Business View Caribbean - January 2016 37
speech he gave at the Caribbean Energy Security Sum-
mit in Washington, D.C. “Some people out there think
that it can’t be done in the Caribbean,” he said. “They
are dead wrong. Not only can it be done, it is being
done right now. Look at what the U.S. Virgin Islands
are doing. They’re combining renewable energy with
propane to lower costs and secure their supply, sav-
ing rate payers 30 percent on electric bills. That’s real
money.”
As WAPA begins its second half
century, the people of the U.S.
Virgin Islands can be sure that
their public utility will continue
its ongoing mission of bringing
“dependable, reliable, and cost-
effective water and power to the
citizens of the territory.” Hugo
Hodge, Jr., WAPA’s nine-mem-
ber board of public and private
sector members, all of its busi-
ness partners, and its almost
600 employees will see to that.
PREFERRED
VENDORS
Sulzer Turbo Services
- Sul-
zer is the leading independent
service provider for all brands
of rotating equipment such as
turbines, pumps, compressors,
generators, and motors. The
company serves a number of in-
dustries with maintenance and
service solutions worldwide, in-
cluding the Oil and Gas, Chemi-
cal Processing, Power Genera-
tion, Water, and Pulp and Paper
sectors, among others. Sulzer
is permanently striving for the
best solutions by developing new repair methods and
by acquiring businesses that are in adjacent areas.
It has acquired companies all around the world to
strengthen its leading market position and to enhance
its relationship with its customers. -
FirstBank
- First chartered in 1948, FirstBank was the
first Savings & Loan institution established in Puerto
Rico. In 2002, FirstBank acquired Chase Manhattan
Bank operations in the Virgin Islands, and in 2008,
