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BusinessFocus Nov / Dec | 3BusinessFocus Nov / Dec | 3

ContentsNov/Dec 2011

No. 60

BF

Cover Story 55. Construction and Development Caribbean Metals Limited

56. CML – A joint venture58. Karen Peter at the top62. CML – Board members & senior management63. Selling and marketing CML64. Profile of products & services at CML67. The CML Profit Sharing Scheme68. The Chastanet Factor69. Gablewoods at 2172. Steps involved in building a property80. Reading building plans84. The contractor-client relationship86. Building to standards87. Institute of surveyors to raise profile88. Ports essential to the construction sector90. Keeping your home insurance up to date92. Walls or fences

REGULARSFEATURES EXTRASEditor’s Focus

04. Happy Holidays

06. Business BriefsBusiness Tech

10. Do you need a mobile app or mobile website?11. LIME modernize network in Caribbean12. Digicel-Claro deal approved14. What to look for in a telephone system15. GOSL & LIME discuss ICT Policy16. LIME chart a future of new products18. Cloud Computing transforms IT industry

Money Matters20. How do men become well-endowed?22. World Bank is committed to sustaining LAC growth24. China to boost region with $1bn loan26. Small businesses not ready for VAT26. Casino and lottery lock horns28. ECCB rescues Antigua bank28. FICS raises EC$50m

Profile Focus46. Sandals at 30 offers planetary luxury

In The Know36. In search of competitive advantage38. Branson Centre to open in Jamaica40. US gives ‘idea’ to boost Caribbean41. The triple role 42. Loud and clear44. You can’t please everybody

Business Spotlight50. Automotive Art – Tips on replacing tyres

Environmental Focus30. Waste-to-Energy Project31. UN scheme helps hotels go green

32. Airline Focus

Bizz Buzz96. Caribbean gets high ranking in FDI report96. CFL acquires two more supermarkets97. Chamber encouraged by Global Entrepreneurship Week97. Private sector supports education

Health & Wellness98. The healthy business of stress management100. Dengue Fever101. Lifestyle experts lead health & wellness retreat in St. Lucia

102. Events 2011/12104. Major Moves106. New Company Registrations

Business Focus magazine is published every two months by Advertising & Marketing Services Limited (AMS), Saint Lucia.

Publisher / Managing Editor: Lokesh Singhemail: [email protected]

Project Coordinator:Alex Foster - [email protected]

Graphic Designer:Donald BrowerDeri Benjamin

Advertising Sales:Cennette Flavien - [email protected] Myers - [email protected]

Webmaster: Advertising & Marketing Services

Photography: Video Ventures | Advertising & Marketing ServicesAshley Anzie

Contributors:Earl Bousquet | Pilaiye Cenac | Betty CombieFirst Citizens Investment Services | SLASPAFaithaline Hippolyte | Rashid Jean-BaptisteDr. James Sutton

Editorial, Advertising, Design & Production:Advertising & Marketing ServicesP.O. Box 2003, Castries, Saint LuciaTel: (758) 453-1149; Fax: (758) 453-1290email: [email protected] www.amsstlucia.com, www.stluciafocus.com

Business Focus welcomes contributions from professionals or writers in specialized fields or areas of interest.

Reproduction of any material contained herein without written approval, constitutes a violation of copyright.

Business Focus reserves the right to determine the content of the publication.

On The Cover:Mrs. Karen Fontenelle-Peter

4 | BusinessFocus Nov / Dec

EDITOR’S PAGE

BUSINESSFOCUS

This historic 60th issue of Business Focus is also our final for this year. And what a year it’s been… The island has hardly recovered from Hurricane Tomas in many ways and places, and business has not been as usual. But while the effects of the global financial and economic situation left their scars on developing countries worldwide, like everywhere else, there are also those in the local business community who have treated the challenges that followed as opportunities to embark on new changes.

The traditional economic pillars have all seen their downs, even if a few ups have also been recorded. Bananas and agriculture haven’t rebounded, manufacturing is limping and tourism is facing its downs and ups. Construction has not recorded past growth levels, again thanks to the economic downturn. But St. Lucia hasn’t been alone. Our story is that of most other non-oil producers everywhere else.

In this issue, we focus on some of the bright spots between the dark clouds. We present two local successful businesses, both of which celebrated their 21st anniversary in 2011. We offer the full story of the people at the wheel at Caribbean Metals Limited, which changed the ways buildings are constructed and opened-up opportunities for young St. Lucians to lead and learn. We offer the story of CML’s General Manager, a young woman who broke through the glass ceiling at the metals factory without enlisting a wrecking crew. We also offer the story of entrepreneur Michael Chastanet, as a local developer whose ideas are turned into reality by the island’s architects, engineers and contractors.

General elections were in the air when this issue went to press and there was no knowing whether the polls would come before the next issue. Whatever happens, we applaud the Chamber of Commerce’s decision to invite the political party leaders to present and discuss their platforms with the business community.

We may not be able to predict the outcome of the next elections, or, for that matter, what the weather will be like next January. But what we can assure you is that we’ve once again done all we can to offer you, in these pages, all the business updates to keep you in the know about developments in and affecting the business sector in St. Lucia, the Caribbean and the world. As always, we have searched the wires of the whole world-wide web, attended the meetings, functions, seminars and workshops, interviewed the captains of industry and talked to those who make it happen in the business community, all with you in mind.

As we wish you Happy Reading, we also wish you a Happy Christmas and a bright and prosperous New Year. In these austere times of restraint, Christmas may not be as ‘merry’ as before, but we’ve all proved, time and again, that, whatever the circumstances, we certainly can make it happy.

The team at AMS and Business Focus wish to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to the business community and our partners – writers, photographers and others for making the magazine a reality and a most sought after publication.

From all of us at AMS and Business Focus - Happy Holidays!

BUSINESSFOCUS

To all our Supportersreaders & advertisers

From the management & Staff ofAdvertising & Marketing Services Ltd.

H O L I D A Y S


BUSINESS BRIEFS

1st National Bank has opened yet anoth-er new branch – this time at Union, near the Choc junction.

St. Lucia’s first indigenous local bank, 1st National, has recently been engaging in a strong branding outreach and has in the past few years expanded both its services and the number of locations.

The bank, which started off as the St. Lucia Cooperative Bank back in the 1930s, has in the past five years expanded its ser-vices to several new locations, including Rodney Bay and at the George F.L. Charles Airport in Castries.

In addition, the bank also initiated and upgraded ATM Services while launching other new programs aimed at expanding its corporate presence around the island. 1st National has been demonstrating its corporate responsibilities by supporting several charities and worthy causes in St. Lucia. The bank was recently awarded by the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce for its Corporate Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility and was also declared Busi-ness of the Year 2011.

The bank’s new branch at Union/Choc takes its services to yet another location half-way between the city and the north, and closer to serving the Choc and Babon-neau areas. ◊

Employees of East Caribbean Financial Holding Company (ECFH) recently donated large packages of food, clothing and oth-er supplies to the Holy Family Children’s Home, Cornerstone House and Feed the Poor Ministry.

The packages were all personal dona-tions from staff members throughout the Group, as the organisation celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

Human Resource Manager at ECFH, Gemma Marie, said that the donations were, “a tangible means of demonstrating the staff’s compassion and concern for the less privileged and vulnerable members of the society.”

Accepting the donation for Cornerstone House, which is a shelter for the homeless and transient, Director Juliet Brathwaite said it was, “thoroughly appreciated” be-cause, “at times Cornerstone gets forgot-ten.”

She emphasized that the persons re-siding at the shelter do appreciate these donations, “without which Cornerstone could not survive.”

In her remarks, Sister Antonia David of the Holy Family Children’s Home pointed out that ECFH has had a long-standing re-lationship with the home. The company also has an established covenant with the home that guarantees financial support for its operations. ◊

Importers of commercial goods are up in arms against the Customs Department for shelving an earlier ‘arrangement’ that allowed them to clear goods at the island’s two airports.

Since 1999, the vendors have had their goods (up to a value of EC $2,500) cleared on arrival after assessment by Customs officers. However, they were officially in-formed in June that the ‘arrangement’ was scrapped.

The small commercial importers voiced their displeasure, with their spokesman, Vendors Association President, Peter ‘Ras Ipa’ Isaac, saying the new demand im-posed unnecessary and costly pressure on his members. But Customs Comptrol-ler, Herman St. Helen, disagreed. He wrote to Isaac in August informing him that the 1999 arrangement was scrapped in 2005 after the new and upgraded ASYCUDA++ system was instituted.

He noted that clearing goods on arrival at the airport caused delays for other ‘bona fide travellers,’ especially visitors, who had been complaining for some time. Herman indicated too that Customs Officers were not authorised to fill declarations for im-porters, which was happening under the disbanded ‘arrangement.’

The vendors were informed that goods declared commercial on arrival at the air-ports will be sent to Customs for clearance, and that each vendor will have to fill an ASYCUDA declaration.

The vendors, with no choice, have since each had to pay $150 to a private customs broker to fill their forms for each set of goods they import.◊

ECFH Staff Donate To Local Charities

1st National Opens Yet Another New Branch

Customs & Vendors Cross Swords Over Goods

Local Businesses Urged To Follow Gajadhar’s Lead

Private Sector Seeking Another Meeting With PM To Address

Their Concerns

Local entrepreneur, Rayneau Gajadhar, is the first St. Lucian businessman to em-brace a new project aimed at reducing the level of recidivism at the island’s correc-tional facilities.

On September 1, 2011, Gajadhar’s RG Group of Companies signed a Memoran-dum of Understanding with a Consortium led by the National Skills Development Centre (NSDC) to provide employment for young persons considered ‘most vulner-able’ and ‘at risk.’

The NSDC, along with RISE St. Lucia Inc. and CARE, are behind the USAID-funded Caribbean Youth Empowerment Project (CYEP), with the NSDC providing skills training and seeking job placements for some 252 young persons involved.

Twenty-six participants are considered most at risk and Gajadhar has agreed to employ some and assist in other ways as part of the MOU, which will last six months.

Gajadhar, awarded earlier this year as St. Lucia’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 by the Chamber of Commerce, said it only took him three minutes to agree to the NS-DC’s request for his support, sponsorship and endorsement. He explained, “That’s because this is exactly the sort of project I like, which gives young persons that sec-ond chance they need.”

The project was endorsed by represen-tatives of the NSDC, RISE, SLISBA, the Boys Training Centre and the Probation Depart-ment.

NDSC General Manager, Selma St. Prix, who signed the MOU along with Gajadhar, said the event marked “history in the mak-ing” and invited other local private sector companies to follow RG Group’s lead and support the project. ◊

Local private sector organisations say they are still concerned about the prospect of the St. Lucia Government selling eco-nomic citizenship to non-St. Lucians and are seeking another meeting to discuss that and other concerns.

The private sector organizations made their concerns known to the Prime Minis-ter back in July, but ahead of the upcoming general elections they say they still need assurances that their concerns have been heard and are being considered.

The meeting with the Prime Minister was attended by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, the Manufactur-ers Association and the Hotels & Tourism Association, who also raised their con-cerns about the state of water services since Hurricane Tomas last year.

The private sector representatives pro-posed an increase in the price of water, but with the exclusion of VAT, giving WASCO the capacity to provide an efficient service. The PM assured them that government was awaiting an investment plan before making a decision, but was “very support-ive and will assist WASCO.”

Manufacturers Association President, Paula Cauldron, said the private sector or-ganisations also requested another meet-ing with the Prime Minister to discuss is-sues they identified.

Among the topics they propose are: Lack of implementation of Article 64; Review of Fiscal Incentives; VAT; “Dumping” of water from Trinidad; Timely receipt of in-formation from the Ministry of Trade that impacts on the Private Sector; Ministry of Agriculture (Grew Industries); Ministers License; EPA Implementation; and Submis-sion to OECS on St. Lucia’s responsibilities under the Canada/Caricom Trade Agree-ment. ◊

BusinessFocus Nov / Dec | 7

BUSINESS BRIEFS

The local charity, Feed the Poor Ministry Inc., has thanked the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) for contribut-ing EC$3,000 to assist its growing feeding program.

“We thank SLASPA for being willing to sponsor the Feed the Poor Ministry Inc. and contributing EC$3,000 to our cause. This contribution will go a long way as there is always a growing need for help to feed the less fortunate amongst us,” said Gaspar Henry, one of the Directors.

Feed the Poor Ministry Inc. has been in existence since September 2006, with three Directors: Gaspar Henry, Ignatius Jean and Carola Henry. The charity cares for the less fortunate through providing much-needed meals to homeless persons, poor and senior citizens, who gather at various points to receive their free meals.

The Ministry started by feeding 25 meals three days a week, but its work has multi-plied to the extent that, to date, they have served over 20,000 meals.

Henry, seen daily at his William Peter Boulevard station making collections, has been hard at work every day, courting help, defending the poor and urging St. Lu-cians to contribute to the less fortunate. “Every bit of help counts and I always re-mind people that it’s always good to help the poor because we never know when it will be our turn to want or need help,” he told BF.

The Director said, “The SLASPA donation went straight into the kitty to help feed the poor and we urge other local and foreign businesses to do the same and help us to help others.” ◊

Feed The Poor Thanks SLASPA For Donation

8 | BusinessFocus Nov / Dec 46 St. Louis Street, Castries, Saint Lucia

A Proud Member of the St. Lucia Small Business Association

Bay Gardens Resorts recently welcomed five visiting U.S. journalists here to experience the locally-owned hotel group and to explore the entire island.

During their four days, the five American reporters toured all three Bay Gardens properties on the island (including the nearby Bay Gardens Hotel and Bay Gardens Inn), leaving daily from the Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa for island tours, adventures and wellness activities.

“We were very excited to host the group at the Bay Gardens,” said Sanovnik Destang, Bay Gardens Director of Finance and Assistant Managing Director.

During their stay here, the American journalists also received spa treatments, dined at the group’s restaurants, as well as at locally-owned restaurants. The group also took day trips to Soufriere and Pigeon Island and embarked on a tour of northern St. Lucia.

The U.S. journalists included travel, spa & wellness, meetings & conventions, and music writers. “I’ve been to many Caribbean islands, both as a journalist and as a tourist, but this was my first trip to St. Lucia. I now have a favorite island!” said journalist Sara Altshul. “The island is breathtaking... This was a perfect four day trip with jam-packed exciting activities and I hope to return very, very soon,” she said.

Bay Gardens Resorts was founded in 1995 by successful local entrepreneurs, Joyce and Desmond Destang, with local hotel executive Berthia Parle associated with the group for as long as it’s been around. ◊

Business travellers have selected St. Lucia’s Coco Palm hotel as “The Number One hotel for business in Saint Lucia.” They voted on Trip Advisor, resulting in General Manager, Jean St. Rose saying he was proud of his team – and most of all, honored that his corporate partners had expressed their satisfaction with his hotel’s services.

“We are pleased our partners have appreciated Coco Palm as the preferred choice for business. Whether it be hosting meetings on property or visiting clients on island, our product and location has proven to be the perfect combination.”

“Offering conference rooms or boardrooms, Coco Palm has proven to be the preferred choice for meetings. Catering and dining options have also proven ideal for any event, at any time,” said St. Rose. In addition, “Offering the finest in all its services, guests have always been sure to be well fed.”

Located in the heart of Saint Lucia’s entertainment capital, Rodney Bay, Coco Palm caters to the savvy traveller, whether here for work or pleasure. Affordable rates and high standards have also ensured Coco Palm is also one of the fast-growing locally owned hotels on its part of the Rodney Bay Village.◊

The St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) has undertaken a Stock Split in respect of its issued ordinary shares.

Under this arrangement, holders of issued ordinary shares were issued two new shares in exchange for each share that they now hold.

This stock split came into effect from 1st October, 2011 after LUCELEC obtained the necessary authority from shareholders and approval from the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission (ECSRC) and the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE).

The total percentage holding of each shareholder was not affected; nor were any of the rights attached to these shares (including dividends).

Shareholders now own twice as many shares at a lower individual price for each share. The market price of each share prior to the Stock Split was EC$25 and trades on the ECSE immediately following the completion of the transaction reflected a new share price.◊

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Bay Gardens Hosts Visiting US Travel and

Holiday Writers

Coco Palm Tops Business Rankings On TripAdvisor

LUCELEC – Ordinary Shares To Be Doubled

46 St. Louis Street, Castries, Saint Lucia

A Proud Member of the St. Lucia Small Business Association


Do You Need A Mobile App Or A Mobile Website?By Wayne Marsh

You should by now be familiar with the phrase: “There’s an app for that.” If not, welcome to the app world. If you own a smartphone then you may have already used an app to update your Facebook sta-tus, Tweet a message, access your bank ac-count or even read this article.

Smartphone users download millions of apps daily from the major app stores, such as Apple’s App Store, BlackBerry’s App World and various Android app stores. Some of the major app stores for the An-droid market include Amazon’s App Store for Android, Google’s Android Market and HandandGo’s Mobile App Store.

With the growing popularity of smart-phones in the Caribbean, particularly BlackBerry smartphones, a number of local companies have started to look at devel-oping or fine tuning their mobile strategy. Most companies already have a website and now need to figure out the most effec-tive way to reach this mobile market. One of the major issues to decide is whether to create a mobile application (App) or a mo-bile website.

Studies show more persons using their mobile phone app to access social media

services, especially Twitter, than the so-cial media websites. You may have even noticed that recently a number of local companies have been releasing BlackBerry Apps.

But is an app the right mobile solution for you? There are many factors to con-sider before selecting a mobile solution, some of which are listed below. Based on the pros and cons above you should an-swer the following questions before decid-ing on a mobile website vs. mobile app:

• Do I already have a large enough user base? • Can I utilise the phone’s native features to improve customer service/loyalty? • Is there a dominant platform/device in my target market? • Do I have the budget for a mobile app? If you answered yes to all of these ques-

tions then you are on your way to develop-ing a winning business case for your mo-bile app. Otherwise a mobile website will have to suffice.

While it is much cooler to have a mobile app and the potential for user interac-tion and application functionality is much greater, a thorough assessment of your

needs may still prove that a mobile web-site is more practical and economical. In some cases both may be required.

As the channels engaging your target market increase and their attention span for each channel decreases, businesses continue to struggle to get their attention. A recent Forrester Research study in the US shows that the mobile phone is the most used electronic device. This is no surprise and we can safely say that the research re-sults would be similar if conducted in the Caribbean.

Smartphone use is on the rise, so all forward thinking companies must begin to consider what is the best approach to reach this growing market throughout the Caribbean. ◊

Courtesy: Jamaica Observer

Wayne Marsh is an Internet Marketing Consultant and can be contacted at [email protected] or www.ebusinessSolutionsJa.com or Twitter.com/JamaicanTwits

About the Author

BUSINESS TECH


The British telecommunications company, Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), says it Caribbean group, LIME, will upgrade and modernise its mobile network in 12 regional countries.The company said that Ericsson, one of Sweden’s largest telecommunication and data companies, will facilitate the modernisation by deploying its latest core network and multi-standard radio base stations RBS 6000.

LIME chief executive officer, David Shaw, said an important part of the company’s mandate is to ensure that the Caribbean is served by the most modern telecoms technology available.

“Ericsson will vastly improve our mobile network and give our customers the exceptional experience they deserve,” he said without indicating how much would be spent on upgrading CWC’s Caribbean mobile operations.

LIME said the improved mobile broadband services will be provided for users in Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Turks and Caicos.

The contract, which includes network design, rollout and professional services, will pave the way for LIME to migrate its network to an all-IP architecture; improve coverage, capacity and quality; and prepare for a smooth introduction of HSPA Evolution and LTE, Lime said.

LIME said that HSPA Evolution technology will be introduced in the Cayman Islands in the first phase of the modernisation process, with the rollout to additional markets planned for later this year.

It said all LIME customers across the region will benefit from the network modernisation, enjoying “fast and seamless connections on their smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices.

“Furthermore, tourists traveling to the islands will have the latest mobile broadband services and fast internet access they would expect from any metropolitan network,” LIME said.

LIME main competitor in the Caribbean is the Irish-based telecommunication company, Digicel. ◊

modernize mobile network in the Caribbean


BUSINESS TECH

Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, has given the go-ahead for Digicel to acquire the Jamaica business of one of its competitors, but has insisted that Digicel maintain separate networks.

He announced the decision in the Digicel/Claro matter in Parliament where he also outlined the conditions of the approval. The green light came five months after Digicel announced that it had struck a deal to acquire Claro in Jamaica and sell its own businesses in El Salvador and Honduras to Claro’s parent company, América Móvil.

“I have approved the acquisition of Claro by Digicel and the assignment of the relevant licences without any modification to the licences and the obligations contained therein. This means that Digicel will be required to fulfil all of the obligations contained in the Claro licences with regard to the type of facility and specified service that must be provided, its interconnection obligations, licence limitations and network expansion obligations,” Golding said.

DealApproved

With Conditions

Golding said Digicel had wanted to consolidate the core networks and integrate Claro’s existing subscribers. Its intention was to decommission the Claro network and operate both licences through a single network. But the Prime Minister said that would radically alter the existing configuration of the two networks and government did not agree to that.

“Digicel will, therefore, be required to maintain a separate network and complete a separate build-out of 90 per cent penetration of the island as required under the original Claro licences,” Golding said. He said fulfilment of those obligations would be, “vigorously monitored and enforced” and the Fair Trading Commission is considering specific steps that may be taken within its statutory functions to ensure that the acquisition of Claro by Digicel does not adversely impact on the consuming public.

Golding noted that several issues arose in consideration of Digicel/Claro’s joint application for the acquisition to be approved.

Among them were: the impact that the acquisition would have on the level of competition within the mobile telecommunications market and, in this regard, concern about the wide disparity in termination rates among the carriers; credible indication that Claro would have exited the market whether or not the acquisition was approved; the service options that would be available to the approximately 517,000 Claro subscribers; and the statutory provisions and limitations governing the exercise of ministerial discretion in relation to the application.

He said the situation also brought into sharp focus the need to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework for the telecommunications industry, “to bring it in line with contemporary best practices and ensure that the interest of the consumer is held paramount.”

