A sustainable forest is carefully managed so that as trees are felled they are replaced with seedlings that eventually grow into mature trees. Additionally, all our letterheads, communications, envelopes, etc are all printed on paper compliant with the Forest Stewardship Council’s regulations.

FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests (www.fsc.org).

Moreover, all metal scrap and excess production @ adh is packaged and re-exported to be recycled.

Let’s all do our part to help the environment we share.

We are glad to share that Carmelle Jean-Marie, External Affairs & Project Development at GB Group, is a panelist @ EGI Haiti.

This is a historic step for our country, let´s invest in Haiti!

Make us as proud as ever Carmelle!

Carmelle Jean-Marie | External Affairs & Project Development

Mrs. Jean-Marie has a strong background in Financial Regulations and Project Financing, both in the public and private sectors. She has held key leadership and advisory roles to several Ministers and Governments as well as senior business development positions for a reputable French banking institution in the Caribbean for many years. Today Mrs. Jean-Marie coordinates the Group’s relationships with external stakeholders and oversees Project Sponsoring activities, all Group affiliated companies and investments.

During the next six months, National (DINASA) & USAID – Winner will fund the production of one million seedlings to be planted in Haiti.

The hope-inducing event brought together reputable personalities including the Minister of Agriculture, Hébert Docteur, the United States Ambassador to Haiti, Kenneth H. Merten, USAID-Winner Director, Jean-Robert Estime & DINASA Chairman, Gilbert Bigio.

This noble initiative is a seed planted by DINASA Chairman, Gilbert Bigio, who is always looking for an opportunity to improve and invest in Haiti’s future. “We’ve now focused on sustaining the environment we share” said Jasson Valbrun, NATIONAL’s Marketing & Sales Director.

Haiti is in need of 30 million trees each year to overcome the devastating effects of deforestation which has long been a Haitian antagonist. The GB Group through DINASA is helping in any way they can.

The project called “Plante Lavni – pou un Ayiti tou vet” will plant these million seeds in the next 6 months. Funding for this challenging feat valued at USD $500,000 is provided by USAID and DINASA with support from the Ministry of Agriculture.

When asked about concrete measures to be taken in order to help the program as well as the environment, DINASA promised intense liquified petroleum gas (or commonly referred to as LPG) promotion as a substitute for charcoal. The goal is to increase domestic LPG consumption as an alternate energy source  which is currently only 4%.

Check out the event pictures on FACEBOOK here and stay tuned for updates on this amazing accomplishment.

L’Ecole de Choix (EDC) – the School of Choice – is a progressive, secular, English language-based pre-kindergarten thru 12th grade school and community center located in the Central Plateau department of Haiti near Mirebalais. Administered by the Illinois non-profit, the School of Choice Education Organization, Choix received it’s start-up funding from Zynga.org (www.zynga.org), which funded its construction and first year operations.

L’Ecole de Choix (EDC)‘s primary service is toward Haitian children and families living in conditions of extreme poverty, with a focus on quality education, income generation and financial literacy. Choix students will learn about themselves, their history and their heritage, as well as diverse other cultures, in order to gain a complete understanding of the world that we all share.
Ecole de Choix’s Chairman, Laura Hartman in collaboration with Nicholas Macfalls spearhead a coalition with NGOs to identify surplus supplies and direct them to appropriate recipient partners using the US Navy Handclasp Program.

EDC is entirely funded by donors like Zynaga. This particular shipment was donated by The Town School in San Francisco (9000 books) & the Lutheran World Relief (supplies).

The GB Group, alongside the US NAVY, Nova Southeastern University & DePaul University, is honored to have helped in Project Handclasp’s mission and would like others to contribute in any way they can.

Congratulations to l’Ecole de Choix on an amazing cause and accomplishment.

DINASA signed a technical service agreement with Royal Dutch Shell Petroleum which includes:

• Shell Airport Operations Manual (SAOM) for use at GB Group operated airports
• Provision copies of Shell Aviation Quality System (SAQS)
• Provision copies of Shell Aviation Maintenance Manual (SAMM)
• Provision copies of Shell Aircraft Re-Fuelling Handbook

Additionally, the agreement also includes:

• Advisory services for operational support
• Expert fuel quality control & technical advice
• Shell Aviation Publications
• Shell Aviation service unit specialists visits & training
• HSSE
• Audit management system

The GB Group congratulates DINASA in its success!

The GB Group is proud to announce it is strongly contributing to the Faculté des Sciences – the Haitian state university – as we truly believe Haiti’s future & progress are in the hands of our young minds. Other renowned contributors include the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund as well as the Haitian Government.

In 1902, a group of six (6) Haitian professionals entertained the idea of founding the School of Applied Sciences with the goal of training capable supervisors and managers in industrial and agricultural arenas.

