GB Group

GB Group S.A. is a diversified business conglomerate based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is a parent company of over a dozen industrial and trading companies with operations concentrated in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Saint Maarten and offices in the United States collaborating with more than 4,000 employees and in more than 15 countries companywide in some of the world’s top business organizations.^[1][2][3]

History

In 1972, founder Gilbert Bigio was part of a group of investors who inaugurates Aciérie d'Haïti ("Haiti Steel Plant"), the first steel plant in the country.^[4] In the 1980s, Gilbert Bigio became the majority shareholder and the plant has a virtual monopoly on steel in the Haitian market.^[5] In 1981, the group founded Huileries Haïtiennes, a refining plant of edible oil.

Subsidiaries

GB Group activities are diversified and spread in several areas, but are based on four known among other sectors:

Construction

• Aciérie d'Haïti - Steel Distributor and wood. Once seen as the largest Haitian private company, it remains today the largest company in construction materials.
• Immocaraïbes - Property developer specializing in Caribbean architecture.

Consumer goods

• Huileries Haïtiennes (HUHSA) - Manufacturer of consumer goods. Edible oil refining plant in the beginning, is now Huhsa also a manufacturer of soap to detergent, from margarine and exclusive distributor for Haiti several international companies; become the largest supplier of consumer goods.

Energy

• National - The only integrated oil and gas Company in Haiti. Provides aviation fuel, LPG, diesel, fuels, bitumen, fuel oil and lubricants services.
• Sodigaz - propane dispenser.

Telecommunications

• Telecom Solutions - Distributor of mobile phones and prepaid cards for Digicel in Haiti. Joint venture with the Facey Commodity Company (Jamaica-based). GB Group is also a founding partner of Unigestion Holding, parent company of Digicel Haiti.

Defunct companies

• Distributeurs Nationaux (DINASA) - Distributor of petroleum products with a network of service stations under the name National. Joint venture with Groupe Financier National, founded in 2003, following the decision of Shell to liquidate assets in Haiti. In 2009, DINASA acquired the assets of Haitian Chevron and increases its market share from 39% to 56%. DINASA, is now operating under the National brand, as a result of the acquisition of Royal Dutch Shell and Texaco assets in Haiti.

References