Prime Minister Golding said it was necessary to fast-track specific elements of amendments to the existing Telecommunications Act, to enable the Regulator to discharge its obligations more effectively.

To this end, he said, efforts are being made to have the appropriate Bill brought to Parliament within the next six weeks. ◊ Courtesy: Caribbean 360

The headquarters of Claro Jamaica at Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston. The operations of Claro Jamaica are being acquired by Digicel Group, sparking concerns that a stronger Digicel will limit competition in the market.

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Most small businesses are in need of a phone system and a computer network. The latter is relatively easy to setup in that it is usually sufficient to get a modem/rout-er from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) which all your computers can connect to and share the Internet. But when it comes to a phone system it becomes a little more complicated. If you only need a few tele-phone extensions and just two telephone lines, for example, there is not any phone system that I am aware of which will be ‘plug and play.’ You will more than likely have to purchase or rent a system and get help in configuring it so that it meets your needs. In this article I will discuss a few of the things that you should look for in such a system to ensure that your needs are met.

VOIP: Voice Over IP is basically the deliv-ery of voice communications over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. In your office this would mean that your phone is connected to your network via an Ethernet cable in-stead of the regular telephone line. Some of the advantages of VOIP are it allows you to securely access your telephone network from anywhere on the Internet using your computer or other device, it allows the integration of your computer and phone for a unified experience, and it provides feature rich phones, just to name a few. It would be in your best interests to invest in a VOIP system.

Brand: There are some systems where

the software is free and you only need to pay for the hardware. The hardware is your phones and a computer to run the main system software. Two examples of such systems are Elastix and Trixbox. My experi-ence with these systems is that free is not always free. When you take a look at the total cost of ownership over the life of the system the amount you end up paying can be a lot more than a system which costs more upfront. Therefore, my recommen-dation is to skip ‘free’ and go with well-known brands, brands which make reliable products and provide first class support at a reasonable price. Two such brands are Avaya and Mitel.

Trunks: Trunks refer to your external telephone lines. You may only need two trunks but it is always wise to get a system which can be easily upgraded to support more trunks as your business grows. Addi-tionally, you should ensure that the system also supports different types of trunks. You should look for a system which can have cell phone lines added to it as trunks and also trunks you get via the Internet which you can use to make your International calls at a lower cost. The technical name for these types of trunks is Session Initia-tion Protocol (SIP) trunks.

Backup: What happens if your system were to lose power? Will you still be able to receive and make calls? You must make sure that there is a backup in place to en-sure that you’re still connected to the out-

side world if your system were to be down. Most systems automatically handle this with dedicated phones which can be used if there is no power or the system is down for some other reason.

Smart: You want a system which will not rely on your employees to pick the best trunk to make an outside call. The system should automatically select the SIP trunk if an international number is dialed and the cell phone line if a cell phone is dialed. It should also be possible for the system to block certain extensions from making cer-tain calls and using certain trunks.

Switch: Instead of running two Ether-net cables to each employee’s desk it is more economical to run one cable which goes to the phone and one cable from the phone to the computer. In such a setup the phone is acting as a switch. This not only decreases the cost of setting up your net-work but it also helps keep your network simpler and easier to troubleshoot.

Useful Features: Some other features you should look for in a telephone system are voicemail to email, music on hold, and a public directory. Voicemail to email is very useful in that it makes it very easy to retrieve your voicemail messages and you can be alerted to your messages while you are on the go. Music on hold can be used as a form of advertising to your custom-ers and a public directory eases the task of finding external telephone numbers which are very relevant to your business. ◊

Rashid Jean-Baptiste is the Managing Director of West Technology Group Inc., an IT services provider company based in St. Lucia. Prior to this he spent over ten years in senior IT roles at Microsoft Corporation.

What To Look For In A Telephone

SystemBy Rashid Jean-Baptiste

About the Author

BUSINESS TECH


The Ministry of the Public Service, working in collaboration with LIME, plans to integrate Information Communication Technology (ICT) into all aspects of its operations, in an attempt to increase efficiency and service delivery to the public.

At a recently held roundtable attended by Minister of Public Service & Human Resource Development, Lenard Montoute, along with Permanent Secretaries and other key government personnel, as well as representatives of LIME, Mr. Montoute outlined his ministry’s vision for the enhancement of communications between government ministries, departments and sub-agencies, as well as between government and the public.

He said the government plans to use its National ICT policy and Sectoral Strategy to gain a strategic competitive advantage in the global knowledge-based economy. It is also designed to empower the people of St Lucia by increasing access to ICT and harnessing it for development, including providing better employment opportunities, better health services and enhancing business practices and productivity.

LIME Account Manager for the Government Sector, Kayle Cassius, delivered a presentation explaining how the company would use its state-of-the-art network as the backbone to provide the connected ICT platform that would help the government enhance its communications systems.

The enabling legislation to facilitate the development of the National ICT policy was recently approved by the St. Lucia Parliament.◊

GOSL and LIME discuss implementation of ICT Policy


BUSINESS TECH

Charts A Future Of New

Products Including Cable TV Service

Telecom provider LIME’s young executives promised heckling geriatric sharehold-ers new products, including cable TV ser-vice by December, but remained silent on profits and dividends at its annual general meeting in Kingston, Jamaica.

“We are working hard...and trying our very best to attain a profit. It doesn’t guar-antee we will be successful, but you have the undertaking at this table, entire man-agement and staff,” said LIME Jamaica Chairman, Chris Dehring, to a sharehold-er’s query on when the company would return to profitability. Dehring is also the Chief Marketing Officer for LIME Carib-bean.

Investors are jaded by LIME Jamaica’s four years of losses which have accumulat-ed to J$13.4 billion, three years of no divi-dends, and an 80 per cent reduction in the stock price over five years. Roughly 200 of LIME’s 25,000 total investors were present at the AGM held at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel in New Kingston.

“We will turn this company around and we will rebuild that foundation in order to invent our future,” said Dehring on be-half of the roughly 140-year-old company. A choir of shareholders, most of who are graying, dismissed Dehring’s comment, saying: “We have heard that before.”

LIME, a former monopoly, has been hurt by the introduction of competition since 2000, led by Digicel. Last year, LIME in-

vested US$100 million to upgrade its exist-ing second-generation or 2G networks to 3G. Customers in Kingston, St Catherine, St James and the north coast now have ac-cess to the high 3G mobile data speeds.

It made a net loss of J$6.1 million that year ending March 2011, doubling of J$3.4 billion recorded in 2009-10 when LIME’s bottom line benefitted from J$2.2b of tax credits. It paid taxes of J$1.6 billion last year. The stock has traded within a band of 13 to 40 cents over the past year.

The new 3G service was twinned with a focused marketing campaign in Portmore, St Catherine, said Dehring. LIME opened its 100th retail store in Portmore on July 2. “We invaded Portmore with a focused at-tack,” he said in his address. “I believe they are going to rename Portmore Lime City.” Later, a sardonic shareholder with 1970s sideburns and matching tie responded: “What were you saying about Lime turning Portmore into a failure?”

Other concerns by investors related to the frequency of changing executives and customer service.

LIME’s new strategy will entail growing revenues in services that it holds a position of ‘market leader.’ These include broad-band and fixed-line services, according to Managing Director Garfield Sinclair.

“We are a full-service provider. We are not a mobile operator alone. For the last 10 years, I believe we have sort of evolved

into a mobile operator and we allowed the competition to define the market for us. Going forward our strategy will not be pinned to a single product. We are the only full-service provider and we will emphasise that. Our dealers have evolved into solely mobile dealers. That is crazy and we are going to change that,” Sinclair said, while indicating that last year mobile earned the lowest gross margin at 14 per cent when compared to other services.

“Fixed line and broadband accounted for nearly 70 per cent of our gross margin, so clearly there are other businesses that need to be tended to, and we are not going to continue to disproportionately allocate resources to a segment of the business that provides a fraction of our revenues.”

Sinclair projects that in 2011-12 gross margin for mobile will grow to 20 per cent while fixed line will drop to 48 per cent from 49 per cent, and broadband services to 16 per cent from 18 per cent.

The proposed cable TV service would offer international and local channels in-cluding Peppa, an entertainment channel, and Faith TV, a religious channel, both de-veloped by LIME.The telecom firm issued a press release a day after the AGM touting its positive outlook and “dynamic Jamai-can leadership.” ◊

Courtesy: Jamaica Gleaner

Chairman of LIME Jamaica, Chris Dehring, addresses shareholders at the telecom’s annual general meeting at the Wyndham Kingston hotel in New Kingston, Jamaica


There is a cloud hovering over the business world that promises great profitability us-ing information technology (IT) and com-munication support. Microsoft’s Cloud Computing, also dubbed, ‘The Cloud’ or simplified as ‘software as a service’ is be-ing tagged as the next big thing since the creation of the Internet itself, and will utilise its forerunner in bringing advantag-es to Mariana Castro, general manager at Microsoft, Latam New Markets local busi-nesses via a refined network of software application feeds.

This next generation technology utilised by well-known applications such as e-mail (Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Hotmail), on-line content delivery (YouTube, Flickr) and online applications (eBay, Microsoft Of-fice Live), works in the business arena as a gateway where firms do not need in-house IT systems, but instead are able to access data stored on remote data centres.

These centres transmit software appli-cations and other data to a range of mo-bile or stationary devices and IT systems - a method somewhat akin to the way electricity or phone service providers re-lay their services. The service is also dis-patched ‘on-demand,’ allowing users to pay only for what they use each time. In

this way, the Cloud has the capacity to al-low local businesses to operate and com-municate efficiently and cost-effectively, giving them the advantage they need to do big business locally and on a global scale. Cloud computing technology then, could prove to be just what the doctor ordered for local businesses, and supports govern-ment’s position that the expansion, avail-ability, and use of information and com-munications technology, is a pillar for local economic growth.

“The power of the Cloud will transform the way we do business, as never seen be-fore,” said Mariana Castro, general man-ager at Microsoft, Latam New Markets. “It will give businesses the ability to think big, act faster, and do more with much less,” added Castro, a seasoned professional with a 20-year career at the company. “Cloud computing is changing the IT in-dustry as we know it. It comprises flexible and reliable utilities, attractive cost mod-els, and will help level the playing field in the business arena by allowing businesses of all sizes to access on-demand, scalable

computing resources for data, applications and processing power,” she noted.

The good news for local business is that the Cloud is affordable to even small and start-up enterprises, facilitating growth and expansion with ease, and without the prohibitive costs of setting up an in-house IT structure.

Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) is a firm be-liever in the merits of Microsoft’s Cloud computing. The region’s air carrier has embarked on transferring elements of its immense and intricate computer technol-ogy system to the Cloud, investing trust in the technology to meet its demands for ef-ficient, uninterrupted service to staff and customers. “When I saw the product, I became excited because it was at a time when we were trying to reduce our costs,” said Simon Fabien, Manager, service de-livery, information systems department at CAL. “We have signed up and are now pre-paring the transition,” he explained.

Fabien highlighted that with the Micro-soft Cloud, CAL has the potential to pay only one-third of its usual outlay for com-puting costs, and additionally, the Cloud system offered more value for money as

Cloud Computing Transforms IT Industry

BUSINESS TECH


the e-mail mailbox size is 50 times big-ger than its previous provider’s. He also stressed that the Cloud package offered more flexibility and this will be maximised by CAL who will initially access a package comprising the Cloud’s Mailbox, Share-point, Office Communications Live, Office Live Meeting and Blackberry services. Ac-cording to Fabien, a major advantage of the system is its ‘deskless’ capacity in that users do not need a dedicated computer to access their information - they just log into any available terminal. This, he noted, works well for the company since many staff such as pilots and flight attendants do not have a dedicated desk.

Another direct benefit of the Cloud to CAL’s operations he noted is its Sharepoint feature. “Sharepoint allows a more seam-less collaboration among staff,” he said. “Many of our staff are at different parts of the world at any given time, and can-not attend meetings in person. Sharepoint will allow us to communicate with each other and hold meetings via laptops.” Fa-bien noted that the transition is expected to take approximately three weeks to complete, and the process is being aided through reliable Microsoft recommended support.

For sure, the technology giant identifies one of the biggest benefits of the Cloud, as its potential to free up businesses from the shackles of dealing with repeat IT tasks. The company recently launched Windows Intune PC management software tailored for those managers with limited IT staff, allowing one person to manage a network of PCs from the Cloud, from any location. We’re finding that small and medium businesses are quick to adopt the Cloud because they don’t have legacy infrastruc-ture to deal with and they understand the value in not having to maintain their own IT systems. Because they don’t have to make capital investment on infrastructure, the Cloud provides the ability to achieve positive economies of scale for their enter-prise,” said Castro.

CAL’s confidence in Cloud computing may well be a signal for the system being welcomed into other large and small busi-nesses, a positive outcome, which raises a pertinent issue - the present local band-width landscape. Wide scale adoption of the Cloud locally will necessitate a need for greater wireless presence and accessibility

across the country. Having forecasted the need, Microsoft has already made moves to help ensure that the internet facilities are broadened to effectively accommo-date the new technology. “Having suffi-cient bandwidth is essential in the world of Cloud Computing, and we are working closely with operators to ensure that the support and resources are there to with-stand and support all that is needed in the Cloud for users,” said Castro. Informa-tion safety and security are also factored among the concerns of potential Cloud us-ers. Castro allays such concerns by giving the assurance of Microsoft’s track record, “Microsoft understands that security and data privacy, complying with standards and regulations, and the management of risks and access controls is very important to our customers. Our data centers com-ply with HIPAA, SOX and other key industry standards for security information. Very few companies can afford the massive in-vestments Microsoft is making in the fu-ture of Cloud computing. ◊

Courtesy: Business Guardian


How Do

Men Become Well-endowed?By Jason Julien, CFA

I recently had the privilege of being involved in a series of financial seminars that focused on teaching gender specific investment skills and tools. The women’s seminar was quite successful and was completely sold-out to the point that women were lining up outside the door to get in. Interestingly, the men’s seminar started late as we waited for the gentlemen to trickle into the room and although the men in attendance absorbed all that we had to offer the turnout was nowhere near the mob we received for the women’s edition. As a man myself, this certainly had me gravely concerned.

Over the last few years, women have proven that they can certainly match and

even exceed the efforts of their male counterparts. In all spheres of life women have deservedly excelled - in the

classroom, in the boardroom, on the playing field and in the seats of government; and from the overwhelming response we received from the women it appears that they will continue to equip themselves

to succeed into the future. So I thought that in this article, I

would take some time to speak specifically to men.

Firstly, I believe that real men carry a significant burden of leadership in the world. By this I do not mean that I expect a man to always be in charge of everything. But I do mean that real men have a responsibility to lead their families. Men must be able to guide their families and themselves through the uncertainties of this world and help to provide for their children’s education, a place to live, the golden years, and to leave their families well-off even after they have gone. Men must have financial endurance by equipping themselves so that they can tackle the real life issues of education, home acquisition, retirement planning, and life insurance. We, as men must become financially fit and seek out

knowledge and expertise to improve our ‘fitness.’

They say men are from Mars and women are from Venus, and we still operate as though we are in distinct financial orbits. For all our supposed financial sophistication and equality, the vast majority of married couples still divide the family’s financial labours along traditional lines, with women handling everyday spending and budgeting decisions while men plan and invest for long-term security.

Money Magazine recently did a survey of 500 husbands and 500 wives and almost all the respondents admitted that money is a cause of tension in their marriage. Seventy per cent of the respondents actually admitted to arguing about money – in fact, money causes more fights than either sex or even the in-laws. In the poll’s most eye-opening findings, men and women had dramatically different ideas about who does what with the family finances, and what their partners care about. But the majority of couples shared the same financial priorities of saving for retirement and emergencies and being concerned about repaying debts.

As men, the same principles that would be applied to becoming physically fit can be applied to us becoming financially fit. That is: patience, sacrifice and discipline.


principles in order for us to be financially well-off individuals and to be well-endowed to lead our families. One of the challenges of being male is knowing when to seek advice and admitting that you do not know everything. Here are a few additional financial pointers:

• Try to increase your income, reduce your expenses, and save at least ten per cent of what you earn. • Give yourself a clear savings goal, and make putting money away a priority. • Spend less than you make, avoid impulse purchases and use a shopping list. • Invest according to traditional principles of diversification and dollar-cost averaging. • Insure yourself and write a will. Taking care of your family is key to financial security. So let us all practise the principles above

and put these pointers to work so that we as men can all become financially well-endowed. ◊

Jason Julien is a financial analyst and can be contacted at: [email protected]

1. PatienceBecoming faster and stronger doesn’t

happen overnight and likewise saving towards your financial goals will take time. Thus as men we will need to exercise patience in the planning of our financial affairs. But we must have a plan. We cannot expect to achieve financial success without planning towards that success. This plan will not be executed in a moment but will require time. In money management, time is your friend. Compound interest (earning interest on interest on your money invested) is one of the most powerful forces in the universe since all it requires is very little effort but lots of time. Therefore, we must begin to tackle our financial matters early and prepare for the long journey towards success. We must set the example for our children that there is no such thing as a ‘quick buck’ but that there is honour in investing your hard earned money for the future.

2. SacrificeSacrifice requires us to budget, put aside

a portion of our current income for the future. Sacrifice may require us to take a long hard look at our family’s expenses and

defer or eliminate expenses that are not critical. We need to look at our monthly expenses and determine what we need and are ‘must-haves’ such as rental and mortgage payments, our children’s school fees and utility bills; and what we can do without. The money that we do not spend can be saved and invested towards our financial goals, in particular the big four: home acquisition, children’s education, retirement, and life insurance. Every dollar counts, and every dollar that is not spent is a dollar that can go towards the financial benefit of your family. In some cases, ‘sacrifice’ may mean sacrificing sleep and energy by having a second job or putting your skills to work to earn additional income for your family.

3. Discipline We need discipline in order to

consistently save and stay focused on our financial goals. Like anyone training for a 5K or marathon, unless you run a few laps of the savannah before race-day you’ll find that you are ill equipped once the starter’s gun goes off. Staying focused on your goals and budgeting consistently are behaviours that will certainly bear fruit in the long run. We as men need to actively practice these

About the Author


MONEY MATTERS

The World Bank Group (WBG) says it is committed to support sustainable eco-nomic recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2012, after having committed US $14.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2011 through its four major bodies serving the Hemi-spheric region. The commitment came in the group’s latest report at the end of the last Fiscal year, which ran from July 2010 to June 2011.The International Bank for Reconstruc-

tion and Development (IBRD), the Interna-tional Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) are the main World Bank bodies that have provided Hemispheric as-sistance.The World Bank (IBRD and IDA) approved

$9.6 billion in new loans, with $9.2 billion from the IBRD and $400 million from the IDA. Much of this amount went to generate opportunities to increase productivity and create new good-quality jobs and to assist those most in need through conditional cash transfers pioneered in the region. Most of the related new loans went to the region’s two largest borrowers – Mexico ($2.5 billion) and Brazil ($2.5 billion).The IFC committed $5.1 billion during

the Fiscal year under review, “to support sustainable private sector development through financing and advisory services,” with its related investments in the Carib-bean reaching an all-time record high of $452 million in 2011.The MIGA provided support for three

projects in Latin America and the Carib-bean, with $21.7 million in “political risk insurance coverage through guarantees issued to ProCredit Holding of Germany, a provider of credit and other banking ser-vices to very small, small and medium-size enterprises in transition economies and developing countries.” MIGA pledges “to continue helping Hemispheric economies to continue on a path of growth by sup-porting investments that create jobs and provide lending services to the real econ-omy.”The World Bank Group reports that the

Latin American and the Caribbean region, as a whole, “continues to grow with strong anti-poverty results.” It noted that, “the re-gion experienced one of the strongest pe-riods of growth in a century between 2002 and 2010, due to strong macro-economic policies and the increase of commodity prices.” “Growth in the wider region rebounded

from the global recession, reaching 6% in 2010,” it added. As a result of the good performances in

Latin American economies in recent years, the World Bank has noted that “more than 50 million people were lifted out of mod-erate poverty” – some 20 million in Bra-zil alone under President “Lula” Da Silva, and “for the first time, inroads were made against persistent poverty.”The World Bank is projecting positive

growth of between 4% and 5% in 2011 for the wider Latin American and Caribbean region by the end of 2011. The World Bank considers that “the economic health of the region is a tribute to the reforms undertak-en over the past two decades to achieve macroeconomic and financial stability.”“Until 2002,” it noted, “Latin America was

a large global debtor. Today, it is a signifi-cant creditor to the rest of the world and foreign capital flows into the region take the form of equity, rather than debt.”By December 2010, annual gross capital

inflows for the largest countries in the re-gion reached almost $330 billion – an in-crease of almost $80 billion over the previ-ous record achieved in March 2008. ◊

World Bank Remains Committed to Sustaining Latin American and Caribbean Economic Growth

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MONEY MATTERS

China To Boost Region With$1Billion Loan

China put its money where its mouth is in mid-September, when it offered one bil-lion dollars worth of economic assistance to the Caribbean, as part of a wider move in recent years to expand its presence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

From a joint satellite plant with the Ven-ezuelans for Venezuela’s space programme to car plants in Brazil and Uruguay to reviv-ing sugar in Jamaica, the Chinese seem to be everywhere in the hemisphere nowa-days.

The third China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Co-operation Forum is one of the concrete measures that has been tak-en to deepen trade and business relations with Caribbean states. The first forum was held in Jamaica in 2005, and then in China in 2007. The third meeting took place in Port-of-Spain September 12 and 13, 2010.

The presence of Chinese Vice Premier, Wang Qishan, a member of China’s Com-munist Party all-powerful Politburo, was indicative of the importance that China places on the region. Qishan was accom-panied by other senior Chinese govern-ment officials to T&T. The Chinese business contingent included business people from finance and investment, light industries and construction, high technology and manufacturing, mining and energy.

Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar. said at the opening. “We are fortunate to have secured high ranking Chinese officials and business persons with expertise in many areas to co-host the specialised sem-inars with their counterparts from T&T.”

