locations. Together this business duo has increased the company’s profitability while creating numerous employment and career opportunities for a staff boasting some 400 employees. They are also the Caribbean Franchisee License holders for Marco’s Pizzas.
Eleutherios 'Terry' TsavoussisToday, Terry and Chris share a vision for increased growth and sustainability while continuing in their commitment to contribute positively to the development of the economy of The Bahamas.
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce 2010 OUTSTANDING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR FINALISTS:
In the category of 50 or more employees, the nominees are: A I D - Automated Industrial Distributors, The Bamboo Shack and RobinHood Enterprises while in the category of less than 50 employees, those businesses include: Glinton-Sweeting-O’Brien, Rubins and the Bahamas Orthodontic Centre.
Reservations for these events are required by contacting the Chamber at 242 322 2145 or by email at register@thebahamaschamber.com. The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to promote trade, expand commerce and build better communities. More information can be found at thebahamaschamber.com.