TelEm Group officially announced its new RED corporate colour during a moving flag-raising ceremony at the start of the work day Friday.
Management and personnel gathered outside the company’s main building on Pond Island Friday morning decked out in red t-shirts to witness the hoisting of the new corporate flag alongside the Dutch and St. Maarten flags.
Special guests at the occasion were Prime Minister, and TelEm Group Shareholder Representative, Mrs. Sarah Wescott-Williams and TelEm Group Supervisory Board Chairman Mr. Rafael Boasman. Also present was Member of the Supervisory Board of Directors, Mr. Kendal Dupersoy.
Friday’s ceremony began with a parade in front of the building by the Philipsburg Boys & Girls Brigade who also assisted with the raising of the three flags accompanied by the respective national anthems. TelEm’s new flag was accompanied by a trumpet blast of "Samantha" – a popular scout troupe song that is performed during parades and marches on St. Maarten.
In welcoming remarks to mark the occasion, TelEm Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mrs. Helma Etnel, congratulated personnel on the raising of their own corporate flag, urging them to embrace it as a symbol of a new spirit of unity and dedication to excellence that must become ingrained in the DNA of all TelEm Group workers.
"Management has kept a promise made earlier in the year to shake up our image and present a bolder, more vibrant, more hip and more passionate in order to become more a more effective customer-oriented and proud telecommunication company for Country St. Maarten going forward," said Mrs. Etnel.
She said in order to bring home a fresh, new, and positive attitude to the company, management and staff chose the color red to signify unity as well as the emotions and passions with which the company intends to move forward as a telecommunication provider for St. Maarten.
"We have a new red building. We have increased our red presence during Carnival and around the island, and there is more to come," assured the CFO.
She urged personnel to embrace the red colour of their new corporate image by making red part of their own TelEm Group, suggesting that personnel should live, breathe and think TelEm Group red to take the company to new heights.
The CFO took a brief moment during Friday’s ceremony to inform personnel of the TelEm Group workers who could not be present during the morning ceremony because they had requested and had been granted Voluntary Leave only two days earlier and were therefore no longer employed by TelEm Group.
"Even though their leave was voluntary, there is still cause for us to remember these TelEm Group workers for the contributions they have made over the years in building up our company and the new flag also flies as a testimony to them too," said Mrs. Etnel.
Supervisory Board Chairman, Mr. Rafael Boasman, congratulated management and staff for the initiatives they have taken to shake up the image of the company and present a new face for TelEm Group to the public it serves.
"We have been thinking about a change in the philosophy, in the attitude that is expressed in the TelEm Group in which Mrs. Etnel, Mr. Louisa and Mingo have taken up the reins."
"The occasion today is brought about by the cooperation of management and staff and we are standing here proudly. Not so much because we have raised some flags, but we are standing here as a company that has accepted the challenge to move forward and withstand any competition that comes our way," said Mr. Boasman.
The Supervisory Board Chairman was also pleased to see the union representing TelEm Group workers also taking part in the ceremony.
"We have our differences and we will not agree on everything, but once we agree that only together, jointly and by living with each other we can move together then our future looks OK." Said Mr. Boasman.
Prime Minister and Shareholder Representative Mrs. Sarah Wescott-Williams also congratulated TelEm Group management and staff and wished everyone much success with what has been started.
"In life it is always important to take a moment out to look where you are at a how you are going forward – and that is what TelEm is actually doing.
You have stayed the course against some very serious competition on St. Maarten and now you have decided it is not enough to only stay the course but to re-chart your course to be re-invigorated and look again at how you are going forward.
Not only do I endorse your slogan 1 Red Nation but I encourage you to go ahead, with your vision for TelEm, to understand what your individual part is in that vision in going forward.
TelEm has come a very long way, there is no other way to describe it. You still have a long way to go and every individual has a role and a position to play, so enjoy this time as you get re-invigorated to make TelEm the best telephone company on St. Maarten and to make St. Maarten recognize 1 Red Nation supported by TelEm – your telephone company," continued the Shareholder representative.
Also speaking briefly during the morning ceremony was Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Mr. Brian Mingo, and Chief Technical Officer, Mr. Eldert Louisa.
Mr. Mingo said ever since entering the telecommunication market locally in 1998, TelEm Group has been responding to changes that has seen the company grow from strength to strength.
"Today we see a change to the color red with lots more changes to come," said the Chief Commercial Officer.
Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Mr. Elderrt Louisa, congratulated staff on the historic moment, stating that he is seeing a positive change for the better and certainly, there is now no missing the colour RED.