She told Wang and the visiting Chinese delegation that the Caribbean is an ideal location for investment. “Ours is a region replete with opportunities and an enabling investment environment. Indeed you will find that not only is our all year round weather ideal, but our investment climate is perfect as well.”

She said that the “synergies that exist between our Caribbean territories offer a collaborative investment potential that is well worth exploring. In Trinidad and To-bago, as indeed in many other Caribbean nations, there has been a dramatic shift in the way we conduct business as gov-ernments,” she said, urging the visitors to recognise the potential of the region.

Given the scope of what China is prom-ising, Persad-Bissessar pointed out that China is now the world’s second largest economy on the basis of purchasing power parity. “China’s growth domestic product (GDP) rose by 9.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2011 and reached US$3.175 tril-lion in the first six months of 2011 based

on preliminary statistics. China is emerging as the driver of economies of a number of developing counties,” she said.

In terms of Caribbean and Chinese trade, the Prime Minister drew statistics that showed the extent of trade between the two regions. “With regards to China and Caribbean trade, during the three-year period 2008, 2009 and 2010, Caricom im-ports amounted to approximately US$5.9 billion with cargo vessels and other trans-port vehicles leading the list of imports.

“In terms of Caricom’s exports to China, methanol, iron ore and concentrates and liquefied natural gas (LNG) topped the list of exports. The values of the exports was approximately US$300 million,” she said. She boasted that China has been the big-gest market for T&T’s asphalt, which was used during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and World Expo in China in Shanghai in 2010.

China’s Vice Premier Qishan stressed that China’s achievements in the economic and social fields have been remarkable. “We are now implementing our 12th five-year plan of development in China. The comprehensive economic and social de-velopment in China will not only benefit the Chinese people, but also bring oppor-tunities to the Caribbean and the larger world,” he said.

Chinese officials and Caribbean Leaders at the China Caribbean Economic Forum 2011 in Trinidad & Tobago


He also announced that China would provide one million US dollars to the Carib-bean Development Fund (CDF), in addition “to providing no less than 2,500 training opportunities for Caribbean countries and 30 opportunities with Masters Degrees for Caribbean professionals to study in China.”

He said China would also help the in-house capabilities of Caribbean countries fight natural disasters and that Beijing would provide support in the building of seismic and tsunami early warning and monitoring networks.

Apart from trade and the economy, Chi-na and the Caribbean countries are also looking at developing ties in areas that have not been traditionally explored.

Trinidad’s Trade Minister Cadiz said the possibility of airlines flying from China to the Caribbean is real. “The issue of traffic all depends on how many seats you can sell as an airline. It will take some time before there is direct China to Caribbean flights. Last night it was good to see Air China aircraft on Trinidad soil, so we hope to see more of those flights,” he said.

Chao said Chinese business people were “eager” for an airline to fly directly to the Caribbean, but said that airlines are “inde-pendent market players” that want mar-

kets before they take such decisions to open new routes. “Governments of both regions want to see a civil aviation route opened between the Caribbean and China. We will encourage airlines to take a serious look at establishing routes in this region,” he said.

Cadiz pointed to the third area of co-op-eration between China and the Caribbean which is in the area of environment and gave an example of how China can help. He said a project like this brings all the Carib-bean territories together and not just one territory.

“China is way ahead when it comes to alternative sources of energy. There is a particular project which would involve Guyana’s and Surname’s bauxite, tying with T&T’s natural gas for a first-class solar photovoltaic industry to be set up in T&T, but using various natural resources from the other territories,” he said.

China’s Vice Premier, Wang Qishan, an-nounced a series of projects to be under-taken in the Caribbean through a $1 billion loan from China. They include: a $6.3 mil-lion loan to Caribbean countries to support local economic development; a $6.3 mil-lion donation to the Caricom Development Fund; measures to increase Caribbean ex-

ports to China; support for the building of seismic and tsunami warning systems as well as 2,500 training opportunities; train-ing for doctors and nurses; measures to in-crease tourism flow between the regions; the provision of resources to boost agri-culture and fisheries; and support for the development of alternative, small-scale energy projects such as solar power.

The forum was also attended by govern-ment officials from a number of Caribbean countries, including Guyana and Dominica, and in the case of Antigua & Barbuda, Prime Minister Spencer held bilateral dis-cussions with the Chinese Vice Premier on further co-operation between the two countries.

In addition, Finance Minister, Harold Lovell, signed a 30 Million RMB Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement for the implementation of projects agreed to between both countries as well as a 28.5 Million RMB loan for the construction of a sub-station for the Chinese power plant.

The two-day meeting also included a seminar on China–Caribbean Co-operation in Finance and Infrastructure, which was addressed by Lovell, who highlighted trade co-operation arrangements between the Caribbean and China. ◊


MONEY MATTERS

Government and the island’s lone casino have locked horns over gaming machines being operated in the country for the better half of the year and they expect to roll the dice in the High Court to determine which will be the winner.

The installation of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) across the country earlier this year led to Treasure Bay Casino (the island’s only casino, located at the Baywalk Mall in Rodney Bay) filing a case for Judicial Review of the government’s decision to grant per-mission to a competitor to operate VLTs here.

The casino’s lawyers claim the terminals are really “slot ma-chines posing as VLTs” and are therefore in violation of the Na-tional Lotteries Act and the Gaming Act.

Local attorney Peter Foster, lawyer for Treasure Bay, says, “Any license granted to the National Lottery Authority to operate VLTs or gaming devices is contrary to the National Lotteries Act and the Gaming Act.”

“We have actually filed a case for judicial revision to examine the decision taken by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to permit the operation of the VLTs. We are also asking for an order of Man-damus to enforce the Act,” Foster said back in June.

The lawyer said he was at a loss to understand “why the govern-ment would permit such machines in Saint Lucia and allow them to be placed all over the country.”

“These are dangerous machines,” Foster said, adding, “They target all walks of society, but mainly the poorer people who could ill afford to lose money.”

He told the local Voice newspaper that one of the main prob-lems associated with the VLTs “is their ease of access.”

“They are in bars, restaurants, and grocery shops,” Foster said.The casino lawyer accused the government of “in effect, allow-

ing the operations of unregulated casinos throughout the island.”“We also contend that those VLTs are highly addictive, their

programmes are designed to hook unsuspecting players and with-in a year Saint Lucia will be experiencing severe social problems,” Foster predicted.

The St. Lucia government has been coming under increasing pressure to address the social offshoots of the VLTs, which are unregulated and freely accessible to minors.

The case was yet to be heard when BF went to press.◊

Small businesses don’t understand and are not ready for implementation of the new Value Added Tax by the April 1, 2012 proposed date.

This was made clear after the St. Lucia Industrial and Small Business Association (SLISBA) met with the Value Added Tax Implementation Project Office for assistance to prepare its members for the implementation of VAT on April 1st, 2012. At the meeting, SLISBA was updated on the proposed VAT legislation and informed of the approach of the Implementation Office as the April deadline looms.

SLISBA President, Flavia Cherry, informed the meeting that a significant number of small businesses were not prepared for the VAT. She explained they did not understand the tax itself and regarded it as a more complicated tax system. SLISBA was informed that a set of manuals and guides were being drafted to assist taxpayers on how to operate effectively in the VAT system and that the office will work closely with small businesses on addressing any issues related to implementation.

It was suggested that a committee comprising at least two representatives of each private sector organisation be formed to facilitate easier dissemination of information to the business community. The VAT office officials also explained that there will be visits to every registered business to help get them ready for the implementation date. The process involves registration and certification of businesses within the VAT system. The VAT was also a subject of discussion at SLISBA’s Annual General Meeting in September at Coconut Bay in Vieux-Fort.

Local businesses have long been expressing concern about the sloth of the VAT works, with the Chamber of Commerce also expressing similar concern earlier this year about the state of readiness as the deadline approaches.

The government insists VAT will be implemented on April 1, 2012. But with General Elections due before that, the Opposition St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) has been saying it is not bound by any commitment given by the government regarding the proposed new tax. The opposition party’s economic spokespersons insists that the private sector must sufficiently understand the tax before it is implemented, lest it be seen as being forced on them in a state of unpreparedness.

The case was yet to be heard when BF went to press.◊

The Spinning WheelCasino and Lotteries lock horns to roll the

dice in the High Court over gaming machines

Small Businesses Not Ready For VAT

“No, it doesn’t stand forvodka and tonic!”


MONEY MATTERS

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has taken control of another Antigua bank, this time the ABI Bank.

The Eastern Caribbean’s financial regulatory institution did so earlier this year after consultation with the Monetary Council, which directed it to exercise the powers conferred on it by Part IIA, Article 5B of the ECCB Agreement Act 1983.

A statement from the ECCB said, “Close monitoring of the bank revealed difficulties in carrying out its normal functions due to an inadequacy of liquid assets and an inability to meet the statutory reserve requirement.”

The statement said, “After consultation with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Board of Directors of ABI Bank and the banking community in the Currency Union, the ECCB recommended to the Monetary Council that in order to restore the bank to normalcy as quickly as possible, the ECCB should assume control.

“The Monetary Council, after extensive deliberations, acted decisively by approving the recommendation which has been implemented as of 22 July 2011.”

With the assumption of control, the affairs of the bank were taken over by ECCB staff, with the support of current ABI Bank staff and “a dedicated group of bank specialists who together would give their undivided attention to the restoration of normality at the ABI Bank.”

Prior to the ABI Bank, the ECCB intervened to save depositors after the Bank of Antigua – owned by disgraced American billionaire, investor Allen Stanford – ran into difficulties.◊

ECCB Rescues Another Antigua Bank

FICS Raises EC$50MFor Gov’t Of Grenada

Financial Investment and Consultancy Services Ltd, the newest money broker on the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE), has been leading the issue of debt securities for issuers in the OECS.

In August, FICS was awarded lead broker for the Eastern Caribbean Home Mortgage Bank (ECHMB), EC$49.56 million in three-year bonds, which was a huge success.

More recently, FICS won the mandate to issue EC$50 million for the Government of Grenada during the month of July 2011. The treasury bills were issued in two parts: on July 5th, EC$15 million in 91-day bills, and July 20th, EC$35 Million in 365-day bills. Both issues were over-subscribed by EC$9.5 million and EC$1.5 million, respectively, and issues were auctioned on the Regional Government Securities Market (RGSM) of the ECSE. The treasury bills closed at discount rates of 5% for the 91-day ones and 5.75% for the 365-day ones.◊


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ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS

The much-talked-about waste-to-energy project promoted over the past year has been put on the back burner – at least for the moment. That’s according to Public Utilities Minister, Guy Joseph, who has been spearheading the project since agreements were signed just over a year ago.

On October 7, 2010, Island Green Energy (IGE), with their partner Elementa Group Inc, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of St. Lucia to build the first non-incineration waste-to-energy facility, which they said will process the island’s municipal solid waste.

The minister, IGE and Elementa promised the facility would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 70,000 tonnes annually and produce power for 6,000 homes.

Using a patented process developed by Elementa Group Inc., a company based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, the project was supposed to divert over 45,000 tonnes of municipal and industrial solid waste a year from St. Lucia’s two landfills, while generating an estimated seven megawatts of “green electricity.”

IGE and Elementa said the project would, “reduce the island’s carbon footprint by offsetting its dependency on fossil fuels as well as decreasing landfill methane emissions.”

They said the proposed ‘waste-to-energy project’ will not only impact the environment positively, but will also have tremendous spin-offs for the local economy.

“We are going to create 150 jobs in construction, that’s 50 million dollars coming to the economy. The overall peripheral impact of that span is probably another 150 million dollars in the community; it’s 50 million dollars to build the facility, but 150 million dollars of social impact. The key thing is that we will have 40-45 permanent green jobs in the new facility.

The St. Lucia Minister, on a visit to Sault in October 2010, assured that he was going to recommend his country use Elementa Group technology from Sault Ste. Marie.

Most of St. Lucia’s electricity (about 57 megawatts) comes from fossil fuel-powered generators, and the minister said, “this gives the country a larger-than-acceptable carbon footprint and it leaves the economy vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices.”

As a result of the agreement, St. Lucia was expected to build the first full-scale waste-to-energy plant in the Caribbean.

According to press reports at the time, the project “could be completed by the spring of 2012, will convert 98 percent of the volume of waste to gas, returning nothing to landfills, creating power for 6,000 homes and reducing the carbon footprint to the tune of 70,000 tonnes of greenhouse emissions a year.”

Elementa executive vice-president Tom Hughes said, “We want it to be a real stand-alone project for the Caribbean, because a lot of nations are looking at this technology and they see it as a really viable way to help climate change.”

Representatives of the companies spearheading the proposed plant at Deglos met with LUCELEC formally on January 20, 2010 to discuss the scope of the project and the requirements for advancing it, including licensing and a power purchase agreement, since, under the Electricity Supply Act, LUCELEC has an exclusive license to generate electricity for distribution.

Other requirements related to relevant permits and DCA approvals, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and guarantees for the delivery of a minimum amount of garbage to the land fill daily.

LUCELEC Managing Director, Trevor Louisy, assured the representatives of IGE and Elementa that LUCELEC was not opposed to the waste to energy project. However, he noted, LUCELEC was obligated to ensure that this project or any other alternative energy projects designed to feed into the national electricity grid were consistent with the guidelines in the National Energy Policy approved by Cabinet and the requirements of the Electricity Supply Act.

LUCELEC said it was looking forward to proceeding with the waste-to-energy initiative by actively engaging all the key stakeholders in the process including the various ministries with responsibility for public utilities, energy, and waste management. ◊

Waste-to-Energy Project


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Hotels will be able to contribute to climate change mitigation while also increasing their profits under a new United Nations-backed ‘green’ scheme offering an online toolkit to evaluate energy consumption, find renewable sources and improve en-ergy management, thus cutting costs.

The Hotel Energy Solutions e-toolkit, the main output of the Hotel Energy Solutions project, provides hoteliers with a report which shows their current energy use and recommends appropriate renewable en-ergy and energy efficiency technologies and actions. It further sets out what kind of savings on operational expenses hotels can expect from their green investments through a calculator measuring returns on investment.

UN Scheme Helps Hotels

Testing of the toolkit, launched by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and its partners, was finalized last month in more than 100 European properties in four different pilot destinations – Haute-Savoie in France, Palma de Mallorca in Spain, Bonn in Germany, and Strandja in Bulgaria – with positive feedback from ho-tel owners and managers.

While Hotel Energy Solutions is a UNW-TO-initiated project supported by the Eu-ropean Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation under the Intelligent Energy Europe programme, it is expected to be rolled out globally over the coming years. Once adapted for non-EU Member States, the project will benefit hotels worldwide.

Although hotels and other types of ac-

commodation account for only two per cent of the world’s global-warming carbon dioxide emissions, UNWTO says address-ing this comparatively small yet important footprint is a priority for the tourism sec-tor. Of the world’s 5.9 million hotel rooms, over half are located in Europe, where the project has been launched initially.

The project has been implemented in partnership with the UN Environment Pro-gramme (UNEP), the International Hotel and Restaurant Association, the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), and the French Environment and Energy Manage-ment Agency (ADEME). ◊

Courtesy: Caribbean 360


AIRLINE FOCUS

American Airlines (AA) has announced that it will launch a service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and V. C. Bird International Airport in Antigua four times a week beginning November 17.

The new service will be operated every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday by a 148-seater Boeing 737 aircraft.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Tourism Minister John Maginley said the country was looking forward to the additional airlift. “This new service provides us with a great opportunity to increase the number of visitors to Antigua and Barbuda from around the world. We are glad to partner with American Airlines to showcase our beautiful islands,” he said.

AA’s Vice President in New York, Art Torno, said Antigua and Barbuda was a popular destination for passengers travelling from and through New York.

“As American celebrates 30 years of service to the island, we are pleased to begin this new service from JFK Airport, offering convenient access to Antigua and Barbuda as well as additional travel options for our valued customers,” he said.

AA currently serves Antigua with one daily flight between Antigua and Miami. American Eagle also operates one daily flight between Antigua and San Juan, Puerto Rico. ◊


REDjet Adds To Its Fleet

Low-cost carrier, REDjet says the demand for its service has prompted them to add a new aircraft to its fleet. The purchase of plane number three comes after three months of being in the skies.

REDjet said in an email that its operations so far have been a huge success. “Our low fares and on-time fights have proven to be extremely popular and the airline is expanding our frequency on all of our first routes to cope with the demand. As a result we have also purchased our third aircraft to meet this demand and to help us launch even more low fare routes,” it said.

REDjet also launched its Trinidad to Guyana service, with four flights per week starting September 12. The Barbados-based carrier currently flies between Barbados and Guyana, and Trinidad and Barbados. Jamaica was also expected to be added to the network of routes in October, after getting permission to fly there. ◊


AA To Launch New Antigua

Service

British Airways To Revolutionise

Customer Service

possibilities for future development are endless. We’re receiving great feedback from cabin crew and customers already. It allows the crew to offer the thoughtful service they want to deliver and customers are treated as valued guests.”

The iPad is currently being trialled with 100 cabin crew with the aim to roll it out to all senior crew members across the airline in the coming months. ◊

Cabin Crew To Use iPads

British Airways’ cabin crew are using the latest iPad model to bring a new dimension to customer service in the air.

The iPads enable cabin crew to have prior awareness of customer preferences and a greater understanding of each customer’s previous travel arrangements, allowing them to offer a truly bespoke, personalised service.

The iPad lets crew quickly identify where each customer is seated, who they are travelling with, their Executive Club status and any special meal requests. It gives cabin crew a whole library of information at their fingertips including timetables, safety manuals and customer service updates. It also means any issues can be logged with ground-based colleagues around the network prior to departure so solutions can be delivered while the flight is airborne.

When all the passengers have boarded and just before the doors are shut, cabin crew are currently handed a long scroll of paper, listing up to 337 customers. With the new iPads cabin crew will simply refresh their screen when the doors have closed through wireless 3G networks and they will have a complete list of passengers on board.

Bill Francis, British Airways’ head of in-flight customer experience, said, “The iPad is already allowing us to offer a more personalised onboard service, but the

Regional airline, LIAT, has signed a multi-year agreement with the US-based Global Onboard Partners (GOBP) to create in-flight advertising campaigns that include advertising on all seat backs on the plane. The carrier’s first campaign was rolled out last week and promotes the island of Dominica and its numerous cultural and music festivals that take place on the island throughout the year.

“Our seatback holders are producing amazing recall rates among passengers and we’re pleased to partner with LIAT to provide the Caribbean’s first in-flight advertising programme on the back of each seat that guarantees high visibility at all times during the flight,” said Global Onboard Partners CEO Kirk Adams. “In the coming months, we look forward to expanding the programme to include all areas throughout the cabin with imagery that brings the islands to life on the aircraft.”

GOBP, which has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, will work with the carrier and its existing and new advertising partners to implement campaigns that reach passengers travelling through LIAT’s twenty destinations in the Caribbean. “We at LIAT - The Caribbean Airline, are indeed excited to get this programme up and running,” said LIAT’s Marketing Manager, Derrick Frederick.

“The value to advertisers who can now offer products and services to a captive audience of approximately one million passengers over the course of a year is unparalleled in the region. It’s been a pleasure working with the GOBP team in further enhancing our in-flight experience.” ◊


LIAT Signs Onboard

Advertising Deal

LIAT Increases Fares – And Fights Back!

LIAT, the embattled Caribbean Airline, continues to suffer the pains of rising costs and reducing profits in the face of stiff competition. Now it’s fighting back. That’s the signal from the company’s third quarterly meeting held in Barbados in September.

Started in 1974, the Caribbean’s longest surviving airline has historically shared a monopoly on intra-Caribbean travel with the likes of Trinidad & Tobago’s BWIA. But that’s no longer the case. It’s become the target of its fellow regional and international competitors.

Majority owned by the governments of Antigua, Barbados, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines, “The Caribbean Airline” has survived all challenges – from St. Vincent & the Grenadines based EC Express (almost two decades ago) to disgraced Allen Stanford’s more recent Antigua based Caribbean Star.

Today, while earlier competitors have virtually fallen out of the sky, LIAT continues to face stiff competition in the Caribbean market – now, perhaps, more fierce than ever.

LIAT’s stiff competition today comes from two new airlines within the region: Trinidad & Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) and Barbados based REDJet, both of which have distinct advantages that LIAT simply can’t afford.

REDJet is a low-cost carrier trying (successfully so far) to replicate Europe’s Ryanair experience in the Caribbean by charging only US $9.99 (plus government tax) per ticket to destinations like Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Jamaica. CAL, which replaced BWIA as Trinidad & Tobago’s national airline and recently entered into a strategic alliance with Air Jamaica, also benefits greatly from fuel cost savings as a result of subsidies from the Trinidad & Tobago government.

LIAT continues to be the main mover of people between the islands. But its wings are being cut short steadily by several factors, including rising fuel costs, increased government taxes, increasing operating costs, fleet upgrade necessities, trade union blues and insufficient government capital support recently forced it to raise fares.

REDJet has also been applying for and receiving permission to fly to an increasing number of destinations served by LIAT within the Eastern Caribbean, while CAL continues to seek and receive more access to more Caribbean airports served by LIAT. CAL’s distinct fuel subsidy advantage allows the Trinidadian airline a distinct competitive advantage over its fellow intra-Caribbean carrier, allowing it to save where LIAT bleeds.

Besides, some Caribbean governments – particularly St. Lucia – do not disguise their dissatisfaction with LIAT and are openly courting new airlines seeking to compete with LIAT.

Now LIAT is fighting back. Chairman of the Board of Directors St.

Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, indicated after the latest quarterly board meeting that the decades-old airline will be taking on its competitors and challenging its critics, including governments with shares in the airline, before the end of the year. He said LIAT will challenge its minority shareholder governments to “put up or shut up.”

According to Gonsalves, some of the minority shareholder governments agreed to decisions and committed themselves at meetings to contribute financially to LIAT, but never lived up to their commitments.

The tough-talking Vincentian leader, who has been one of LIAT’s staunchest defenders in the Caricom region, also indicated that LIAT would be taking steps to address and hopefully resolve the fuel subsidy issue within the context of the Caricom Single Market framework.

