Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, through his firm Old Rhodes Holdings LLC, and O’Brien’s Response Management (O’Brien’s) have announced a strategic partnership. O’Brien’s handled some of the clean-up operations of last year’s BP oil disaster that spewed nearly 5 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico and ruined the 2010 tourist season for south Alabama and Escambia County, Florida.
Quotes from the press release:
Jeb Bush: “We are pleased to enter into this partnership with one of the leading response organizations in the United States, backed by SEACOR’s (O’Brien’s parent company) global network.Together we look forward to helping a broader array of organizations and communities become more resilient through preparation, response, communication and recovery.â€
Charles Fabrikant, executive chairman of SEACOR Holdings: “We have a long history in the oil and gas, marine and industrial sectors and believe there are significant opportunities to diversify our existing products and services into new markets. O’Brien’s will also continue our international expansion in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and particularly Asia.Governor Bush has unparalleled experience in crisis management, as he helped guide Florida through some of the most significant natural disasters in its history. He will be integral to our ongoing growth initiatives and we welcome him to the team.â€
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RO NOTE: Jeb Bush supports offshore drilling in Florida waters. Early in his term as governor, he fought to limit drilling, but has since changed his position. As we learned from hurricanes Ivan and Katrina and the BP disaster, there is money in tragedy.