January 2018
Petrojam Limited officially opened its new Administrative Office building at its Freeport Montego Bay location on January 9. The building was named the Howard Powell Building, in honour of a late employee who was integral to Petrojam operations in western Jamaica, since its inception in 1996.
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology (MSET), Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley said that the opening of the new building at the beginning of the New Year was timely, as he sees better prospects for Petrojam in 2018 and beyond.
“For western Jamaica, the opening of this new facility means being better able to serve customers, expanded services and greater efficiencies. This is indeed a significant step forward for Petrojam, and for western Jamaica,” said Minister Wheatley. “Even in times of volatility, Petrojam has been able to provide relatively affordable supplies of petroleum products to Jamaican consumers, thereby contributing to the competitiveness of the productive sectors of our economy,” he continued.
The Minister reassured everyone that the Government is taking all the necessary steps to safeguard the viability of Petrojam’s assets. “We are seeking to ensure that there is no disruption to the country’s energy security,” he stated.
Howard Powell first served as Supervisor of the Montego Bay Terminal, and later as Senior Supervisor, Terminal Operations for Petrojam Limited. He was also part of the team that conceptualized the new administrative building, which replaced the converted trailer in which the operations began. Regrettably, he died before the building was completed. The new building offers approximately 2520 square feet of administrative and support facilities.
General Manager, Petrojam Limited, Floyd Grindley memorialized Mr. Powell as a “dedicated employee who gave significant stewardship to the development of the Montego Bay Industrial Loading Rack for twenty years and one whose loyalty to the company was unquestionable.”
“It was a major loss to the Petrojam family when Mr. Powell died in November 2011. He was not able to see the completion of the Administrative Building at the Montego Bay Terminal into which he had invested so much of his time, energy and love,” Grindley said.
Board Director, Petrojam, Harold Malcolm, stressed the importance of Petrojam Montego Bay as a critical part of the company’s operations. “The Montego Bay Terminal is a critical part of Petrojam’s delivery infrastructure. In its initial stage, it primarily supplied the Jamaica Public Service with diesel fuel. Today, its product offering has expanded to include gasoline, Jet Fuel to the airport. Its clientele has also expanded to include all the Marketing companies with requirements for delivery to their Western customers,” he said.
The Board Director also thanked Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley for his consistent support of Petrojam’s initiatives.
The building was unveiled by Minister of Science, Energy, and Technology, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley and wife of the late Howard Powell, Sonja Powell.