He subsequently indicated, however, that LIAT had taken steps to take CAL to court. The LIAT Chairman said the airline was filing its case with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the basis of the “unfair competition” enjoyed by CAL through its special fuel-saving subsidy arrangement with the Trinidad & Tobago government.

Gonsalves said LIAT was sure it would win its case because the appropriate statutes outlawed unfair competition between regional airlines.

The Barbados September LIAT meeting was also attended by Barbados’ Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart and Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Baldwin Spencer and they pledged to meet again – for their final quarterly board meeting before the year is ended, to review progress on decisions taken. ◊



Caribbean Contributes Healthily To Virgin’s

Profit MarginVirgin Atlantic has reported a strong year of trading and a return to profit, partly thanks to its Caribbean routes.

Despite the winter closure of London Heathrow and the ash cloud crisis costing the business a combined £40 million (US$64.5 million), strong growth in business traffic and solid load factors delivered a good recovery for the UK-based carrier. The airline said its routes to the Caribbean remained popular, with a total load factor of 83 percent, with Barbados a particularly strong performer.

Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, Steve Ridgway, said that since the turn of the year, market conditions had become tougher with increased capacity, faltering consumer confidence and high fuel prices.

“We are also seeing softer trading in the areas that are hit hardest by the continued rises in air passenger duty, particularly the Caribbean routes and premium economy cabins. While business traffic remains strong, demand in the economy cabin is more challenged,” he said.

This year (2011), Virgin Atlantic reviewed and updated several aspects of its product offer, both in the air and on the ground. A £100 million (US$161.5 million) investment, the arrival of new Airbus A330 aircraft and additional services to the Caribbean and Ghana aimed to create 1,000 jobs across the airline, including major recruitment drives for cabin crew and pilots.◊

Source Caribbean 360.com

Saint Lucia may soon benefit from a new air service link with South and Central America on low-cost intra-regional carrier, REDjet.

Following a fact-finding mission to Panama City earlier in the year, Saint Lucia’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Allen Chastanet, reported on “productive discussions” between REDjet’s senior leadership, Copa Airlines and the Governments of Panama, Saint Lucia and Barbados. “We are exploring the options of a new service between Panama City, Barbados and Saint Lucia,” Chastanet said, adding that the new flight, “will further open up the Latin American market to the Eastern Caribbean.”

Talks with Copa Airlines also included, “consideration of interline and code-sharing agreements, allowing South American travellers to seamlessly connect in Panama and visit the Caribbean.”

In addition to bringing travellers from the continent, Chastanet also mentioned direct benefit for islanders. “Conversely,” he said,” Saint Lucians who are interested in shopping in Panama would be able hop aboard REDjet and within a few short hours sample Latin American culture and its bargain shopping as an alternative to travelling to the United States.”

Meanwhile, after facing challenges concerning permission to land in Trinidad and Tobago, REDjet finally landed in Trinidad in early September. Barbados Minister of Tourism, Richard Sealy, said his Government was “quite happy” about the new service between Barbados and Trinidad, “because Trinidad is a significant market” for Barbados. Noting that

Aiming Sky-High for St. Lucia and

OECS Market

CARICOM visitors represent a third of the Barbados tourism market, particularly Trinidadian visitors, the minister said Barbados was seeking more movement in and out of Grantley Adams International Airport.

He said the government was supporting REDjet, but it does not wish to see any providers for regional travel fail. “It is not that we wish ill on providers of regional travel. In fact, we would like to see everyone doing well, but if we have more players involved and more competition, the consumers will benefit,” said Minister Sealy. He explained that his government’s support for REDjet “does not mean that we want to see the others fail. I genuinely believe we can all succeed.” Minister Sealy said at the time that already REDjet had close to two thousand Trinidadians who wanted to fly to Barbados for local cultural and international festivals.◊

Source: Barbados Advocate

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IN THE KNOW

The last few decades have seen significant growth in the level of competition among manufacturers the world over. Thanks to globalisation and technological advance-ments, competition is no longer inhibited by geographical boundaries. Trade liberali-sation has brought into the foray competi-tors who are operating from all quadrants of the globe. Caribbean manufacturers, in a recent survey, describe the level of com-petition in their respective industries as in-tense to very intense. Now with the advent of the CSME, these firms will see an added layer of rivalry from regional manufactur-ers.

In an environment where competition is growing, customers are becoming more demanding, product life cycles are shrink-ing, and transaction costs are reducing, the name of the game has simply become one of survival. The effectiveness of marketing strategies and financial strategies are lim-ited and companies must turn to manu-facturing to gain competitive advantage. Companies such as GE, IBM, Sony, Toyota, HP, Apple, and Honda have all gained com-petitive advantage by using manufacturing as a strategic weapon. Wickham Skinner, a retired Harvard professor was one of the first individuals to recognize that the secret to the success of Japanese manufacturers, particularly in the auto and electronics industries, was their razor-sharp focus on using manufacturing strategically. These companies not only ensured that manu-facturing was aligned to business strategy, but they focused on developing capabili-

In Search Of Competitive Advantage:

Transforming Manufacturing To A Strategic

AssetBy Harvey H. Millar Ph.D., P. Eng.

ties in manufacturing that ultimately influ-enced and shaped their business strategy. Hence Sony’s capabilities in product design and miniaturisation allows it to compete on a first-to-market basis on a wide range of electronic products.

The traditional view of manufacturing is that of a cost center, a passive entity that must respond to marketing dictates. A close examination of customers’ needs and operating costs will show that many drivers of customer satisfaction come under the domain of manufacturing (product design, product quality, product flexibility, delivery speed, and price). Also, production con-tributes upwards of 40% of operating costs in direct and indirect labour and overhead. How then can a manufacturer be competi-tive without focusing on the strategic role of manufacturing?

The following are a series of steps to as-sist companies in transforming their manu-facturing system into a strategic asset.

1. Assess the business environmentEvery company has an operating environ-

ment characterized by political, economic, social, technological, and environmental factors and forces. The company must have a profound awareness of the pattern of changes in each of these dimensions and assess the likely impact on the firm. For example, new environmental regulations may render a product obsolete since it no longer meets the new standards. Hence, in an environment where regulatory change is prevalent, ‘design for adaptability’ be-comes an effective strategy.

2. Understand the industry environment

A company must understand its industry environment. Michael Porter from Harvard talks of the power of buyers and suppliers, the threat of new entrants and substitutes, and the level of industry rivalry as crucial forces which impact how a company will position itself in its markets. Manufactur-ing can play a critical role in mitigating these forces. For example, adapting the manufacturing system to compete on dif-ferentiation can increase switching cost for buyers thereby reducing their power.

3. Know the company’s competitorsDeciding how to out-compete your com-

petitors requires a thorough understand-ing of their capabilities. For example, a competitor’s plant that is optimized for low cost is likely to be inflexible. Using de-sign innovation and flexible equipment, mass customisation can be used to win market share if customers value variety. The idea is to use manufacturing capability to gain advantage in an area of operating weakness.

4. Understand the company’s markets and their competitive priorities

Market segments have order winners and order qualifiers which influence a company’s competitive priorities and value proposition. Failure to align the company’s competitive priorities with market reality will spell failure. A company’s competi-tive priorities are typically a combination of cost, quality, flexibility, delivery speed,


service, and innovation. Some of these pri-orities require trade-offs and hence a com-pany cannot typically emphasize all priori-ties. For example, competing on low cost and flexibility can create conflicts. Flexible equipment are typically not very cost ef-ficient. Hence, there is a need for focus. Sony, for example, focuses on innovation. Toyota emphasizes quality and reliability.

5. Establish external performance objectives

Once the company establishes competi-tive priorities consistent with market order winners and qualifiers, it must establish a set of related external objectives. For ex-ample, a company competing on product innovation may set an objective of reduc-ing design cycle time by 50% or increas-ing new product introductions by 25%. A company competing on speed may set an objective of reducing production lead-time by 40%. These objectives must reflect stra-tegic value for customers.

6. Assess the current role and capabi - lity of the manufacturing system

Once the performance objectives are set, strategic alignment of the manufac-turing system becomes an imperative. All

aspects of manufacturing must support the strategic objectives. This requires an alignment assessment of production plan-ning and control, product design, process management, inventory and supply chain management, quality management, HR, etc. In addition to alignment, the company must anticipate reaction from competi-tors and build capabilities in manufactur-ing that allows it to change the rules of the game. A company competing on innova-tion may use its design capabilities to enter new markets, thereby spreading costs and risks over a larger range of products giving it some resilience.

7. Develop a plan for improving the manufacturing infrastructure

An assessment of the manufacturing system should show strengths and weak-nesses in alignment and capability. Weak-ness must be prioritised, and an improve-ment plan developed for closing the gaps. It is important to keep in mind that align-ment weaknesses provide competitors with strategic opportunities to compete on operational excellence. Hence there is a need to move quickly to close the perfor-mance gap.

Recognizing that globalisation is here to stay, trade liberalisation policies require Caribbean manufacturers to step up to the competitive challenge. While some may think this is a losing battle, one can use the story of David and Goliath as a source of hope. The lesson here is that even large competitors have strategic weaknesses. Many have become slow, bureaucratic, and complacent. The trick is to find their operating weaknesses and move swiftly to exploit them using the manufacturing sys-tem as the slingshot.◊

St. Lucian born Dr. Millar is President of and a Performance Improvement Consultant with Management Technologies, a full professor in the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s Univer-sity in Nova Scotia, Canada, a columnist, and an award-winning jazz musician. He can be reached at http://www.harveymillar.com or [email protected]

About the Author


Branson Centre To Open In Jamaica

IN THE KNOW

The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean opened in the first week of September 2011 in Montego Bay, St James.

The centre will act as a hub for aspiring entrepreneurs, and particularly aims to help young entrepreneurs from traditionally disadvantaged communities actualise businesses.

The lead business sponsor of the centre is Virgin Holidays - a company within Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, which has committed £2 million over the next decade to support the initiative.

Local Jamaican businessman, Patrick Casserly, is the centre’s interim chairman.

Virgin Unite, the charitable arm of the Virgin Group, was recently offering entrepreneurs an opportunity to celebrate the opening and become a founding patron of the centre for a minimum donation of US$25,000.

In a release on its website, Virgin Unite offered a select group of entrepreneurs ‘a

Sir Richard Branson CEO of the Virgin Group

once in a lifetime opportunity’ to join Sir Richard Branson on a Connection Trip to Montego Bay from September 7 to 9, 2011.

“By joining the trip, you will celebrate the launch of the new Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship as a Founding Patron and provide critical support to local entrepreneurs - becoming the first business leaders to back the centre with Richard Branson and our partners,” read the notice.

The notice said the minimum donation includes accommodation for two people on a shared room basis for one night in Montego Bay and one night at the GoldenEye Resort, transportation within Jamaica, and all meals and social activities. It added that the Virgin Group and Richard Branson will cover the overhead costs for Virgin Unite, so all the net proceeds from the charitable donation will go directly to the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship and a charitable receipt for the amount

will be provided.Guests flew into Montego Bay on

September 7th, and kicked off an exciting few days visiting and mentoring young entrepreneurs. Together with Richard they heard from renowned local business and cultural leaders, cut the ribbon to launch the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean, and enjoyed the magic Jamaica has to offer at GoldenEye Resort.

The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean will be a hub from which smaller ‘satellite’ centres will be developed across the Caribbean on a bespoke basis as increased levels of funding and business sponsors get involved.

The first Branson Centre of Entrepre-neurship was established in 2006 in Johan-nesburg, South Africa. ◊


Branson Centre To Open In Jamaica


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IN THE KNOW

The United States will be reaching out to the Caribbean private sector and Diaspora to link US businesses with their regional counterparts through an initiative dubbed, ‘Caribbean Idea Marketplace’.

Makila James, Director of the Office of Caribbean Affairs at the US State Department, said the Caribbean Idea Marketplace is a business competition platform which will allow the US to engage private sector entities across the region in partnership with their governments to jump-start small businesses, while providing technical support and capital for persons wishing to do business in the region. “It is a platform which will allow businesses to compete for grants which will allow them to start businesses in the Caribbean or bring existing businesses to the Caribbean,” James announced as she addressed an interactive online forum of Caribbean journalists.

“It will be a very promising initiative because we notice a lot of capacity in the Diaspora and they are eager to get involved, but we know there is a lot of red tape...this will help break down the red tape and make it easy for people in the Diaspora to find partners on the ground,” she added.

She explained that they will be looking from Jamaica’s end to identify those who are ready for international partners, and from the Diaspora’s side to see who will be ready for this arrangement. “We will try to facilitate that through three partners, and the embassy on the ground will have a role to play in that,” James said.

She added that the current partners in this initiative - telecommunications giant Digicel, Scotiabank and the Inter-American Development bank, were expected to have officially launched the programme in October. The sponsors, she said, would jointly announce the implementing rules and regulations, while the State Department’s role will be as an advisor. “We will consult with them on where the programmes could be most useful and to be part of the selection process,” she said. According to James, the US is looking forward to more partners coming on board as the programme grows.

Despite the uncertainty about the raising of the US debt ceiling, James said that country’s commitments to the Caribbean are long-standing, with the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) being one such programme which demonstrates this

commitment.James explained that the CBSI is the

main vehicle being used to engage Caricom in addressing the trafficking of illicit drugs, enhancing capacity for law enforcement and social justice. “It is not enough to just intercept drug-trafficking, to catch the activities in progress, but you have to be assured that the governments can prosecute these cases successfully. So we are doing capacity-building on law enforcement, police and court assistance,” she explained. As for the social justice aspect of the programme, James explained that this is where the CBSI is trying to address root causes by providing opportunities for at-risk youths.

Noting that the US is just as affected by the drug trade as any Caribbean country, she explained further that some US$77 million is to be allocated to fund the ini-tiative this new fiscal year, up from the US$45 million allocated last year. The US, she said, has worked closely with all the governments of Caricom and the Domini-can Republic to prioritise how to allocate these resources. ◊


US Gives Caribbean ‘Idea’ To Boost

Small Businesses


It is estimated that about 35% of the operating costs of companies is attributed to poor quality issues. These include rework, rejects, complaints investigations, supplier’s poor quality, warranty claims, to name a few. So how does a company begin to address this wastage issue?

•Start by promoting the triple role of an employee.

Every employee is responsible for the quality of his or her work. The assumption made most of the time is that every employee knows how to produce a quality product or service. Wrong. Although this comes easy for some employees, it does NOT for most. For employees to produce quality products and services, they must first understand the triple role they play in a company.

As I have stressed in past articles, all work is a process. It is said that if you can’t explain what you are doing as a process then you do not know what you are doing. A process is defined as a series of activities that transforms inputs into outputs. Inputs are what go into the process and outputs

The Triple Role

By Betty Combie

are the end results or what come out of the process.

Now let us return to the triple role of every employee. These roles are as a processor, customer and supplier.

The ProcessorEvery employee is a processor, that is,

they perform work. The employee must know the steps involved in the work activity as well as the checks to be carried out to ensure control of the work. As the processor, the employee would be aware of bottlenecks and other issues related to the work activity. He or she is, therefore, well suited to recommend changes to improve the work activity.

The Customer Every employee receives inputs

(including information) to conduct his or her work. Hence, each employee is a customer. The inputs come from other employees and/or external customers. The quality of these inputs will affect the end result of the work. It is important that

employees do their checks of the quality of the inputs.

The SupplierThe third role is that of the supplier. The

employee does work to supply a product or service either to another employee and/or to the external customer. As the supplier, the employee must check the suitability of the product or service that is provided.

Important in all these roles is communication. Employees must communicate with other employees and/or external customers to ensure an understanding of what is needed to get work done properly. The appreciation and application of this triple role concept is sure to reduce wastage in your company. ◊

Betty Combie is a Quality Systems Trainer with an MA in Educational Measurement and Evaluation and is PMP certified. She has extensive experience in business improvement and auditing. Contact her at [email protected]

THE SUPPLIER

THE CUSTOMER

THE PROCESSOR

About the Author


LoudIN THE KNOW

• Focus groups also provide feedback to employers regarding employee issues and opinions.• Social media such as Twitter and Facebook can help employees stay in touch with their leaders.• Have employees form workplace committees and/or problem-solving groups.• Encourage the use of suggestion boxes.• Arrange for employees to have lunch or meetings with senior management.• Managers should encourage informal conversations with subordinates in the hallways or by the water cooler.• Companies should have an “open-door” policy in which employees are encouraged to go to members of management and express grievances or ask for clarification. That said, employees should also be encouraged to follow the chain-of-command and go to their immediate supervisor first, whenever possible.Other ways to improve effective communication:• Senior management must set the tone and lead by example when they communicate with subordinates or each other.

• Provide training in effective communication to managers, supervisors and line staff.• Don’t make the mistake of asking for employee feedback and then not acting on it. This would lead to lack of trust on the employee’s part and a perception of unfairness.• The type of message being sent should determine the communication channel that is used.• Keep employees informed openly and honestly about issues that affect their job and the business.• When employees participate in strategic initiatives, it is more likely that they will be committed to and support these initiatives.• Assure employees that there will not be any retaliation from the organisation based on the expression of their opinions.Remember: Effective communication increases employee satisfaction, loyalty and commitment, encourages innovation and improvement on processes, decreases turnover and absenteeism, reduces costs and positively affects your bottom line. It is therefore worth your while to take the necessary steps to improve on communication within your organisation. ◊

Faithaline Hippolyte is a freelance writer. She holds a BSc degree in Management Studies, and is a Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

How important is effective communication between an employer and their employees? Consider this: Good communication can lead to:

• Improvement in employee morale, engagement and satisfaction.• Helping employees to be more loyal and committed to the organisation.• Encouraging increased productivity, innovation and improvement in processes, thereby reducing costs.• Decrease in employee turnover and absenteeism.Some ways an employer can foster good

communication to employees:• An employee handbook containing standard operating procedures, guidelines and policies, including information on the company’s vision and mission.• Newsletters which communicate new information about the company, its products and services and its employees.• General staff meetings to share news and celebrate successes.• Email - a fast and easy way to reach a large number of employees all at once.• Face-to-face is a good method of communicating sensitive information such as layoffs or performance issues.Make no mistake, however;

communication is a two-way street. Listening to employees’ concerns can cause them to be more loyal and productive. It can also alert the employer of issues and grievances in the early stages, before they erupt into an even bigger problem.

Some ways an employer can encourage good communication from employees:

• Surveys help employers gain employee feedback on general as well as specific issues.

By Faithaline Hippolyte

About the Author


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IN THE KNOW

We were driving around with no particular destination in mind, when we came upon Sandy’s Snackette – a little shop (seeming-ly) on the road to nowhere. We came upon it at a good time too, we thought, since we’d depleted our water and snack cache. Sandy’s represented hope of replenish-ment. I entered the cluttered shop. It dis-played everything from foodstuff to cell phone cases, dishes and clothes. I think I spotted a bathing suit next to some ground provisions, next to a bluetooth headset! Yes, this little Snack shop on the road to nowhere seemed to have everything ex-cept the two bottles of water and snacks I wanted.

I was contemplating going back outside to confirm that the sign had in fact said, Sandy’s ‘Snackette’ but the shopkeeper (Ms. Sandy herself) read my confusion and saved me the roundtrip by clarifying. Apparently, she’d started off as a popular snack shop. “People used to come from all over just to taste my hand at the best bakes, dhals and cakes. Most people just like you would stop by one day, and get hooked and keep coming back.” But from time to time somebody would stop by and ask for something other than snacks, and Ms. Sandy would stock it because she didn’t want to disappoint anybody (and let’s face it, she did not want to miss out on a buck). As a result, she’d amassed a

stock of the old, the outdated, the spoilt, the long forgotten, the non-snack. All her money was tied up in this useless stock so that she couldn’t even afford to invest in those refreshments that had made her place popular.

It does not take a marketing expert to see where she went wrong – Ms. Sandy had moved away from her core compe-tence. She’d been sidetracked from the thing that she could have done better than anyone else (those delicious treats) to try and serve everybody. But Sandy is not alone – big businesses make the same mistake she made. They add products and services, become full service companies, jump on the ‘me too’ wagon, without hav-ing the necessary expertise and resourc-es to make those work. They take up all trades and end up mastering none.

The owner of a local IT company con-fided that some clients pressure him to provide everything under the IT sun (web programming, VoIP, networking, website development, database design and man-agement, software and hardware engi-neering, SEO etc.). He’d tried once, but he’d stopped when he’d received loads of complaints about networking work – the one thing he’d built his business on.

Segmentation and targeting remain important marketing concepts to help companies avoid such traps. The general

idea behind those concepts is divide and conquer. Companies must first divide the entire market into homogenous groups; segmentation can be based on demo-graphics, psychographics, geographical or behavioral variables. The segments must be substantial, identifiable, accessible, re-sponsive, measurable and profitable.

The company then moves in to conquer by selecting one or more lucrative seg-ments to focus its marketing efforts and resources on. The company must ensure that it has the capabilities to meet the needs of the chosen segments. The mar-keting mix elements (price, product, place, promotion) must be tailored to address segment needs.

Going after everyone may seem like a wise idea but it may be more costly in the long run. In Sandy’s case, it made her business unprofitable. She’d weakened her brand and alienated her target market. ◊

Pilaiye Cenac is an entrepreneur. Her qualifica-tions include a BSc in Psychology and Sociology and an MSc in Marketing. She is also a PMP® and a published writer. One of her companies, In Tan-dem, focuses on low cost approaches to enriching the customer experience.

You Can’t Please EVERYBODYBy Pilaiye Cenac

About the Author


PROFILE FOCUS

SANDALS @ 30Sandals Resorts International, the flagship

group behind the Caribbean’s most successful luxury holiday hotel chain this year celebrated its 30th Anniversary – three decades in the business of reshaping the way people spend their vacations.

The chain has also maintained, every year, an enviable record of world accomplishments. It’s voted repeatedly as the best in several services on offer, by both visitors and travel agents, as well as by tour operators, travel magazines and world tourism entities.

Undoubtedly the Caribbean’s best known couples’ holiday resort chain, Sandals has for three decades invested significantly into its properties and into the public relations and marketing that has made it the best worldwide name for Caribbean holidays.

