Conversation with Sir Franklyn Wilson Reveals Sunshine Boys’ Legacy of Economic Empowerment
10th February 2023
Nassau, THE BAHAMAS — In 1973, a group of ambitious Bahamian men named the Sunshine Boys united to prove that Bahamians of humble origins could successfully own and manage large businesses. That bold vision ultimately led to a legacy of economic empowerment that is intricately linked with the history of The Bahamas and the movement for economic and social liberation.
The 50th anniversary of the Sunshine Boys was celebrated in a splendid event held at the Performing Arts Centre of University of The Bahamas’ Oakes Field Campus on Tuesday, 7th February. It included a candid conversation with one of two surviving founders Sir Franklyn Wilson, who remains today a principal of Sunshine Holdings Limited. The event was held under the patronage of the Governor General His Excellency Sir Cornelius A. Smith.
Sir Franklyn reflected on how he and seven others disrupted the status quo through disciplined business strategies for diversified economic empowerment by pooling resources and cooperating.
“The significance of that is, fundamentally, it was the same strategy that undergirded the march to Majority Rule,” said Sir Franklyn. “It’s the same principle that undergirded the trade union movement. We took that same principle and applied it to business so that was the intentionality, because we had seen it work. We saw it work in politics, and we saw it work in the trade union movement and that was really the backdrop to it.”
Sir Franklyn shared that the group was “passionately committed to survival”. His original business partners includedBradley Roberts, Julian Maynard, George Bethell, Alfred Jarrett, Philip Pinder, Stanley Wilson and A. Bismark Coakley. Their success was grounded in the social, economic, and political climate of their time. Majority Rule had already been achieved via the historic January 10, 1967 General Elections, and by July 10, 1973, The Bahamas had become an independent nation. Sunshine Holdings Ltd. itself was incorporated in November 1975.
“By the time we came along, Majority Rule having been achieved, we saw the political struggle as having been essentially won,” said Sir Franklyn. “But what we did not see was any parallel movement in terms of economic empowerment. And that was, for us, at some point going to be a problem.”
Mr. Bethel is credited with coming up with the idea of the Sunshine Theatre. Situated on Baillou Hill Road, just south of St. Barnabas Anglican Church, the movie theater was the Sunshine Boys’ first business venture, established February 7, 1973. Sunshine Theatre Ltd. gradually evolved into Sunshine Holdings Ltd. (SHL), which is now one of the oldest, largest, and well-respected conglomerates in The Bahamas whose portfolio now encompasses several business lines across multiple island locations, inclusive of the country’s largest residential home builder and one of The Bahamas’ largest insurance brokers.
“We said we cannot fail,” said Sir Franklyn. “We only saw one model (the Penny Savings Bank), and we saw that model as having stalled so, for us, we had to be passionate about it. We couldn’t do this lightly. We were not listening to any ‘crabitis’. Nothing was going to stop this.”
Those young enough to remember the days of the Sunshine Boys’ emergence know all too well just how impactful and intertwined their legacies are with Bahamian history. Delivering an address at the event, Prime Minister the Hon. Philip Davis said Sir Franklyn and the Sunshine Boys ought to be celebrated for breaking the mold and daring to go where no other Bahamians had gone before.
“We celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sunshine Holdings Limited and pay tribute to the Sunshine Boys who dared to dream and brought their vision to life,” said Prime Minister Davis. “We acknowledge the company’s continued commitment to excellence and its impact on the development of The Bahamas. The journey of Sunshine Holdings has been marked by resilience, innovation, and a deep sense of purpose. Despite the challenges of building and growing a business, the company has persevered and continued to expand its reach, becoming one of the leading companies in The Bahamas.”
The evening was capped off with a toast to the dream, vision and legacy of the Sunshine Boys and a reception held on the front lawn of UB’s landmark Keva M. Bethel Building.
Office of University Relations
University of The Bahamas
2nd Floor, Michael H. Eldon Complex
Oakes Field Campus
P.O. Box N-4912
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: (242) 302-4355/4354/4365
Chartered on 10th November 2016, University of The Bahamas (UB) is a beacon for national transformation. Approximately 5,000 students are enrolled in the University of The Bahamas system which includes campuses and centres on New Providence, Grand Bahama, San Salvador and Abaco, as well as UB online education. UB’s diverse academic programmes, research engagements, athletics and leadership development experiences equip our students to become global citizens in a dynamic world.