Since then, the School of Applied Sciences has evolved in status, name, recognition, and management and training quality to become what it is today: the reputable Faculté des Sciences.

This current school-year, the University welcomed 270 eager new students of which 210 are enrolled in Engineering, 30 in Chemistry and 30 in topography.

Education is the fundamental factor needed to drive a country’s development and the GB Group is in full support.

FAE is founded by 3 Haitian entrepreneurs who grew up in Haiti and want to give back to their country by supporting education. They want to give Haiti’s children a better environment to learn in as they themselves were very fortunate to have benefited from safe, clean and academically excellent private schools in Haiti. “All children have the right to learn in a good environment” share Marc Antoine Acra, Reuven Bigio and Serge Coles.

The Fondation Appui à l’Education is a non-profit organization seeking to promote education in Haiti at all levels (primary to superior) including professional training. These noble actions will give birth to an open, fair and empathic Haitian society aiming for progress and sustainable development.

FAE is quickly moving forward with a new site (www.faehaiti.org – which can already receive donations) as well as tangible projects underway like Ecole Union des Apotres. Ecole Union des Apotres is located in La Reference which is one of the 34 streets/villages in Cite Soleil, Port- au- Prince Haiti; the poorest neighborhood in the Western Hemisphere. FAE will focus its renovation efforts on the Kindergarten that currently has 78 students and will employ community locals to renovate the school.

Don’t forget to visit the newly launched site (www.faehaiti.org) to learn more on FAE’s plan, mission, vision and progress.

DINASA

ConocoPhillips is an international, integrated energy company. It is the third-largest U.S. integrated energy company, based on market capitalization, as well as proved reserves and production of oil and natural gas, and the largest refiner in the United States. ConocoPhillips is the seventh-largest holder of proved reserves and the fourth-largest refiner worldwide of nongovernment-controlled companies.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ConocoPhillips operates in more than 30 countries.

As of March 31, 2011, the company had approximately 29,600 employees worldwide and assets of $160 billion. ConocoPhillips stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol COP. Market capitalization as of March 31, 2011, was approximately $113 billion.

LUBRICANTS TO BE INTRODUCED IN HAITI via DINASA

76 Lubricants
First established as Union Oil Company in 1890, before the arrival of the first automobile, 76 Lubricants (as it is known today) has provided the world with high-quality, reliable commercial and industrial lubricants.
In 2002, Phillips Petroleum Company, 76 Lubricants’ parent company, merged with Conoco Inc. to become ConocoPhillips Company, the fourth largest U.S. lubricants supplier.

The combined company is the third largest integrated energy company in the United States. The 76 Lubricants brand has a significant presence in the commercial and industrial lubricants industry. From automobiles to trucks to heavy equipment with stressful industrial applications, 76 Lubricants products can be trusted to meet industry standards for quality and performance. 76 Lubricants: “We Keep You Movin’.”

Kendall Motor Oil
Part of the ConocoPhillips family of lubricants, Kendall Motor Oil enjoys a dramatic heritage. The Kendall Refining Company was founded in 1881 in Bradford, Pennsylvania, with the goal of refining local Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil into kerosene, lubricants and greases.

With more than 125 years of experience to draw upon, Kendall Motor Oil has led the industry with a number of significant firsts. In 1928, Kendall introduced the first oil designated for winter use as well as the first 2,000-mile motor oil (unprecedented at a time when the standard was 500-1,000 miles), and later developed the first pre-packaged, factory-sealed, one-quart oil can.

With the addition of ConocoPhillips’s lubricant family, DINASA will meet – or possible surpass — all OEM requirements for the industrial, commercial and automotive markets in Haiti.

Good job DINASA!

Aciérie d’Haiti, a GBG company also known as adh, is one of the country’s largest industrial ventures and one of the most recognized commercial brands in Haiti. adh’s facilities sit on an impressive 100-acre complex which have been the company’s home since 1972; but since the January 2010 earthquake, the facilities as we knew them have since been demolished.

Great adversity is always accompanied by difficult yet plentiful opportunities to excel. Those who chose to challenge themselves and improve, take on obstacles with full force. adh has done just that. This new year, adh will inaugurate a brand new, state-of-the art factory and will continue to be an exemplary pillar for Haitian industry. Additionally, a new website (www.acieriedhaiti.com) is also under construction bringing adh into the 21^st century.

At the dawn of a new year, both the GB Group and adh are eager to discover what 2012 has in store for the world. Not only will 2012 be a very exciting year, but adh is also proudly turning 40!! A new year and a remarkable anniversary prompts adh to reflect upon its years of existence and resolves to fortify the values, practices and quality that have always been the company’s foundation. adh has also humbly analyzed areas in which the company can bring even greater value to its customers, employees and fellow countrymen.

Brace yourself 2012: adh is celebrating its 40^th anniversary with all things new & improved.

May this New Year be prosperous & peaceful for all.