There was therefore much to celebrate. To coincide with the anniversary, the company hosted a special gala celebration at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian, where the group unveiled its new US $500 million regional marketing growth plan that includes marketing initiatives aimed at preserving the chain’s legacy of success in years to come.

The group said its new marketing

initiatives are aimed at making it, “The best luxury hotel for couples on the Planet.” It also said the new initiatives were, “to create even greater synergies between the market place and the destination.”

The local celebration hailed the efforts and successes of management and staff from St. Lucia and Antigua, the chain’s Eastern Caribbean operations area.

At the gala dinner, Sandals Chairman, the legendary Jamaican investor, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, said he believes that, “Employees are very vital in delivering quality services to the chain’s customers,” who he has promised, “even more inclusions than any other all-inclusive company on the Planet!”

Sandals CEO, Adam Stewart, also paid homage to the organisation’s staff, “who are responsible for solidifying the vision” of Chairman Butch Stewart over the last 30 years.

The new campaign, he said, “added value to Sandals’ ultra, all-inclusive market position,” by offering their discerning guests, “more amenities, more luxury, more innovations and more choices than any other resort on the planet.”

Company executives were confident the new campaign, coupled with in-house

experience, training and talent, will ensure Sandals International retains its forefront position in the all-inclusive resort market.

It was a dazzling celebration at the Grande St. Lucian – much worth all of Sandals’ 30 years in St. Lucia. Three decades ago when Butch Stewart bought Hotel La Toc, it marked the beginning of a long, lasting and fruitful relationship with St. Lucia.

One of the island’s first upscale hotels constructed on beachfront property, the original Hotel La Toc had transformed the secluded Yellow Sands beach into a popular tourist resort. But it became even more popular after La Toc became Sandals Regency Golf Resort and Spa, the first of three of the signature Caribbean luxury hotels on the island offering all-inclusive services to ‘couples only.’

When the group later added the former Halcyon Beach Club at Sunny Acres, its second hotel, Sandals Halcyon, was born. Then the former Hyatt Regency Hotel at Pigeon Island became the Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa and Beach Resort.

Butch Stewart and Sandals have long become household names in St. Lucia, with thousands of families directly employed over the past 30 years by the Caribbean’s

Sandals With 22 Hotels On 5 Islands At 30 Now offering:

Planetary Luxury!Planetary Luxury!


best known and most successful hotel chain. The three Sandals hotels in St. Lucia have no doubt helped lift the standard and quality of the island’s tourism offerings. They have also provided training and experience to many who now serve in other parts of the local tourism industry, as well as in other parts of the world.

St. Lucians have excelled at all levels in the Sandals Chain over the last three decades, the best known being Sandals Halcyon’s General Manager, Lennox Dupal. Described by staff as a quiet, efficient and inspiring leader, he has wide experience, including serving in destinations as far away as Singapore.

The ‘Stay at one, enjoy all three’ local Sandals policy has made St. Lucia a favourite destination over the years for couples seeking sun, fun and all the other creative tropical amenities.

Sandals’ success has everything to do with Butch Stewart’s hands-on approach to management and business expansion. Being the Caribbean’s most successful tourism investor was not necessarily Butch Stewart’s first dream. Appliance Traders Ltd (ATL), his first company, was nothing to do with tourism. But today it’s grown into the holding company that produced and owns the Sandals chain, as well as the growing Observer Newspaper group.

Present throughout Jamaica and St. Lucia, as well as in Antigua and The Bahamas, Sandals has revolutionised the concept of Caribbean tourism. It’s undoubtedly taken quality and standards to another level. Earlier this year, it became the first in the hospitality industry here to undertake the preparatory Project Management course for the PMI Certification Exam, which

was attended by 20 of its managers and department leaders.

The Sandals Foundation, its philanthropic arm, has been assisting communities through direct training and other social infrastructure and capacity building help to schools in particular. The Foundation is working with children in the Marchand Boulevard and worked towards providing a building where they can gather and participate in education and other developmental initiatives. It also works with schools around the island, including the Dame Pearlette Louisy and Balata Primary schools, as well as the Ciceron Children’s Home.

But, apart from its contribution to the tourism and travel industry, it is perhaps for its contribution to the development and sustenance of St. Lucian and Caribbean cricket that Sandals has been most lauded regionally.

The Sandals-West Indies Cricket Board High Performance Cricket Academy was held in August in St. Lucia and Antigua, at the Beausejour Cricket Ground and the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, respectively.

Some 120 Under-15 players from the six regional teams, along with additional selectees from the host countries, were engaged in intense skills refining facilitated by highly qualified West Indian coaches along with legends of West Indies cricket.

This year, for the first time, the Sandals Cricket Annual Academy went regional, after 10 years catering mainly to young St. Lucian cricketers. Several great West Indies players have coached the budding cricketers, some of whom have gone on to represent West Indies junior teams.

Sandals Halcyon GM, Dupal, urged the participating young cricketers to “see parallels between the development of an indigenous institution and their own aspiration to one day become world class players.”

He also urged the young players to be, “community focused” and invited them to propose outreach programmes to the Foundation.

The Sandals-WICB High Performance Centre was established with co-operation of the Ministry of Sports and the St. Lucia Cricket Association; and St. Lucian cricket coach, Keith Charlery, was specially commended for his work with the Sandals Cricket Academy for the past 10 years.

President of the Sandals Foundation, Adam Stewart, said the investment by Sandals in the cricket venture was, “in keeping with our commitment toward the development of young people across the Caribbean.” He said cricket, “has played too vital a role in the evolution of Caribbean society for this organisation to miss on an opportunity to advance the game in the region.”

After 30 years at the helm, Butch Stewart has so led his company that the next generation of leadership has already been identified – and is already at work. His son, Adam, is regarded as no less a shrewd operator than his father, no less a ‘chip off the old block.’

Sandals today operates 22 hotels on five Caribbean islands; and over the past 16 years, it has maintained a reputation for being ‘The Best All-Inclusive Chain in the World,’ as well as, ‘The Best Hotel Chain in the Caribbean.’

Three of the world’s most popular Caribbean hotel chain’s hotels are located in St. Lucia, with a possibility of a fourth and fifth to be built – if the global economy and airlift improve.

Clearly, in its 30 years, Sandals has placed one hell of a lot of confidence in St. Lucia. It’s not all been a nice ride. There have been bumps along the road, but every curve and corner has led back to the highway of success – for the chain as a business and for St. Lucia as a destination.

Sandals revolutionised the Caribbean pleasure industry in the past three decades. Now, with its 2011 US $500 million investment to grow its 22 hotels across St. Lucia and the Caribbean, it offers planetary luxury! ◊


BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

The Caribbean has over recent years become a favourable destination for the location of offshore medical schools. American offshore medical schools, in particular, have sprouted across the region and are existent today on most Caribbean islands, but at different levels according to location arrangements.

Many medical schools, colleges and universities have over the years, chosen St. Lucia on account of the many welcome factors that include a positive attitude by the governments to development of the offshore medical industry.

The Atlantic University School of Medicine (AUSOM) is no exception. It started operations here in January 2011, offering top-of-the-line medical studies at its major facility on the Millennium Highway, as well as a mix of access to nearby hospitals and state-of-the-art facilities.

Established in the USA, AUSOM offers services through professional tutors of international repute that have attracted the interest of students from St. Lucia and countries across the globe, seeking the best training for their chosen profession.

In the almost one year since it opened its doors here, the university has transformed the formerly empty structure where it is presently based into a beehive of activity involving students bent on learning the

most they can, the fastest they can, in a tropical setting unlike any other on the island.

Dr. Paule Leone, the architect behind AUSOM, says he chose St. Lucia to establish his school “because, after looking at all the locations on offer, we found the St. Lucia authorities offered us the best response.”

He explained, “The St. Lucia government stated its policy of wanting to make offshore medical services a key component of its development strategy to attract investments. “That sounded like music to our ears, so we contacted the authorities and the rest is history. We are here, we’re already working and we’re already turning out the results.”

Dr. Leone insists that AUSOM “intends to become the number one medical university in St. Lucia,” but adds that “we also intend to expand our services to St. Lucians and other Caribbean students interested in becoming doctors.

AUSOM, in August 2011 held its first White Coat Ceremony in St. Lucia to honour the first set of students trained at its St. Lucia campus. According to R. Nair, Academic Dean, “The ceremony featured the first batch of students who have covered the St. Lucia stage of their medical training, on their way to US hospitals for completion and accreditation.”

The ‘White Coat Ceremony’ honored

some 20 students, who completed their basic sciences program and have transitioned to their clinical rotation at hospitals in the US.

The students took their Hippocratic Oath in the presence of their lecturers, health officials and their relatives, who had flown to St. Lucia for the occasion.

Minister of Health Dr. Keith Mondesir, Attorney General Rudolph Francis and senior local health officials, as well as relatives of departing students, participated in the ceremony.

Before arriving here, the first batch of students had already completed two semesters of basic sciences at other institutions.

They are among the hundreds from everywhere in the world who have chosen St. Lucia as the preferred island for offshore medical study in pursuit of their medical certificates.

Following the local ceremony, which was held at the Royal St. Lucian Hotel, the 20 international medical students left St. Lucia for Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, USA, to spend the next two years putting the theory of medicine into practice.

Jackson Park Hospital is one of the more prominent teaching hospitals in the USA and AUSOM is one of the newest medical schools in St. Lucia. ◊

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

In this issue, we focus on tyres. Tyres have limited life and every car owner will regularly face the issue of having to replace one or more tyres. We will answer questions such as when to replace tyres and how to go about choosing tyres.

When should I replace my tyres?The easy answer is when the driver

starts to experience slippage on wet roads, then the car should be brought into an Automotive Art service centre immediately to be inspected by a service professional to establish whether in fact changing your tyres makes good sense.

The more scientific answer we recommend is that tyres should be changed when they reach approximately 4/32” of remaining tread depth. Since water can’t be compressed, you need enough tread depth to allow the rain to escape through the tyre’s grooves. If the water can’t escape fast enough, your vehicle’s tyres will be forced to hydroplane on top of the water, thereby losing traction and increasing stopping distances.

Mixing tyres and why NOT to do it:Ideally, tyres should not be mixed on any

vehicle unless deemed acceptable by the tyre or vehicle manufacturer. Additionally, tyres with different tread patterns, or sizes, should not be mixed on a vehicle. Identical tyres should be used on all the vehicle’s wheel positions in order to maintain optimal control and stability of the vehicle. The same goes for mixing run-flat tyres with non-run flat tyres.

One of the major reasons for not mixing tyres is to ensure that all the vehicles tyres wear down at the same time, and

ensures that drivers get their money’s worth out of the current tyres. It also allows the driver to select replacements that meet OE specifications.

Regrettably wearing out all tyres at the same time isn’t always possible. Sometimes vehicle design, the use of differently sized tyres on front and rear axles, insufficient maintenance and/or driving conditions, and people’s budgets can prevent it from happening.

If a vehicle’s tyres don’t all wear out uniformly at the same time, drivers are typically forced to decide whether they should purchase a new set of tyres (forfeiting the worth of the two tyres not fully worn out) or just a pair of replacements. Obviously, purchasing a new set of tyres is best because it will maintain the handling balance engineered into the vehicle while restoring poor weather traction. However, it is also more expensive. Conversely, purchasing a pair of replacement tyres reduces immediate expense, it brings with it the options of choosing exact, equivalent or alternative tyres.

Selecting the size you need:You may visit one of our Automotive Art stores for a free inspection and recommendation on most suitable sized tyre for your vehicle. The information below serves as a useful guide for your own understanding:Width x Aspect Ratio = Section HeightSection Height x 2 = Combined Section Height

Combined Section Height + Wheel Diameter = Tyre DiameterExample: 175/60R13 85H or 175/60HR13175mm x .60=105mm105mm x 2=210mm210mm + 330.2mm (13”)= 540.2mm or 21.27”The first number is the width of the tyre in millimetres, measured from sidewall to sidewall. To convert to inches, divide by 25.4. In the example above, the width is 175mm or 6.89”.

The second number is the aspect ratio. This is a ratio of sidewall height to width. In the example above, the tyre is 6.89” wide; multiply that by the aspect ratio to find the height of one sidewall. In this case, 175x0.60=105mm or 6.89”x0.60=4.08”.

The last number is the diameter of the wheel in inches.

To figure the outside diameter of a tyre, take the sidewall height and multiply by 2, (remember that the diameter is made up of 2 sidewalls, the one above the wheel, and the one below the wheel), and add the diameter of the wheel to get your answer.

Car Care Tips – Volume 5

Replacing Tyres


BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Coral Street Castries, St. Lucia. West IndiesTel: (758) 451.6115 Mobile: (758)720.3597 / 484.3511 Fax: (758) 452.0511 Email: [email protected]

We Specialized in Printing of T-shirts, Polo T-shirts in a variety of sizes, for Companies, Special Events & Island Themes, Mousepads and a Wide Range of other Items.

Lucian T’s is a new company, but is perhaps the island’s best manufacturers of quality T-shirts. The proprietor, Anthony Roheman, has been in the T-shirt business for over three decades and has built a reputation with local clients island-wide, from all walks of life, in all sectors.

“I’ve been in the business for some time and have been operating under different company names, but each time I’ve changed the name to suit the upgrading of our services,” he explains.

He says of his business, “I’ve developed a reputation for quality because I source all my T-shirts from high quality sources abroad. In fact, I can source any fabric from anywhere and because I have a one-stop-shop operation, we can guarantee all our clients the lowest prices for the best quality materials.”

Roheman points to some of his successes. “I’ve been doing Anse Chastanet’s work for three decades, I also did all the T-Shirts for the Pine Hill Walk, as well as the Ten Thousand Man March, and more recently, the Walk With Your Priest.”

“We do a lot of personalized stuff as well,” he adds, “including funerals, as well as towels, caps, key rings and key chains, etc. In fact, we are also going into personalized mouse pads for the various corporate clients we have.”

He continues, “We guarantee our clients that if they have the time we will give them a better product for at least 35% less than what the competition will charge. However, if you don’t have the time and we have to purchase T-shirts locally, it may cost a bit more, but I guarantee that it will be less than anyone else will ask.”

Convinced? If so - or even if not - visit Lucian T’s at their headquarters at 25 Coral Street, opposite the old Rambally’s Funeral Home in Castries. You’ll be surprised, amazed - and very pleased to save so much. ◊

High Quality T’s Affordable Brand Marketing

Anthony Roheman - Proprietor

BusinessFocus Nov / Dec | 55BusinessFocus Nov / Dec | 55

FEATURE

DevelopmentContruction


CML - A Joint Venture Between Capital & Labour

Caribbean Metals Limited didn’t have an ordinary birth. Consequently, it’s not an ordinary company. It contains several combinations of people and capital that set it apart from others in its field in the wider construction industry. After 21 years of taxing and applying the creative synergies of its unique make-up, CML has become a market leader in its field – all because its owners have been able to create an alliance between historically antagonistic forces – labour and capital – in a way that others also can, but don’t.

CML was first established in 1989 as a joint venture between St. Lucian and Barbadian interests – St. Lucia’s Michael Chastanet and Barbados’ Structural Systems Ltd and BRC (West Indies) Ltd. The latter two companies belonged to

the Group of companies led by Barbadian entrepreneur, Ralph ‘Bizzy’ Williams.

‘Bizzy’ had long been encouraged by the likes of his brother, Sir Charles ‘COW’ Williams (who was already involved in the construction industry here as a major contractor) as well as by other investors like John Alamby, to invest in manufacturing construction materials. He subsequently took their advice and joined hands – and dollars – with Michael Chastanet and Peter Kent. The result was CML.

The company established itself and started trading here as CML on October 2, 1990 with signature roofing products, especially its ‘Colourclad’ series that quickly started changing the appearance of rooftops island-wide, welded wire mesh (BRC), reinforcing steel rods, steel frame buildings, and a wide selection

of merchant bars. It has expanded over the years by adding a variety of products and services to meet the needs of the construction building sector in St. Lucia. The company’s first General Manager was Peter Kent. But it was just over one year old when it suffered two major disasters: The Union River overflowed its banks and flooded the new CML premises; and Mr. Kent suffered a stroke. Since then, it’s been 20 years of the fruits of hard labour for everyone involved, here and at the CML parent company, Williams Industries, in Barbados. But much of the changes today have been attributed to the early changes introduced when Barbadian John Francis became General Manager in 1996.

Francis’ role at CML cannot be underestimated. The company had been through a very trying period between the October 11th 1990 flood and the time


he took over. Those were six years which ‘Bizzy’ Williams openly admits, “tested my own faith in St. Lucia.” But Williams also admits, equally frankly, that, “from 1996 when John Francis took over as General Manager and we changed a lot about how the company did business, CML never looked back.” Based in Barbados since 2004 as the Director of Manufacturing Operations of Williams Industries Inc, Francis’ overall responsibilities take him often to the Group’s St. Lucia subsidiary. He told BF’s Earl Bousquet, on one such recent visit, of the company’s birth – and one of the main secrets of its success. Said Francis: “BRC (West Indies) Ltd was established in 1982 and St. Lucia was one of its primary export markets— so important that a decision was taken to establish a presence here as the primary supplier of BRC to the island. CML became, therefore, a hybrid of three companies and their products – BRC (West Indies), Structural Systems and Williams Metals.”

“St. Lucia has always been a very good market,” he continued to explain. “We’ve

faced the challenges of hurricanes and the effects of floods at our Union location, but each time we’ve rebounded and re-engineered our position to ensure we overcome each challenge and turn each one into an opportunity.” Francis, who was at the local helm when the island changed governments back in 1997, affirms that the company “has had the support of all governments, as well as the local business community, but most of all we have received wonderful support from all the people of all walks of life in St. Lucia.” “Ours have been a very good experience,” said Francis, “and we look forward to meeting all our present and future challenges creatively, looking always for new markets and services and striving to always be the product leader with world-class quality goods.” To ensure its quality products stand firm, CML practices its own supervision of its own standards. “One way we do this,” Francis explained, “is to ensure that in the absence of a Building Code we will do all we can to ensure we deliver products that will meet all the

requirements that a Building Code may require.”

We also seek to enhance the environment in which we do business, while establishing our market position in the country,” he added, pointing to the company’s unique profit-sharing scheme through which staff purchase and own shares and share in the company’s annual benefits. But if all he’d said was important to understand CML’s growth and success as a local company, Francis left perhaps the best reason for last – the creative combination of historically antagonistic forces to boost productivity. “What we have that is also very important to understand,” Francis said, “is a joint venture between suppliers of capital and labour – and that is what makes us unique.

“Our employees are also owners of the company, so they are actually working for themselves – and that is a fundamental difference that is also a fundamental factor in the success of CML in St. Lucia over the past 21 years.” ◊

Staff of CML Vieux Fort Branch


Service • Integrity • Sincerity

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E-mail: [email protected]

MOTOR MARINE AVIATION LIABILITYPROPERTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

How a young female accountant entered the construction industry and settled into the ‘Big Man’s Job’ in the island’s largest roofing and steel manufacturing company!

Karen always wanted to be a chartered ac-countant and to own her own business. She aimed at these two targets and kept focus to achieve her goals.

Perhaps it all had to do with her early childhood. By age ten, one of the young-er of several siblings at home at Hospital Road, Castries, she attended the afternoon school shift and spent the entire morn-ing at home. So, after her homework, her mother kept her busy with her share of the chores - including cooking, cleaning, selling bread and cakes in the small family shop, as well as managing her more troublesome younger brothers and sisters.

It could also be her early sense of peo-ple management that placed Karen as the leader of fellow students. She captained

Heron House for two consecutive years at Castries Comprehensive School and they emerged as winners.

Karen began her career at Peat Marwick Mitchell (precursor to Price Waterhouse Coopers), one of the premiere Chartered Accounting firms on the island at the time.

Karen worked on and off as a secretary ev-ery holiday, from the CCSS to the then “A” Level College (now Sir Arthur Lewis Com-munity College), followed by several stints as a temporary member of staff, until she landed a position as an assistant accoun-tant. Though the Peat Marwick job was

Taking Aim at the

TopAn Upward Climb from

a Solid Foundation

Karen Fontenelle-Peter - General Manager


going well, an accidental opportunity then arose that could give her a head start - by leaps and bounds.

Here’s how it happened: There was an opening at Sunshine Bookshop, the is-land’s main bookstore, and she overheard someone suggesting to someone else that they should seize the opportunity. But the person being offered the job wasn’t inter-ested in uprooting, so Karen asked, “What about me?” She applied, was interviewed and ended up managing the company’s three bookshops in Castries and Vieux Fort. That was in 1995 and the rest is three years of Sunshine history.

But Karen also tended, at that early age and stage of her developing business ca-reer, to think, act and move in three-year cycles. After her first three years at Sun-shine Bookshop, she wanted to move on and up, to higher or better things. Up came another new opportunity: Caribbean Met-als Limited (CML) looking for a Sales and Marketing Manager to market its metal roofing and steel products. Like with her previous job, she went after it and got it.

But, three years later at CML, the three-year-cycle started taking its toll and she started feeling less than challenged but still focused on obtaining her accounting certification. Her passion for excellence had her revisit her earlier dream and so she left CML in December 2000 to be-gin her accounting career in Trinidad and Tobago to pursue the ACCA (Association of Certified Chartered Accountants). She completed it in just two years – the short-est possible time frame.

Karen then returned to St. Lucia at the end of December 2002 and was again of-fered the position she vacated at CML - Sales and Marketing Manager. Back in this role, she earned respect from both staff and customers and held onto this posi-tion until that BIG DAY came at CML when she simply walked through the company’s solid METAL DOORS leading up to the Top Floor and the Top Job as General Manager of CML.

How did it happen? CML is the local subsidiary of Barbados-

based Williams Industries Incorporated (a more than 22-company Caribbean con-glomerate). The company’s offshore com-panies, including CML, were managed mainly by Barbadian nationals posted to and/or resident in the island. Into the third year of her second stint in the same posi-

tion, Karen had already started focusing on her next three-year move when the next big opportunity came.

