Veteran maritime industry professional Ray Lightbourne has been selected to head up Bradford Marine’s Grand Bahama Operation. The appointment which took effect as of April 2021 sees Lightbourne assume the role of General Manager with responsibility for the company’s 55 member Freeport team. Lightbourne’s appointment marks the first time that a Bahamian has led operations on Grand Bahama Island and is part of a fresh focus to attract and engage a new crop of maritime professionals to help the company meet its growth goals moving forward.
Lightbourne, who has been with the company for more than a decade, brings years of experience and dedication to the new role having worked across various departments in the company over the course of his career. “One of the things I’m really proud of here is the fact that our clients, no matter where they are in the world, know that they can depend on us for professional services,” Lightbourne said. “I am excited to lead the team here, and am even more proud of the work our crews put out on a daily basis.”
Joining Lightbourne as one of the company’s newest Bahamian executives is Deepak McSweeney, another longtime employee who joined the company’s ranks as its first-ever summer student. McSweeney boasts up to 17 years of industry experience and recently assumed the role of Yard Superintendent. “I had the good fortune of coming on board right out of high school” he explained. “I have worked in every single department of the company, it not only taught me the ins and outs of the business but helped clarify what direction I wanted my career to take.”
Describing the maritime industry as a living environment, both Lightbourne and McSweeney have predicted that the future of the industry will not only depend heavily on client demand but on the availability of properly trained personnel. This, the duo notes will be a major thrust of Bradford Marine’s growth plans.
“What our team envisions is the creation of opportunities for more Bahamians through education, job training, and internships. We want to provide opportunities for interested young people to learn and explore all aspects of the maritime field” Lightbourne noted.
In the coming weeks and months, Lightbourne says his team will continue to work to meet the demands of the company’s international business model. For more than 50 years, Bradford Marine has been a leading provider of both short-term and long-term dockage, yacht servicing, and yacht sales. With an already well-established reputation that celebrates the maritime expertise and professionalism of its Bahamian team, Lightbourne says he is prepared to take the company’s brand to even greater heights.
“Above all else Bradford Marine has proven that a small island in The Bahamas can provide world-class marine services,”
Lightbourne stated. “I hope that with the right mix of experienced and fresh personnel we can build on the reputation which Bradford Marine has built for itself.”