CELEBRATING the first year of its brand in Jamaica, RUBiS is now entering a strategic partnership to bring a fast food chain to some of its service stations, according to Alain Carreau, managing director of RUBiS Energy Jamaica.

“We are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with Wisynco to build Domino Pizza outlets at select RUBiS locations, beginning with the Red Hills Road service station, soonest. This represents another first for RUBiS in bringing innovation to our fuels-retailing business in Jamaica,” he said.

Carreau was speaking at a celebratory event to mark the first year of the RUBiS brand in Jamaica at the UWI Mona Visitors’ Lodge, last Thursday.

The development follows the February opening of its Ultra Shop at its Waterloo service station in Kingston in February. Carrea said at the time that “Competition has narrowed fuel profit margins, forcing marketing companies to create other value-added situations.”

Since coming to Jamaica just over a year ago, Jamaica has become a very significant market for RUBiS, representing the company’s largest operation in the Caribbean, and about five per cent of its global earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

RUBiS, which acquired the Shell brand, is the largest petrol marketing company in Jamaica with 36 per cent of the market. It is followed by French compatriot Total with 19 per cent, and Chevron Texaco, owned by Haitian company GB Energy with 17 per cent.

“The importance of [Jamaica] is evident by the support we have received from our international executive leadership team who have joined us here today,” Carreau said.

The RUBiS brand has now been rolled out to the more than 50 service stations islandwide, culminating in the launch of its “state-of-the-art” service station on Waterloo Road in Kingston, Carreau said. The company had upgraded its oil import terminal, Carreau said, noting that RUBiS “is the only private petroleum marketing company in Jamaica with its own import terminal.”

But Carreau was most proud of the creation of its cultural foundation, RUBiS Mécénat, “perhaps the most important achievement this year”.

The foundation will invest “in developing the minds of our young citizens to visualise, aspire and work towards their own future”, he said. The very first RUBiS foundation scholarship was awarded to Akaila Satchel to attend the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, he said.

“This is the first of several scholarships planned under the InPulse Art Project, which is based at Dunoon Technical High School. These students will benefit from exposure to the best art courses and will be coached by local and international professionals,” he said.

Also at the event were Anthony Hylton, minister of industry, investment and commerce; William Mahfood, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and managing director of Wisynco; as well as several senior executives from the RUBiS International Group, including Mauricio Nichols, RUBiS’s Regional CEO.