Indeed, this was The BIG ONE! The Bar-badian General Manager had to be recalled home and Karen was offered the TOP JOB. She would become the first St. Lucian born General Manager of Caribbean Metals. The rest is history – and also a milestone in the field of women doing what’s still con-sidered, ‘a man’s job in a man’s world.’

Of course, there’s no such thing as ‘a man’s job’ anymore, even if this is still very much a man’s world. But Karen’s story and her role at the island’s leading manufactur-er and supplier of roofing and other metal products is nothing but an enviable one – for men as for women.

Earl Bousquet first knew Karen Fontenelle-Peter as a 10-year-old child at Hospital Road, where they both grew up. Three decades and one marriage later, he interviews her after five years on the job as the General Manager of the is-land’s leading metal manufactur-ing company.

The interview:

Q: What was the trip like from Hospital Road to CML at Union?

A: Fast, but not easy. From home, I knew where I wanted to go so I started plan-ning to get there. There were bumps and corners along the road, but there were always opportunities to learn and do bet-ter. I learnt a lot about managing people by observing how my bosses operated when I was a secretary and then assistant accountant. I learnt a lot from great peo-ple-managers like Lennox Cave, Richard

Peterkin, Anthony Atkinson, Nathalbert Husbands and William Rapier at my first workplace at Peat Marwick. Then, when I went to schooI, I was very serious about studying. I grew up working during holi-days and was able to help pay for some of my school supplies. When I went to study in Trinidad, I financed my entire studies with the monies I had saved. I did not want to be burdened with a loan as I was not sure I would return to St. Lucia right after my stint in Trinidad. I didn’t get to see or know Trinidad, because I was just there to study, always keeping focus.

Q: How did you get the top job at CML?

A: I’d been working with the company for almost 3 years, doing my best as the Sales and Marketing Manager, but I didn’t know that the management and directors were keeping an eye on me. I was thinking of my next move when, one day, the GM had to be recalled to Barbados, so our Chairman (Ralph “BIzzy” Williams) directly asked me a sort of indirect question. He asked me ‘Do I have to find a new GM or a new Sales Manager?’ I gave him my answer - and I’m still here...

Q: How does it feel to be told you’re ‘A woman in a big man’s job’?

A: I feel a sense of pride and power - proud that I’m doing something others feel should be a man’s job; powerful in the sense that I can rise and excel like anyone else – man or woman. It’s about getting there without compromising your integrity or morality and being fair. It’s about hard work and long hours. Sometimes, persons from elsewhere ask me if I’m certain that I am a St. Lucian because they have this false notion we are generally lazy. Compet-ing businessmen see me as a woman tak-ing on the challenge and doing it well, they are generally impressed and congratulate me – they often bounce ideas off me to get my input. Some even offer me to join their companies. But I’m still here…

Q: How do you juggle the responsibili-ties of being a wife as well as a young woman at the top in your job?

A: I am able to because I have the strong support of my husband Martin D Peter. Al-though we have no children we have each other for support which makes life easier.


Q: What have been your major achieve-ments at CML?

A: I would say there were a few mile-stones. I guess being in the seat as General Manager and taking the company into its 21st year. But one of my best, I think, was achieving a reputation for quality prod-ucts and becoming a household name. We are first on the mind for quality products. I worked hard on that, targeting persons from all walks of life including children by assisting in various areas eg. sports, school supplies and events island-wide. I wanted Caribbean Metals to be known throughout the length and breadth of St. Lucia and that I DID.

Q: What’s the hardest decision you’ve had to make and take?

A: Dismissing people. It’s always hard tak-ing a decision to dismiss employees, which is always a last resort. But once I think long and hard, taking everything into consider-ation I make the decision.

Q: At 21, what would you say CML has brought to the construction industry?

A: We brought a sense of quality to the market. Take our motto – it ranges from ‘Building a stronger nation’ to ‘We’ve got you covered’. We set standards and we en-courage others to do the same. But while we do our part for ourselves and our cus-tomers, improving quality and standards will not be possible without such things like an improved and updated Building Code and the implementation of Standards and Quality practices by the Standards Bureau and such entities. For example, we supply hurricane roof straps which would add to the structural integrity of the roofs. These standards would also need to be enforced

as we try to develop a quality market that we all would like to see.

Q: Where next for CML?

A: Regional penetration of the markets is high on our agenda. We would also con-tinue to be innovative in acquiring techno-logically advanced equipment to improve our efficiency and quality in an effort to remain on the cutting edge. Expanding our product range to achieve a one-stop-shop accreditation is also being worked on. We will also continue to make a meaningful contribution to the construction industry and provide assistance to the necessary in-stitutions that govern the industry.

Q: Where next for the local construc-tion industry?

A: As indicated earlier, the industry needs to be guided by standards to ensure qual-ity. Once this is achieved our people will be equipped with the necessary skills to expand in the regional markets offering comparative products and services that meet international standards. Locally, the industry needs to grow with a more formal approach to the profession. Many per-sons I see learnt what they know by work-ing with others but never took a formal approach to excel by seeking to acquire certifications. In an environment where standards are being ignored and quality is

being compromised is a recipe for a disas-trous outcome. There is a task at hand and those issues need to be addressed as we are experiencing great changes in climate and measures of disasters of great propor-tions all over the world.

Q: Any words for other women or young persons also eyeing business careers?

A: As I lamented earlier, it doesn’t come without hard work, long hours, not com-promising integrity and morality, being fair, etc. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a woman or a man. To young persons I’ll say: DREAM BIG and always keep your focus. Decide as early as possible what you want to be. Don’t see set-backs as roadblocks, but as experiences which can also be seen as stepping stones. It’s not as much about what you sell as it’s about the people you will lead. Always set goals and position yourself to achieve such goals. Having a mentor is always a positive approach. Always surround yourself with positive thinking people. Most importantly, and I have to say that I live by this rule: the one who gave you life, our maker GOD - ensure that He is an integral part of your life and the decisions that you want to make and always put Him first. ◊


Meet Our Teams

Ralph ‘Bizzy’ WilliamsChairman

Karen Fontenelle-Peter General Manager

Wilfred Fontenelle Production Manager

Ingrid Modeste Charles Sales & Marketing Manager

Barbara Ann LeonAcct./Administration Manager

Peter KentDirector

Michael ChastanetDirector

Leonard PayneDirector

John FrancisDirector

Senior Management

Board ofDirectors


Selling and marketing a company like Caribbean Metals Limited (CML) is no simple job. Its product base is diverse and technology-sensitive, meaning that innovations are a matter of course and the product changes over time. Then there is the constantly moving goal post of customer needs and customer satisfaction. Non-homogenous, sophisticated in taste, market savvy and price conscious – the pressure is always on to remain relevant, competitive and top-of-mind within a diverse customer demographic.

Ingrid Charles has been in the Marketing and Sales Manager hot seat at CML for just over two-and-a-half years; and she can tell you, with all the certainty of truth, “It’s a very challenging and dynamic job that always keeps me on my feet. The market changes quickly, with consumers having more choices and being more demanding; and both the competition and the market are now also global, meaning that the market is not ours alone and we will have to compete with the world from home.”

Given the challenges of the job, the CML Marketing and Sales department continues to adapt to changes. “We are looking to be creative and adaptable, to produce adapted products made to fit our environment and the customer’s needs,” says Ms Charles. In keeping with the company’s focus on retaining its ranking as a tried and tested one-stop-shop for the local construction industry, she cited the importance of consistent market analysis,

demographic assessments, trends and shifting values among people with disposable income.

“Who is investing in real estate nowadays, in building a home at a younger age, and even in property management as a revenue base? What are their media habits? How do we reach them? This informs how we innovate with our marketing approaches as well, and indeed how we optimize new ICT to connect with our market, where they are.” Part of her job entails communicating with media production outlets and advertising agencies to ensure the brand and the products of CM is top-of-mind. “Important for us, is that the Caribbean Metals value proposition is unambiguous and answers the needs of the market based, in various economic climates.”

Critically for the company is its relationship with the national community. Mrs. Charles says communicating value also requires, “that we show our heart to the community we serve”. Running parallel to CM’s Sales and Marketing function is an active and substantial corporate social responsibility programme which has no direct sales benefit, but helps to deliver on the company’s promise to remain an active partner in the social and economic life of people and communities.

“We stand the cost of researching, producing and broadcasting “Better

Building Tips” that de-mystifies the importance and value of quality CML products such as our Hurricane Straps, Brickforce and Permaclad Clamps. We donate to the less fortunate –everything from materials to cash, and we liaise with public social agencies and community based organisations to help them administer support and care to those in need. The CM executive is justifiably proud of the impact of its outreach on the lives and circumstances of others, so that while she will admit that negotiating the turns and trends of a volatile market is not a job for the timid, she is quick to cite the value of effective integration of sales & marketing, community relations and social support to the brand building effort.

However, her ultimate eventual achievement would be “to situate the Caribbean Metals brand at the heart of every construction decision, achieved not merely by top-of-mind tactics but by remaining just who we set out to be – value givers, service-centric and trendsetters in roofing technology.”

“To this end,” she says, “we want people to always be able and ready to choose us, without doubt, for our quality and range of products and services. Our objective is our delivery of service to the customer, that he comes away fully convinced of our promise that ‘We’ve got you covered, guaranteed!” ◊

‘Our aim daily is to situate the Caribbean Metals brand at the heart of every construction decision, achieved not merely by top-of-mind tactics but by remaining just who we set out to be – value givers, service-centric and trendsetters in roofing technology...’

Selling & Marketing CML In A Fast

Changing Climate

Ingrid Modeste Charles Sales & Marketing Manager








Profile of Products & Services


CML Product Listing:

• Colourclad Roofing: U-Panel Profile and Standing Seam Profile• Permaclad Roofing: U-Panel Profile and Corrugated 10/3 Profile• Aluminum Gutters 5” and 6”• Reinforced Steel• Welded Wire Mesh (BRC Fabric)• Brick Force• Tying Wire• Aluminum Sheets• Galvanized Sheets• Copper Sheets• Stainless Steel Sheets• Checkered Plates• Beams, Columns, Channels• Galvanized Purlins• Flats, Angles, Channels• CHS, RHS, SHS (Hollow Sections)• Solid Squares• Galvanized Pipes• Artistic Forgings (Decorative Wrought Iron)• Welding Plants, Welding Rods• Door Gears• Hurricane Straps

• Track & Studs• Screws• Bolts, Nuts, Washers• Wedge Anchors• Polythene• Lattice• Silicone• Insulation

Available Roofing Colours:

Mandarin RedTundraLaranja RedWheatOyster GreyWhitePinewood GreenGlen GreenReef GreenAfrican BlueBahama BlueMountain BluePermacladGrizzly Brown

Roofing – Colourclad or Permaclad?Colourclad has a poly vinyl fluoride coating. The colour is baked on, not painted, so it is tough against UV rays. Tests have shown

that due to the high efficiency of thermal conductivity that 70% less heat enters the building than a colour coated roof as the heat is radiated off the surface, rather than absorbed into the building.

Permaclad sheets are used for factory roofing and farming sheds. It is a very durable product in tropical climates and is also corrosion resistant in close proximity to the sea.

Artistic ForgingDecorate wrought iron creations are used for making gates, lamps, tables and chairs as well as aesthetically pleasing burglar bars,

providing security for the home.

Reinforced SteelAny permanent structure needs hot rolled steel rebars encased in the concrete to provide the supporting power of columns and

cross-beams.

BRCBRC is a reinforcing steel fabric designed to ensure longevity and structural integrity of concrete slabs. It comes in flat sheets for

manageability.

BrickforceWhen placed within walls, brickforce bears substantial pressure in all directions to reduce cracking. Brickforce can bind blocks

together in a way that mortar alone cannot. It is produced in straight lengths for easy handling.

Working to Build a Stronger NationFor further information see www.caribbeanmetalslimited.com








Profile of Products & Services


Integrated DevelopmentConstruction Ltd.

Developing theBuilding your ideas Future...

into Reality

Phone: (758) 450.8902 Mobile: (758) 716 6250

P.O. Box RB2417, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. West indies

email: [email protected]: (758) 450 4083

Drainage

Road BuildingHouse Plans

When local entrepreneur, Michael Chastanet, encouraged his Barbadian colleague investor, Ralph ‘Bizzy’ Williams, to invest in the construction of Caribbean Metals Limited here, it didn’t take long for Bizzy’s long-held dream of investing in St. Lucia to come true.

Naturally, Bizzy earlier treated the construction of CML as would an investor and entrepreneur of his vast size – another investment to keep the business growing and expanding. But, Bizzy Williams will also tell you, the day he first arrived for the opening of the factory, “all that changed.”

According to him, “I was so impressed with the excellent work that that CML team had done under Peter Kent’s leadership that I asked Michael (Chastanet) to let us set aside 10% of the equity for the monthly and weekly paid staff and finance them to purchase this equity. He agreed readily and the joint venture between providers of capital and labour that is CML was born.”

According to John Francis, Group Managing Director of CML’s parent company, Williams Industries Inc, “The formula is simple: we annually offer shares to workers who have been with the company for 10, 15 and 20 years and we offer each ten thousand shares at one dollar per share.”

Every year, those workers at CML who have signed up to the profit sharing scheme smile all the way to the bank as they collect their cheques as profit-making shareholders in the company they work for. ◊

The CML Profit Sharing SchemeThis is how they do it!

Ralph ‘Bizzy’ Williams - CML Chairman


The Chastanet Factor!

You cannot talk about construction and development in St. Lucia and not mention Michael Chastanet. Plain and simple, the tall man towers high in the field of local investors, even though he won’t himself make that natural claim to his own deserved fame.

Here you have a guy who sees things quite different from most. Take his approach to development: Where everyone else will see an empty lot, Michael sees what he can build on it – or what he can do with it.

When he pulled up his anchor and returned home from the Caribbean Seas many, many moons ago, the island was just cutting the curve towards accelerated construction and development. But Michael was not about to retire with his already acquired worldly wealth. The sea salt was still flowing through his veins – and so was his unique buccaneering spirit of seeing and treating business like every trip he sailed his vessels - as an adventure.

Back home, Michael was on the hunt for new worlds to conquer, this time ashore on dry land, in the land he knew best.

Driving up to Vigie airport from the city along the then new John Compton Highway one day, he noticed an area that had remained just as he’d left it decades before: mainly a marsh of mud and wild bush, overgrown trees, mosquitoes and sand flies – as near a swamp as an abandoned area so close to the city could be. Not a soul was interested in that piece of wasteland.

But where others saw wasteland, Michael saw his Graceland. Before he got to the airport, the architect in his mind had already shown him various visions

and designs of what the place could look like. On his return from that trip, he went after the wasteland, bought it at its market value, and before the next coconut tree could grow, had completely transformed an area where crabs and frogs once multiplied uninterrupted in their undiscovered jungle paradise, into that entire area we know today along the same highway: with Colony House up front, spreading and sprawling all the way into the back from the Venezuelan Embassy, encompassing another set of warehouses – all standing comfortably with an abundance of parking space where once everyone else saw only a swamp. From his investment in real estate, Michael branched out into the construction industry through his investment in Caribbean Metals Limited (CML), thus helping usher in the era of Saint Lucia being a base for manufacturing of metallurgical construction materials, ranging from roofing to metal building structures. CML also changed the colours of the nation’s roofs. CFL has contributed significantly to the introduction of new skills and technology in the local construction industry that St. Lucia cannot but be proud of today.

Apart from real estate and manufacturing for construction, Michael also invested in the supermarket business when he seized on an opportunity to inherit and revive the local operation of a popular Barbadian supermarket brand, Julienne’s, which ran into problems on Christmas Eve one year. Based at his Gablewoods Mall, it eventually upped and left over disagreements with the tenant. Michael had no choice but to acquire its stocks - and he simply renamed

it Julian’s. Julian’s then became the start of what we know today as the Super J chain, after a merger with JQ’s Supermarkets, with half the stores from the Julian’s and JQ’s chains. Gablewoods was also historic, as the first major local shopping mall.

Michael Chastanet has also invested in tourism - which, again, had positive implications for construction for development in that sector. First he purchased a burnt-out small hotel property – the former Candyo Inn, along the Rodney Bay boardwalk, rebuilt it and renamed it Coco Creole. Then, before the new name sank in, Michael also built a massive, creatively designed edifice next to it and called it Coco Palm – originally intended for his only two children, Feolla and Allen.

Coco Palm, built by local contractor Rayneau Gajadhar’s CIE Ltd., was declared open by Michael’s son Allen (before his sudden nose-dive into politics five years ago) and is now being run along high international standards by daughter Feolla (a former Communications Director with the World Tourism Council) and her local team. Michael’s contribution to the construction industry here – from conceptualization of ideas to construction of structures – is much wider than normally seen. Once a Chairman of the National Development Corporation (NDC), he also had something to do with development and construction of many other structures central to development in St. Lucia.

In his personal capacity too, He was also the founding Chairman of the Bank of St. Lucia and remained in that post for a considerable period. ◊

What Happened After

Michael Rowed His

Boat Ashore?

FEATURE


Gablewoods

Gablewoods Mall, the island’s first major shopping centre of its kind, celebrates its 21st anniversary on December 2nd, 2011.It was originally built to ease the consumer and tourist shopping pleasure, as parking in Castries became too congested and difficult and not an overall pleasant experience. The supermarket is actually the ‘anchor’ of the mall, and, to this day, still is the main draw.

When he set off to build the mall at another previously undiscovered location, local entrepreneur, Michael Chastanet, was keen to offer a balance and diversity of services, including bank, a post office and a food court. Later came the addition of the pharmacy inside the supermarket.

The original Gablewoods Mall is located at a central location to serve shoppers, particularly those on their way home after work, whether heading up north or south to La Toc. And, with a name etched in the minds of shoppers – it became a ‘must go’ place for many a housewife or husband seeking the widest variety at the same venue. It is also home to a multiplicity

of rental outlets made available to local businesses, thereby allowing those willing to step up the service ladder to access common locations.

Today, 21 years old, Gablewoods Mall in Castries offers over 40 shops. But it has also built up a significant presence in Vieux Fort, contributing to the expansion of the southern town’s development as a thriving business centre and encouraging others to follow suit. Gablewoods Vieux Fort also offers another multiplicity of outlets, contributing to townspeople and their neighbouring villagers no longer having to travel to Castries for the best there is in shopping.

Gablewoods Castries and Vieux Fort stand as beacons of business in the city and the town and the brand’s 21st anniversary is a large feather in Michael Chastanet’s already large investment cap.

Gablewoods Mall has over the past 21 years offered Saint Lucians the luxury of wide shopping choices, access to services and the pleasure of being able to source everything in one location. The most recent facelift at Gablewoods Castries

was primarily to the food court, which has proven very popular during the lunch hour for the many businesses in the surrounding area.

Despite early pressure from his family to add a movie cinema and second level and higher standards, Chastanet was determined to cater to “the Pepsi pocketbook” and core Saint Lucians - and he’s been true to his word. Gablewoods also offers the small Saint Lucian entrepreneurs renting outlets to start-off in their own business with a high level of foot-traffic coming their way, due to the supermarket. The car park also houses selective vendors with coconut water, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables. Many corporations also lease out the car park on a weekend to launch products or entertain at various times of the year.

At 21, Gablewoods has earned its founders and directors the salutes of most St. Lucians who have made use of its services and products in Castries and Vieux Fort. Gablewoods and its principals, management and staff can only be wished, “Another 21!” ◊








When building a property, ideally, the weather will be perfect, all the materials will arrive on time and intact, and the trades people will be ready and on time. Unfortunately, this is a very rare occasion. The weather could take a turn for the worse, materials could be late or items missing, the electrician could be held up at another job, or any number of things could go wrong. The point is that putting up a building can be a chaotic affair.

What we have attempted to do here is give you a step-by-step guide to putting up your building and some idea what each step involves. While certain things must happen before others, like the foundation goes in before the roof, other things may be completed in a different order without creating many problems. In other words this detail is to be treated as a general guide to construction.

Getting Started1. Financing:

Before you start anything you might want to talk to your bank or a mortgage company to make sure you are able to get the money needed to complete the property.

Ideally, at this stage you should own the land and have established the value of your equity and confirmed your budget for construction. In addition you should have confirmed the plans for the building with your architect.

2. Plans:You could either find a suitable building

lot and then a plan to suit the lot, or if money is not a problem and you have your heart set on a specific plan, first get your plans and then a lot to suit the plan.

Having your ideas on paper should save you costly time with your draftsman or architect.

• Before you choose a plan, take into account your lifestyle and your budget. It is very easy to go over budget or choose a plan that looks ideal on paper, but does not suit your family.• There are many design books on the market or you could hire an architect or a home designer to design a house for you.• Make sure you have enough copies of your plan, 10 would be really nice. Your building permit will take 2 or 3 copies and you will probably have to leave a plan at your place of lending. That leaves you with 6 or 7 copies left. Many of the sub trades need a plan to price out their work, make sure you remember who has a plan and get it back when they are finished with it. Most subdivisions will require a set of plans.

3. Subdivision:The developers often control many

aspects of what goes into their subdivision. You must decide if their building scheme is within your budget and lifestyle. Most subdivisions will have to approve of your building plan before you may apply for a building permit. A building scheme is when the subdivision owners or the Planning Department have placed restrictions on the type, color, roof style, size, basically

it could include anything to do with the house or the lot. Some subdivisions have many restrictions and others have none.

4. Lot:Put an offer on the lot, subject to

financing and in certain subdivisions subject to the building scheme.

5. Estimates:Get cost estimates from all the sub

trades needed to complete the job. Make sure that you get several quotes from each sub trade, at least 3 or more, stick to REPUTABLE companies and you will be able to ELIMINATE a lot of problems afterwards. Compare all the quotes to make sure they include the same materials and work, and of course the quality of the material. Cheaper is not always better. Have the material list checked by someone who knows a little about it. Do not be afraid to ask questions.

Your Architect and a Quantity Surveyor are very critical support to you at this stage in confirming costs and reviewing tenders through to advising you on the awarding of contracts for construction.

