By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

SuperClubs Breezes is exploring expansion plans, its chairman revealed yesterday, although he provided no details or timelines.

John Issa, speaking at the 30-Year Long Service Awards luncheon honouring employees who have been with the resort for three decades, said Breezes is the longest operating brand on the Cable Beach strip.

“When we opened the resort 30 years ago today, we were the youngest hotel brand on Cable Beach,” he said, adding that Breezes plans to further invest in The Bahamas as it explores plans to expand.

“As we celebrate the past, we also look to the future, and I am pleased to share that we are exploring exciting plans for expansion,” he said. “When we bought the hotel, a 400-room hotel was a very large hotel.

“We’re now a boutique hotel. So, to the dedicated team members past and present, and to all our guests who have become part of the Breezes family over the years, thank you for making the journey so special.”

Prime Minister Philip Davis KC thanked the Issa family for their continued investment in The Bahamas while showing appreciation to employees who have been the backbone of the hotel.

“I take the opportunity as well to thank the Issa family for the confidence that they have displayed in investing in The Bahamas, being in The Bahamas through thick and thin, the ups and downs, the challenges and the rewards and for being committed to you, the workers. You would not have been with them for 30 years if they were not good people. And what a testimony that is for them,” he said.

“I want each of you to hear me clearly. We see you, we honour you and we thank you. The celebration also carries a message for all Bahamians. It is a reminder that our country is built on the shoulders of workers. Every success we enjoy as a nation comes back to people like you, who put in the time, who show up every day, and who give your very best.

“It’s easy to talk about big projects or new investments, but none of it matters without the people who make those plans real. You are the ones who keep our industries moving. You are the ones who give our country its reputation for excellence,” Mr Davis continued.

“That is why, as Prime Minister, I will always stand on the side of the Bahamian workers. Our policies, our investments, our decisions, they are guided by belief that when we strengthen our workers, we strengthen our nation, and as we honour 30 years of service, I also want us to look forward. The future will bring new challenges. Technology will continue to reshape how we work.

“Global competition will continue to grow. Climate change will test us in new ways. But I’m confident, because I believe in you. I believe in Bahamian workers, I believe that just as you carry us through the last 30 years, you will carry us forward into the next 30. You have shown us that loyalty is not old fashioned, that service is not outdated and that hard work still matters. That lesson will serve us well as we move into a new era of our country.”

The celebration honored four categories - workers who have been with Breezes Bahamas for five to 9 years; 10 to 19 years; 20 to 29 years; and 30 years. Hedda Smith, Breezes sales manager, said: “We have some people who have been here for long periods, but they have retired and they were rehired.”