Barbados-based Sol Petroleum has been appointed by Shell to distribute Shell-branded lubricants in Jamaica. Sol will provide a full range of lubricants, including synthetic lubricants, in Jamaica. Sol, one of the largest privately held petroleum distribution companies operating in the Caribbean region, operates in 19 Caribbean markets and across all segments of the petroleum distribution business.

Sol already has a well-established commercial relationship with Shell, being Shell's lubricant distributor in may Caribbean countries, and this further cements Sol's position as the largest distributor of Shell lubricants in the Caribbean,

"This is a significant achievement for The Sol Group, and we look forward to providing great service and value to the Jamaican communities where we do business. We have demonstrated our commitment to delivering unparalleled service to the petroleum sector across the region and will continue to leverage our partnership with Shell to offer customers the best lubricants in the world," said Gerard Cox, chief executive officer of The Sol Group.

The local operation, Sol Petroleum Jamaica Limited, is headed by new appointee, general manager Robert Jackson. "Sol will respond to the needs of all new and existing customers and will continue to build on the strong legacy which Shell has established in Jamaica," said Jackson.

Some 50 service stations carry the Shell brand in Jamaica. The Shell Jamaica assets have passed through three owners since 2005. The current owner, RUBiS Energy, is in the process of rebranding the gas stations.

According to the company's web site, the Sol Group supplies fuels, lubricants, and LPG through an extensive service station network and supplies petroleum based products, including lubricants, to commercial customers who are involved in shipping, luxury boating, aviation, mining, trucking and fleet operations.

The Sol Group operate across more than fifty-five (55) companies in nineteen (19) countries. This business is managed and supported by a Corporate Head Office located in Barbados.

The company's brand story began in 2005 when it first acquired Shell’s assets in the Eastern Caribbean, Guyana, Suriname and Belize. Through the purchase of Shell’s assets, Sol became a licensee of the Shell brand, which meant that all across the region Sol was the authorised distributor of Shell products and services to customers.

In 2009, Sol made a strategic decision to solidify its presence across the Caribbean, by unveiling its first Sol branded service station in Haiti before moving on to the markets of Anguilla, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and the British Virgin Islands a year later. The Sol service station is characterised by a prominent orange and blue colour palette, which personifies the warm hues of the Caribbean landscape, further accentuated by a polished silver setting. The Group has since introduced Sol branded stations in Suriname as well as in St. Lucia and Barbados, strengthening its position as a permanent and prominent fixture in the region’s business, environmental and social landscape.

Since the introduction of the Sol brand in Haiti, The Group confirms a combined total of 60 Sol branded service stations, marinas and Solshops in its portfolio; while on the Shell side The Group manages over 350 Shell branded service stations.

Sol Group has also made its mark in the aviation industry following the purchase of Shell’s aviation business in 2009 and has been servicing international and regional airlines through its business unit Sol Aviation Services Limited.