6. Financing and InsuranceArrange suitable financing. Your

mortgage provider will require that appropriate insurance is in place at the start of the construction and you will want to make sure that your home is protected in case of fire, theft and other problems that can have an effect on the value of your home. (Cont. page 74)

Steps A PropertyInvolved In

Building

UNDER CONSTRUCTIONFEATURE

Contact us: Lombard Road, Mon Repos, Micoud, P.O. Box 1586, Castries, St. Lucia,

Tel: 758-455-3525, 455-3184 Fax: 758-455-3676Email: [email protected] Web: www.furniturecityltd.com

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Other services we cater to include: High Volume Production at our 16,500sqft Facility’ CNC Processing Service.

AutoCAD








7. Building Permit:All architectural drawings including a

site plan must be submitted and approved by the Planning Department before construction can begin. They must also be submitted to the developers if it is part of a subdivision. This is all coordinated by the architect. Depending on the time of year and how busy they are it can take between 2 and 6 weeks before the permit is ready to be picked up.

• When you receive your building permit, you will also receive a list of conditions that must be met, for example, some beams must be engineered, or the soil must be tested.

8. Getting Organised:While you are waiting for the permit

you have time to get organised and start arranging for:

• If you are your own general contractor, the first trades to contact are the surveyors, framing crew and excavator.• Contact the electric company to get temporary power and if this takes too long, there is usually a friendly neighbour who will let you use their power for a small fee.• You should contact all the trades you have selected to confirm their availability, when confirming ask each trade during what stage of construction they need to come in to do their job.

9. Engineering:In certain conditions an engineer may be

required. The Planning Department, your general contractor or yourself may feel there is something about the house or lot which requires a stamp of approval from an engineer. When building on a slope you may want an engineer to determine what it takes to keep your house in place. For example, foundation walls may require additional steel, or you may have to use a stronger type of concrete. Using an engineer might seem a bit costly at times, but it will keep everything in the

proper conditions and you may just end up with one of the happier houses in the neighbourhood.

10. Excavating:When the framer or the surveyor has

marked where the house will be situated on the lot the excavator comes in and digs the hole for the foundation.

Optional: SurveyingAlthough it may cost a bit more, in a

tight situation you may want a surveyor to mark the corners of the house. Most areas require a survey to be done after the foundation is in. If you get them to come before you start with the footings it will cost only a little more but it could possibly save you a lot of money and frustration. Many a foundation has had to be moved or entirely redone because it was in the wrong spot.

• You may want to dig to the service hook ups at this time. Ask the plumber and electrician about this.• The plumber will do the storm, sanitary, sewer and water connections. These will have to be inspected and the water company will want to see the water connection.• The electrician will lay pipes for cable, telephone, and any electrical connections. The wires and cables will be pulled through by the respective utilities at a later time.• The connection can be dug at a later time if necessary.Soil Treatment: It is recommended that

you treat the soil for termites at this stage before you start the actual construction process. You may wish to invite tenders from various providers for review before awarding the contract.

11. Sand & Gravel:Depending on the excavated soil, you

will need good sand, pitrun and drain rock.• All slabs should have a minimum of 6” of gravel fill under it.• In certain conditions you will have to

bring in fill, either to raise the level of dirt, or because of unstable dirt. This layer (usually pitrun) will have to be compacted and leveled. Do not be cheap with this; make sure you do a good job. Compacting equipment can be rented from a rental company. Just make sure that you get the proper size equipment for the job.

12. Foundation:Order the materials needed for the

foundation from the lumber yard and the forms from the concrete company. When the materials arrive the framers can begin with the foundation.

• Do not try to save money by ordering all the building materials at this time. You will be the one that will have to move it when it gets in the way. Lumber yards will split the materials up into two or three (or as many as you like) packages.

13. Plumbing and Electrical:Contact plumbing and electrical trades

so that they can install anything that is needed before the concrete is poured, for example, the electrician may have to lay a cable inside the concrete.

• Try not to get too frustrated when waiting for people. Some of the block outs are for their convenience. If they don’t want to do them at this time they can dig them out later (but would you want to be the one digging?). Things happen, be nice.

14. Footings Inspection:When the framers have finished

laying the footing contact the architect or Planning Department and request a footings inspection.

• Some framers will pour the concrete for the footings first and then the foundation, while others will prefer to pour the concrete for the footings and the foundations at the same time.

15. Concrete:If the footings are poured first the



Beausejour, Gros Islet, St. LuciaTEL: (758)-452-TILE (8453)

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Our Services include:• Psychometric Assessments (job fit)• Individual Counselling • Organisational Development (OD)• Staff Development Workshops• Critical Incident Assistance • Substance Abuse Counselling • Group Therapy

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concrete truck will come twice, once to pour the footings and then again after the foundation has been built. Or if the foundation is built at the same time, the concrete can be poured for the footings and the foundation at the same time.

• When pouring (usually done by the framing crew), make sure that there are enough people to do the job.• Also, make sure that there is a vibrator on site.• The concrete company will usually arrange for a pump trunk if needed.

16. Strip Foundation:Usually the day after the concrete

has been poured the foundation can be stripped. The concrete company should be called to pick up their forms.

• Try to place the stripped materials in a place where they are out of the way and will stay straight and clean.

17. Damp Proofing:Waterproofing is required on the part of

the foundation where the slab or skim coat is below grade level.

18. Drain Tile:Drain tile will have to be placed around

the perimeter of your house whenever there is living space below grade level (ground level). This includes storage or crawl space.

• Rules concerning drainage depend on soil conditions, or type of house. In most slab on grade situations (where the concrete floor is above grade level), you may be able to eliminate drain tile, but it never hurts to install it.• The top of the drain tile should be placed even with the footing/foundation joint.• In some communities with storm sewers you will not be allowed to hook your down pipes into the perimeter drain. The same goes if you have a drain installed in a well window. You will have to put in a second line and drain it into a gravel pit.

19. Sewer & Water Hook-Ups:The plumber usually hooks up the sewer

and water. When this is completed it will be inspected. Also, the water company must inspect the water hook-up before it is covered.

• In case this wasn’t done during the excavation.

• Note: the gas company will install their own hook-ups to the gas meter.

20. Backfilling & Grading:After the drain tile has been inspected

the backfilling and grading can be done in most cases.

Note: Again, although at times overlooked, a well prepared foundation for your house and drive way will be one of your best investments. Hire an engineer or you may want to consider getting a general contractor involved. Again it may cost a bit, but it’s advised not to fool around with this part. In any case, use common sense and ask when in doubt.

• Use good material for inside the foundation, garage, driveway, and sidewalks. Do not skimp on the compacting of these areas.• Steel will help with strengthening and keeping things in place. But due to settling, you will most likely end up with some cracks in your slab or garage floor with time. Most of the cracks can be fixed.

21. Slab or Skim Coat:Weather permitting your skim coat or

slab could now be poured.• Slab or skim coat: consists of layer of

gravel, poly (which must be sealed against Radon Gas), and then a layer of concrete.

• Hire a professional concrete finisher. Note: It is possible, with the exception of a tight crawl space, that the concrete work can be done after the framing is completed. The only difference being that you may get away with using a pump most of the time at this stage, not very likely at a later time.

22. Framing:The materials needed for framing should

be delivered by the lumber yard. If needed any engineered beams should also be delivered to the building site. These beams are often supplied by the truss company.

• Order trusses• Once framing starts, establish when the windows and exterior doors should be delivered.• Apply for a gas meter.• At this time you should be sure of the layout of your house; discuss any changes with your framer. Alterations later on can be messy, costly, and very frustrating for the framing crew. Drop by at the end of the day’s work. And do not forget that

they are there to make a living. Make sure they can do their job by having the materials on site when they are needed.• Be certain to discuss with your framer the work which will be included in the quote he gave you. For example supplying nails, framing up sidewalks and the driveway, etc.

23. Trusses:When the framers are ready to place the

trusses a crane should be on site to lift the trusses to the roof. If the plywood for the roof has not yet been delivered, make sure it is on the site at this time.

• Cabinet sales person should come down and mark out the layout of all the cabinets.• If possible have the large items, such as bath tubs and showers brought in during framing. If this is impossible then some studs might have to be removed to create enough room for the items to fit through easily.Note: Too many people working at the

same time could create problems. Each trade needs space and time to do a proper job.

24. Heating & Plumbing:Roof vents should be installed before the

roofers go to work.Note: It is very important that the

heating & plumbing trades know where the cabinets are to be installed.

• Heating pipes do not require inspections. You will have to make sure that they do not cause annoying squeaks afterwards. It is a good idea to find the squeaks now, and have them fixed, than to live with them later.• A rough in for the air conditioning is good to include.

25. Roofing:Once the framers are done with the roof

and all the vents have been installed, it is time for the roofers to do their work.

• Roofers will supply roof vents for the ventilation of your attic and they should be able to place them in the proper places.

26. Electrical:Electricians start with their wiring. Walk

through the house with the electrician and show them where you want all the outlets to be installed.



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Note: It is very important that the electrician knows where the cabinets are to be installed.

• High quality stove and bathroom fans are very important. It is well worth the extra cost.• Most electricians will install the cable and telephone wires. If not contact the telephone and the cable company to install the necessary wires.

27. Doors & Windows:When the exterior doors and windows

are installed, the house can be locked up. This is usually when you will receive your first draw.

• Make sure the windows price includes screens and night locks. It is very frustrating when you do not notice that the excellent price you got does not include these items.• A very nice alternative to vinyl windows is wood windows. • The exterior doors and windows should be delivered before the framers are finished with the roof so they won’t have to come back for them later.

28. Inspections:Heating & plumbing will both have to

be inspected by the architect. Each of these trades will usually call for their own inspections.

29. Framing Inspection:• Although, at times, it may seem that the inspectors only purpose is to create problems for you, do not ever forget that they are doing a job which concerns the safety and to some extend the quality of your home. Any infractions you get should be fixed. You will almost always get some, but at least you know that they are doing their job. At times they will have suggestions, and with few exceptions, they will be most helpful.• The inspector will not pass the framing inspection until the heating and plumbing rough-ins have been installed, but if something is wrong with the framing you could have a bit of a mess on your hands. You might want the Inspector to come before any other trades people come in to check if the actual framing is to code.

30. Brick Work:If you have chosen a plan with brick

work or rock face on part of the house this is the time it should be done. Although it is possible for the brick to be done after

the stucco or siding it is usually better to have it done beforehand. Stone veneers (cultured stone) are applied after a stucco scratch coat.

•There are many styles and colors to chose from, it is best to take along a piece of the siding and trim to help you coordinate the colors.

31. Siding, Soffits & Gutters:Most siding companies will also install

the soffits and gutters, but if not these will have to be done after the siding is on.

There are several different materials and styles available. In certain subdivisions you may be restricted to what you may use. Find out beforehand. If you want a basically maintenance free house, use vinyl siding and have all the wooden posts and exposed wood wrapped.

32. Stucco:Stucco can be started weather

permitting. There are several steps involved. The first is putting building paper covered with webbed wiring on the house. Once this is done a layer of scratch coat is put on. The final coat is put on with the desired colors.

33. Driveway & Garage Floor:You could start preparing the driveway,

garage floor, and sidewalks as soon as your lot has been backfilled and graded, but you should wait with finishing until all the heavy trucks and equipment are finished with their jobs.

Note: Except for certain situations make this one of your last projects, especially if it is not done on the original soil.

Note: Your driveway should be reinforced with rebar. Using rebar will strengthen the concrete and it will be less likely to crack although it is almost impossible to eliminate all cracks.

• Caution: Ever noticed the large amount of driveways showing cracks close to the foundation, usually on corners? Attaching the rebar to the foundation, in most situations, is a bad idea and will cause cracks to appear which would not happen if the slab was allowed to move up and down freely without being constricted by rebar attached to the foundation. By the same token, when the foundation wall is very rough and you pour your sidewalk right up against it you may end up with an ugly corner crack spidering away from the foundation corner. Consider leaving space between your sidewalk and the foundation wall.

• There are different types of surfaces, plain concrete, exposed aggregate, stamped or any number of surfaces may be applied.

34. Landscaping:In most subdivisions, at the time of

purchase, you must give a performance deposit. According to most purchase agreements this deposit will be returned after you have completed the exterior of the house according to agreement and this usually includes the front yard landscaping.

• Most subdivisions have a time limit on when the landscaping must be done by.

38. Security Alarm Pre-wiringIf you want an alarm system now or

sometime in the future you should have the house pre-wired. Wiring for this could have been done at the same time with the installation of electrical and plumbing before the foundations works are completed and concrete poured. This is assuming that you want to ensure all wiring is hidden and placed underground and in walls with minimum wire visibility.

39. Cleaning:The house must receive a thorough

cleaning before the finishing is begun.

40. Final Inspection:A final inspection is done by the

architect in conjunction with the builder and the property owner. Once all parties are satisfied, a certificate of completion is agreed and the property owner then takes full possession.

Move In! Notes: Remember once you own a property there is always something that will need to be done! Details provided above are of a general nature and are meant to assist you with understanding the construction process. Each property to be constructed, based on the location, topography and extent of the construction may require additional details and more professional guidance.

It is suggested that you work closely with your Architect, Engineer and Quantity Surveyor as key professionals during the construction process. Some elements noted in the process above may not be relevant to our local environment. ◊



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Reading Building Plans

If you have not experienced it already, be assured that at some stage in your life you will be involved in some activity that will require you to read a building plan or at least attempt to do so. With the upsurge of building activity more people are being confronted with this daunting task. To the lay man, reading a building plan can be a challenge that is usually avoided. This need not be so for the average folk as reading a building plan is not as technical as it initially appears. This article provides an overview of the basic elements of a building plan and sets out some simple points to help you better understand this important task.

The initial reaction of most non-technical persons confronting the challenge of interfacing with building plans is to immediately request an explanation from the architect or engineer on the meaning of the various lines, circles and symbols shown on the plans. This is a natural reaction, however, with a little help the mystery of these lines, circles and symbols will become clear to you.

The building plans or the blue prints as it is sometimes referred to, are those drawings prepared by architects and engineers to guide builders, estimators and building owners on the nature, appearance and scope of works required for a proposed new building or alteration

to an existing building. Reading a building plan is quite a simple task providing we follow some basic steps as it relates to navigating through the drawings.

First, examine the title page or the title block on the drawing sheets, the title page provides information on which drawing sheets are included in the set of drawings making up the building plans. The title blocks shows the drawing title, the scale of the drawing and the details on the client and architects.

Secondly, examine the building plans by first looking at the site plan. Know which direction is north on the plan and note the location of the access road and adjoining structures as this will give you a clear indication of the final layout of the building.

Thirdly, the drawings on the sheets have been prepared at specified scales, usually 1/8 inch or ¼ inch equals 1 foot. This means that for every 1/8 inch of a line measured on the plan the equivalent to the real measurement of the actual building is 1 foot. Make sure you note the scale of the drawing on the plan.

Finally, study the patterns of lines and symbols and the abbreviations on the drawings, a list of abbreviations and a key is sometimes provided, it is important that you study these symbols to better understand the plans.

Once you are familiar with the scale, symbols and abbreviations and have oriented the site plan, the next stage is to study the various drawings making up the building plans.

The site plan shows the spatial position of the building on the plot of land on which the building is to be erected; it shows the building’s position in relation to other natural and manmade features on the property and surroundings. The location of the building on the property is referred to as the setbacks of the building and the minimum requirements for such setbacks are set out by the building codes, zoning requirements and by laws governing the municipal district in which the building is to be constructed.

The question then is, “How did we determine the boundaries of the property to accurately prepare the site plan?” The answer is twofold. Firstly, if an updated cadastral survey plan was available for the property, a copy can be obtained from the Lands and Surveys Department and used as the basis of determining the boundaries or limits of the property. Secondly, if a cadastral plan was not available then a cadastral survey has to be done by a qualified Land Surveyor to accurately define the property’s boundaries.

The cadastral survey plan forms the basis for the boundaries of the site plan which, is

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basically a drawing that shows the location of the proposed building in relation to the property boundary and all other structures existing and proposed. The site plan also shows the means of ingress and egress to the proposed building and the location of the proposed drainage and waste disposal facilities. The site plan has to be prepared at a suitable scale; usually a scale of 1/16” = 1” is acceptable depending on the size of the building.

The other drawings requiring our understanding are the floor plans, elevations (views), foundation plans, structural details, electrical drawings and plumbing drawings. These drawings will be discussed in detail in the following sections.

Floor plans are drawings that show the outside dimensions of each floor and the locations and arrangements of the various rooms in the building along with the positions of the windows, doors, fixtures and major appliances. The sizes and locations of rooms such as bedrooms, toilets, bath and kitchen are usually determined based on minimum requirements of existing municipal bylaws and codes in addition to architectural standards. Consideration is given to the position of toilets and the kitchen in relation to each other, the minimum size of bedrooms is a major consideration when reading a floor plan, one has to also consider the location of stairs and interlink of the various rooms in the building. Of course the type of building will dictate what considerations will be examined. The floor plan refers to symbols that indicate the size and type of windows to be used on the building. This is indicated

by a letter or number in a circle near the location of the door or window. The letter or number identifying the door or window is described in a window or door schedule which is usually attached.

Building elevations are drawings that show the outside views of the proposed building. It provides a detailed picture of what the building will look like when completed. Elevations can be shown for all four sides of a building or for two sides depending on the complexity of the structure from an architectural perspective. For simple structures two or three sides are shown. The elevations show the size, shape and arrangements of external building features such as windows, arches, doors etc. The various levels of the floors and the roof are indicated on the elevations.

Foundation plans are structural drawings showing the size, shape and configuration of the foundation of the building. The drawings also indicate the sizes and number of reinforcement bars to be used for the foundation construction. These drawings are usually prepared by a structural engineer and are based on analysis of data on the proposed structure such as type of structure, dead loads and imposed loads, soil type and condition.

The foundation drawings are most important in the set of building drawings. The presentation of the foundation drawings are usually different in format from the plan and elevations described above, these drawings include technical details to be read by engineers and builders. It is advisable to take some time to closely examine the foundation drawings as they provide important details about the

structure. Note that a major percentage of the total cost of the proposed building is assigned to the foundation.

Detail drawings are drawings that highlight specifics of the building through cross section and blow–up details that show features of building elements that may not be clear when viewed on the floor plan. The detail drawings are critical to the construction process as vital information to assist the builder in using proper construction techniques is shown, this may include type of material to be used and the connection details for critical locations of the structure such as roof, floor and stairs. Beam and column details are shown in this section, reinforcement details are coded by identification of reinforcement bars based on bar size and shapes. The bar codes are explained as a bar bending schedule which is attached. Columns are identified by their location in a simple grid or matrix of rows and columns, for example a column identified as “1A” is a column in line “1” and row ”A”, these positions are identified on the plan.

Building drawings sometimes show details of the plumbing and electrical depending on the complexity of the structure or the scope of works required. In this case separate sheets are prepared for this purpose and must be done by a qualified person and have to satisfy existing codes. These drawings show location of pipes and fittings for plumbing and cables, switches, lights and fixtures in the case of electrical. Usually, plumbing and electrical drawings are referred to as diagrams using lines and symbols.

There has been a revolution in recent years as it relates to the production of building plans which has made reading building plans more user friendly than it used to be. The development of digital computer technology has resulted in plans being prepared in three dimensions. You can experience the features of the final building by being involved in a virtual tour of the building. You can enjoy the landscape by viewing digital terrain models of the land parcel.

So the next time you are faced with this challenge, confront it - it is not a big deal after all. ◊

Joel Trotman is a construction / building industry professional in Guyana.

About the Author

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“Clients can now choose be-tween a small, medium or large company; or between best quality and any quality, or friendship over quality. It’s their choice…”

The Contractor/Client relationship in the construction industry has many variables. It starts with the client (the person wanting to build something) deciding to choose you as the person he or she wants to do the job (the contractor). From there on, it’s plain sailing into many different directions.

Depending on the size and ability of the contractor, the client will either get a lot or not enough services, in the quickest time possible. If it’s a small contractor, depend-ing on the size of the job, it will either be delivered slowly, or quickly. The level of re-lated services will also be small and maybe slow too, but if the small contractor has his or her work well planned and the client has the finances in place, the job can be

delivered as fast or maybe faster than the client will have expected.

In the same way, if it’s a big contractor, the job will most likely be done faster, with more services available from the same contractor. But that is not always the case either. In some cases, depending on the size of the job and the bid, depending on the returns along the way, and depend-ing on a lot of other factors, including the speed and availability of raw and imported materials and the quality of your work force, the job can go way past the expect-ed or agreed or allocated time and cost and result in what we now know as ‘cost over-runs’.

The contractor/client relationship used to be a personal one a long time ago when people were mainly building homes. Back then, a good carpenter made the transition to a house builder and was also eventually called a contractor. But the term, ‘contrac-tor’, has changed significantly over the years with the growth and development

of the construction industry. A contractor today not only builds homes and shops, but also roads and buildings, bridges and schools, airports and hotels.

Similarly, the concept of a ‘client’ has also changed over the years. It is no lon-ger a friend or somebody you were recom-mended to who wants to build or exte nd or repair something. Today, a client can be a business that wants to build a new head-quarters or a warehouse, a government that wants to build a highway, a foreigner who wants to build a hotel or a golf course, or anybody who wants to build anything.

However, over the years the type of local client has also been changing in St. Lucia. Today, you have more St. Lucians building hotels, model luxury homes, constructing new-look business places, building malls and shopping centres, supermarkets and other structures that we didn’t have or were not accustomed to before. Similarly, more local St. Lucian companies are go-ing into real estate, building apartments

No longer what it used to be!By Rayneau Gajadhar

The Contractor /Client Relationship

FEATURE








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and time-sharing homes and opening local branches of overseas business, in the pro-cess creating work for contractors.

In all this, the contractor/client relationship is no longer what it used to be. Where the client used to want to be there all along the way to see how his business is going, today everything is according to plan and there are structures that rule the relationship between the contractor and the client. What the client wants from the contractor is the end product and making sure that there is no extra spending along the way, or ensuring that as little more is spent unexpectedly as possible, but only for circumstances for which there is no escape, like increases in the cost and price of raw materials. This can be done and it is the duty of the contractor’s staff to ensure it is done.

The contractor, depending on the size of the company, should have on board the architects to draw the plans, the surveyors to ensure the plan can fit the space, or vice versa, the engineering personnel and the project persons of all types who will help

the client along the way.Not all clients know the processes

involved in getting legal documents and proceeding with things like getting permission and approval from the Development Control Authority (DCA) or the Ministry of Planning, getting plans from the Lands and Survey Department, getting documents from the Registry and the many other fine legal aspects involved in things like buying land to build on it. Somebody has to do it for them and if they do it through the contractor they save the money – if the contractor will provide all those services, but it does not necessarily have to be the contractor himself.

Teamwork is important in the construction industry if contractors are to deliver quality results. This is another aspect of the client/contractor relationship that is important, but which does not at all involve the contractor. In my case, I may be working for you, but the project is being implemented by my team. I am there with them to lead them every step of the way, because my style is different from many

others. But essentially, the end product is delivered by my team – from the persons who drew the plans to the driver of the truck delivering the concrete.

The number of contractors in St. Lucia has grown significantly over the years and that is very good for clients, because it gives them wide choices. They can choose between a small, medium or large company, they can choose between best quality and any quality, and they can choose friendship over quality and durability. It’s their choice and they will always have to live with the choices they make.

This relationship is so special it can make or break both the contractor and the client. Any contractor who develops a record of not delivering as expected or agreed, is (supposed to be) doomed. Similarly, any client who gets busted with a bad deal from a friend, or fell for a cheaper bid, or something like that, is sure to think twice next time and would most likely not go back to the same contractor. ◊


Building to Standards

According to the Economic Report of 2010, Saint Lucia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.4 % in 2010. This growth was largely attributed to the local construction sector and underscores the importance of the construction sector to St. Lucia’s economy. The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) regards these figures as an opportunity to advance the national standards development agenda of the country by initiating standardization projects across the construction and supporting industries. As a direct response to growth in the construction sector and in an effort to provide assistance to this vital area of our economy, the SLBS has undertaken a series of projects aimed at improving operational standards within the sector. These are intended to not only ensure sustainability but also to encourage further growth.

A major project in that regard is the work currently taking place on the Regional Building Standards (RBS) project coordinated by the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) Secretariat. The SLBS has made it a priority to serve as an active member on the Regional Technical Committee (RTC) charged with the responsibility by

CROSQ to develop the Regional Building Standards. The objective of this project is to produce an updated and comprehensive set of Regional Building Standards and the expansion of their use in the Caribbean. This, it is expected, will facilitate efforts for safer and more efficient design for the construction of buildings in the region. The urgency for building standards was recently underscored by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and Saint Lucia’s very own experience with Hurricane Tomas that same year.

It is expected that upon completion of this project, regional stakeholders will benefit from:• The production of an updated and comprehensive set of Regional Building Standards;• Training of regional professionals in the use of the Caribbean Application Documents (CADs);

The CADs will identify and articulate any variation to the existing IBC sections based upon the peculiarities and specific circumstances of the different locations in the Caribbean where the RBS will be applied.• Greater uniformity in the quality of building design in the region;• More appropriate design standards,

which will contribute to a reduction in the risk and attendant loss of life and property; and• Greater opportunity to explore fellow member state markets on a level playing field.

The RBS will comprise the current International Building Code (IBC), which is a set of model standards established by the International Code Council (ICC) coupled with the regionally developed CADs appended. The countries to be covered by the RBS include 15 CARICOM countries and 4 non-CARICOM Caribbean

Development Bank (CDB) member states, namely the Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands

The SLBS has also commenced the process of periodic review of its six existing sector standards. One such standard is the SLNS 30:1997 Specification for hollow concrete blocks. It is intended that upon completion of the review, the standard will be upgraded to a compulsory standard to be adhered to by local block manufacturers so as to improve quality and safety within the sector.

The SLBS envisages that through the successful completion of the current projects, the organisation will be better placed to address some of the concerns within the sector as well as assist in other relevant aspects. Such aspects include the establishment of a functional representative body for the sector, a reduction in the element of non-compliance by operators within the sector to established rules and procedures and a drive to foster an awareness of the challenges and opportunities in the global trading environment through the application of standards and improved relationship between local stakeholders.◊

By Bureau of Standards

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ALSOAvailable are retractable Mosquito screens for doors and windows

The new executive of the Institute of Surveyors (St. Lucia) Inc has promised to focus on improving the profile of the surveying profession in St. Lucia.

President Winsbert Felix, a Chartered Quantity Surveyor by profession, said: “We need to encourage our young people to pursue surveying as a career path option. Alternatively, there is a huge risk that all surveying-related activities within the construction and property development industry will suffer in the future”.

“In general, people need to know who we are and gain a firm understanding of what we do. Only then will the public have the confidence to engage our services to help solve their property related problems.”

The president has also urged members to keep abreast with the latest practice procedures to maintain a competitive advantage in this current economic climate. Former president, Celsus Baptiste, highlighted the significant progress made to date on the preparation of the draft Surveyors Bill for submission to the St. Lucia Parliament.◊


FEATURE

PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS

Pest management or pest control as it is commonly called integrates preventative and corrective measures to preclude pests from significantly affecting our environment. The control of pests dates back to 2500 BC when the Sumerians used sulphur. Pest management has its origins in agriculture and modern day pest management stresses the practice of integrated pest management (IPM) as the best practice in the control of urban pests.

Since its establishment in 2004, FDL Pest Control Solutions has stressed the importance of integrated pest management in controlling urban pests. The company adopts a holistic approach to pest control, utilizing integrated pest management, a close working relationship with our clients and the promotion of a ‘client involvement approach’ to pest management.

Today’s pest management landscape is

THE PEST MANAGEMENTProfessional’s Perspective

rapidly changing in light of outbreaks of vector-borne diseases such as Malaria and Avian influenza (Bird flu), the resurgence of old pests such as bedbugs (Cimex lectularius), and the proliferation of Caribbean pests such as the Caribbean Crazy Ant (mad ants) (Paratrechina Spp.) in the USA.

Modern day travel and trade allows for the rapid spread of pests and diseases once they are not properly managed and contained and though pesticide manufacturers continue to develop sophisticated products to deal with current and emerging pest problems, the high cost of producing new pesticide molecules in addition to the regulatory restrictions on older molecules and more toxic pesticides, have resulted in an increase in the cost of treating current pest problems. In the current economic climate, customers are more inclined to be frugal – an attitude

that can be more costly in the long run.Through an integrated pest management

program, customers can to be educated on the importance of pest control and the negative impact of pests on their homes and their environment. Customers that are better educated on a specific problem can make a more informed decision on the best control measure and the related cost.

Of importance in this regard, is termite control in the construction industry. To date FDL Pest Control Solutions has identified four subterranean termite species and one drywood termite species in St. Lucia. Though no figures are available, these termites cause considerable damage to structures on the island. In the United States of America termites are the major wood destroying structural pest and approximately USD 2 billion is spent annually in their control.

It can generally be said that builders and contractors do not pay attention to this pest mainly because of a lack of knowledge and the fact that preconstruction termite treatment is not mandatory in our building codes. When encountered these termites are generally brushed off by hand, treated with inadequate amounts of termiticide, diesel, aerosol insecticide, old oil and other products. The result is the continued high maintenance cost of replacing damaged wood while the termite continues doing

Of the four subterranean termites, the Formosan termite, also called the imported termite is the most aggressive. A mature nest can have a population of up to 8 million and the damage to a structure and the resultant cost of repairs is considerable. The Formosan termite is a voracious feeder, untreated wooden structures are rapidly destroyed by their feeding activity and the formation of their nests called carton inside the wood.

Reticulertimes Spp. Formosan Termite (Coptertemes Spp.)West Indian Subterranean Termite

(Heterotermes Spp.) Arboreal Termite (Nasutitermes Spp.)

what it does best – eat wood, since they don’t distinguish between the lumber of a building and that of a tree. It is important that a home owner, business owner or anyone seeking the service of a pest management professional to control termites, (whether pre or post construction), have a basic understanding of termite biology and the manner in which the treatment has to be delivered.

When done properly termite treatments are expensive. Thus customers must

West Indian Drywood termite(Creptotermes brevis)

Ceiling damaged by Formosan termites

West Indian Drywood termite droppings

Nest of Formosan Termite (carton)


PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS

email: [email protected] website: [email protected]

ensure that they are getting the most for their money. Comparing the cost of having to repair a relatively new termite infested and damaged structure to the cost of preconstruction treatment in conjunction with consistent inspection and maintenance if and when necessary is a good starting point.

The cost of a termite treatment includes the expense of the termiticide used, labour, equipment, and other costs. The amount of termiticide used in a preconstruction treatment for example, depends on the label rates and size of foundation. The treatment to be administered would generally be in two phases: a horizontal treatment prior to the pouring of the slab (floor), and a vertical treatment at grade and prior to the placement of any hardscapes. The total amount of diluted termiticide that should be used on a 40’ x 20’ house, approximately 800 square feet is as follows:

• For the horizontal treatment at a label rate of 1 gallon to 10 sq. ft. is 80 gallons• For the vertical treatment of 120 linear feet assuming a 2 feet footing and an application rate of 4 gallons to 10 linear feet, the quantity is 96 gallons.Therefore the total amount of diluted

termiticide needed is 176 gallons. Of course the customer must be vigilant to ensure that they get ‘bang for their buck.’

The first and most important step in the termite treatment process is inspecting. The inspector needs to thoroughly inspect the structure and its surroundings, looking for evidence of termites, termite damage, conducive conditions and structural problems that might impact the treatment.

Termites are social insects like bees, ants and certain wasps; a colony comprises castes and there are three castes: reproductive (of which there are primary, secondary and tertiary reproductives), worker and soldier castes. The important fact here is that in the absence of the queen any primary reproductive female and male (rain flies) can become a queen and king. Thus to the home owners and untrained applicator who use products such as diesel, old oil and aerosol insecticides among other products, an inadequate treatment can result in killing only the termites that are seen and causing not only a separation of possibly a satellite nest from the main nest, but also lead to the colony moving away from the treatment area and infesting other areas of the structure causing considerable costly damage before it is observed. A primary reproductive in the separated satellite nest will become the queen and this new nest will continue its activities separate from that of the original nest thereby increasing the potential for more damage to the structure.

From a construction industry perspective, this is just one of the pests that must be taken seriously considering the increasing cost of construction. It is important that the pest management and construction industries work together to reduce the incidence of wood destroying structural pests and the associated remedial costs.

At FDL Pest Control Solutions, our structure is designed to maintain a team of dedicated and well trained individuals delivering the best pest control service to our clients. We are governed by the vision to deliver total comfort and peace of mind to our customers every time. We guarantee your peace of mind by enlightening you on the identified pest(s) as we inspect and deliver a pest control and maintenance program tailored to your needs.

FDL Pest Control Solutions was founded with the sole purpose of bringing the highest quality pest control services to St. Lucia and the wider Caribbean. FDL Pest Control Solutions adopts a holistic approach to pest control by utilizing integrated pest management and a close working relationship with our clients that nurtures their involvement in our service delivery.

By tailoring our pest control and maintenance programs to suit our clients’ needs, we guarantee your peace of mind!◊


With Christmas around the corner, you are probably thinking about replacing that leaky faucet, patching that pesky hole in the driveway, finishing the guest room for the in-laws or taking on other remodelling jobs around the house in time for those special Christmas festivities. Ever wondered where many of the items used for your home improvement projects come from?

Almost every month, and sometimes twice a month, vessels containing cement call on our shores, where their cargo

St. Lucia’s Ports Are Essential To The Construction Sector

CementLumber&SteelReceivedAtPortCastriesFor2010

(InTonnes)

Month Cement Lumber Steel

January 3,420 759 411

February 5,403 420 ‐

March 5,823 984 1,328

April ‐ 1,054 483

May 6,892 1,677 ‐

June 5,840 2,113 413

July 3,831 273 ‐

August 4,194 430 ‐

September 1,363 709 472

October 5,947 1,020 ‐

November ‐ 882 ‐

December 3,793 804 ‐

TOTAL 46,506 11,125 3,107

typically originates from Trinidad, and to a lesser extent from Columbia. Likewise, vessels carrying lumber call on Saint Lucia with the same frequency as cement vessels and their cargo typically come from North and South America. Last year, Saint Lucia received 46,506 tonnes of cement; in addition, SLASPA handled 11,125 tonnes of lumber which was used in the local construction industry. Although sand is also imported, Port Castries is not the main port that receives sand – typically it goes to Cul-De-Sac or Castries Youth

Club (CYC) – however, in June of this year, Port Castries received and handled 3,500 tonnes of sand. Now, let’s not forget about the asphalt for that driveway, which occasionally comes through Port Castries as well. In June this year, SLASPA handled over 100 tonnes of asphalt that was pumped into the special tanker trucks and transported all over the island.

The table below gives a brief overview on the cement, lumber and steel Port Castries received for 2010. ◊

We hope that you have found this information useful. For more information on SLASPA, please visit our website at www.slaspa.com. To become part of our port community and receive regular updates please sign up by emailing us at: [email protected].

FEATURE


INTEGRATEDCaribbean Services

Vacation Packages

House & Land Sales

Tropical Caribbean Weddings

Rentals of Houses, Apartments, O�ces, Warehouses

Integrated Initiatives

Email: [email protected] www.integratedinitiatives.com

P. O. Box RB 2320, Rodney Bay, Gros-IsletTel: 758.452.8813 Fax: 758.452.8917 Cell: 758.715.7900

OUT BOARD ENGINESWAVE RUNNERSWATER PUMPS

GENERATORSMOTOR CYCLES

SCOOTERSSPARE PARTS

DISTRIBUTOR OF YAMAHA PRODUCTSIN ST. LUCIA

OUT BOARD ENGINESWAVE RUNNERSWATER PUMPS

GENERATORSMOTOR CYCLES

SCOOTERSSPARE PARTS

P.O. Box Choc 8254, Orange Park Commercial Centre, Bois D Orange, Gros Islet, St. Lucia W. I.

Tel: (758) 450-KLML (450-5565) Fax: (758) 450 - 5739

RENEE’SRENEE’SCONSTRUCTIONCOMPANY LTD

CONSTRUCTIONCOMPANY LTD

We offer our Customers the option of contracting us, by using one of the following methods:

Design & BuildThis method affords the client the advantage of single point responsibility, in that he/she has to deal with one company

Traditional ContractingThe client engages architect to prepare his design and we asked to submit a bid on the project or a price is agreed through neogtiation with the client’s representative.

We engaged as a construction manager to select specialist contractors and to organise and manage the construction operations.

Construction Management

Cedars Road, Castries, St.Lucia, West IndiesTel: (758) 452-1681 Fax: (758) 452-6518 E-mail: [email protected]

PCPCrestige

onstruction Enterprise

“Building a better World Through Quality Construction”.

We Specialize In:Main Construction for General Construction Work(Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Institutional)

Construction Drawings

Quatity Surveying Services

P.O. Box 999, Castries, St. Lucia W.I.Tel: (758) 450.9988 Fax: (758) 450.9988 Mobile: (758) 718.9387

Email: [email protected]


Buying or building a home is one of the most emotional decisions and probably the largest personal investment we will ever make during our lifetime. Owning a HOME continues to be a worthwhile goal for many, simply because it falls within the real asset class of the investment universe. Real asset investments, used in combination with traditional assets like stocks and bonds, can provide valuable diversification benefits to an investment portfolio. According to some financial advisors, real estate investments, such as a HOME or land, should form part of everyone’s investment portfolio as it appreciates over time providing a good hedge against inflation.

The benefits of home ownership have been lost to many due to the increasing gap between housing costs and affordability. Additionally, the increased demand of mortgage lenders for larger down payments on a home continues to be a significant barrier to home ownership for many individuals. Recently published housing estimates indicate that at a minimum building costs on average, EC$200.00 per square foot for a typical starter home. This implies that the estimated median price for a 1500 square feet three-bedroom dwelling would be EC$300,000.00. Research also indicates that the average 10% down payment demands a qualifying income 20% higher than that currently earned by the average household. Therefore, First Citizens Home Ownership Made Easy investment plan provides potential homeowners the opportunity to accumulate, over a minimum period of five (5) years, sufficient funds to make that vitally needed down payment on a home.

First Citizens HOME is a tax–subsidized savings plan under the Registered Home Ownership Savings Plan (RHOSP) program governed by Income Tax Act Chapter 15.02 Section 74 and approved by the Government of St. Lucia Inland Revenue Department. Annual contributions of up to EC$6000 are tax deductible. This plan is designed to help resident nationals set money aside in eligible investment

Home Ownership Made Easy (HOME)

FEATURE


vehicles and watch those savings grow tax-free until they are ready to build or acquire that very first home.

How can you determine if you are ready for home ownership? The following questions and tips will help provide some insight. Ask yourself:

1. Is home ownership right for me? Having a steady source of income for at least 2–3 years would be a key requirement by most mortgage lenders. In addition to being financially stable, having established a good track record would also be ideal. Most importantly, let’s not forget that owning a home necessitates devoting adequate time and money for home maintenance. 2. When will I be financially ready? Having insufficient funds saved up for a down payment or outstanding long-term debts, like car payments, can hinder or delay the possibility of qualifying for a mortgage. It is important to know how much you can afford to spend on homeownership. First, you must assess your ability to pay a mortgage every month. A mortgage holder’s monthly payment, including property taxes, insurance and other housing related costs should not exceed 35% of net monthly income. Secondly, your household’s total monthly debt should ideally be less than 45% of your net monthly income. 3. Which home is right for me? A homeowner must consider current and future needs. Therefore, build or acquire a home that can meet most of your needs for the next 5 to 10 years. Incorporate any special features and factor into your design space requirements for lifestyle changes. 4. Now that I am a homeowner, what should I expect? It is important to always make your mortgage payments on time to avoid the grave consequence

of a foreclosure. It is also recommended that you keep at least 2–3 months worth of mortgage payments in an emergency fund and plan for operating costs.

First Citizens’ HOME aims to assist the ordinary family or individual to acquire the benefits of home ownership previously unavailable to them. Hence, it bridges the gap between an individual’s financial situation and the dream of owning those keys to make home ownership a reality. With a contribution as low as EC$100 monthly, a plan holder qualifies for:

• Monthly compounding of returns plus contributions • Guaranteed monthly minimum returns above the average savings rate• Tax deductible benefits of up to EC$6000 per annum as per Income Tax Act Chapter 15.02 Section 74• Access to make additional lump sum deposits or increase monthly contributions at any time.• Flexible maturity payment options to any Financial Institution

Do You Feel that Owning a Home is Out of Your Reach?

First Citizens Home Ownership Made Easy Can Get You There!

A 25-year old who contributes at least EC$300 monthly for 10 years can accumulate a Regular HOME Plan value in excess of EC$45,000.00. Another individual, who chooses to begin their plan at 30 years contributing double that amount on a monthly basis over a five year period, will accumulate a little over EC$40,000.00.

Thus, despite making the same total contribution of EC$36,000, with lower monthly payments and earning a lower interest rate the 25-year old is better off during the consolidation phase (period during which one hopes to start a family and build their home) of their life due to

the miracle of compounding and starting early; and is, therefore, in a safer position to make homeownership a reality by age 35.

First Citizens Investment Services has embarked on a series of seminars on the HOME product to fully sensitize the public on this latest product offering. The first seminar was held at Bay Gardens Hotel Conference room in Rodney Bay and another was held at Kimatrai Hotel in Vieux Fort.

During the seminar presentations First Citizen’s Business Development Officer, Ms. Kieran St. Omer and Client Relations Officer, Ms. Denise Lewis, highlighted the benefits of saving towards the deposit of one’s first home using the First Citizens HOME product and displayed various scenarios and calculation of saving from $100-$500 monthly with interest compounding over a 5 and 10 year period.

Ms. Priscilla Charles, Business Development Manager, focused on various aspects regarding home ownership and relevant costs such as:

- Building/Construction insurance- Property insurance upon completion- Property tax and legal fees- Maintenance and repair costs

The presenters also highlighted some budgeting tips and provided percentage guidelines on how one’s salary should be apportioned to make allowance for saving and investment.

After the presentation the First Citizens team of professional advisors conducted one-on-one consultation sessions. The majority of the participants availed themselves of this opportunity to meet with the advisors to ask personal questions and calculations tailored to their specific needs and circumstances. ◊


Make Sure Your

Home Insurance Is Keeping Up With The

Value Of Your HomeGiven the current economic climate, most of us are watching what we spend and we are considering major purchases very carefully before we make them. Your home is probably your biggest investment, so it’s very important to protect it against damage by fire and acts of God such as hurricanes. Lending institutions require, as a matter of policy, that mortgage customers purchase home insurance. But you shouldn’t rely solely on the coverage your bank or mortgage company dictates. This coverage may only protect the house itself, but not necessarily your possessions. It is therefore important to check with your insurance company or agent to make sure your property has adequate coverage. It is also very important that when you’ve finally made your house a home, that you ensure that your insurance coverage reflects any changes you’ve made to your home over the years.

There are a number of reasons why you may need to update your policy:

1. When you add a study, deck or a swimming pool or make any other enhancements to your home, you should update your insurance policy simultaneously. In the event of a loss, these enhancements will cost quite a bit to replace.2. Ever noticed that the costs to rebuild just keep rising? You should ensure that your home is always insured for its

estimated full replacement cost. The replacement cost is the cost necessary to repair or replace the entire home at current construction costs. It is not the market value of the home, the home’s purchase price or the cost of the land. Note that you can get a contractor or an appraiser to provide you with an estimate of your home’s replacement cost. 3. You’ve finally got the new state-of-the art home theatre system you always wanted or added an exquisite piece of art to your very valuable collection? If you have these or other expensive items in your home, such as jewellery, computer or electronic equipment, you may need additional coverage for these items.4. Running a small business office from home? You may want to check with your insurance company or agent to see what level of coverage, if any, is offered under your home-owner’s policy. Most home insurance policies include a limited amount of coverage for business equipment in the home. If your home office exceeds this maximum, it’s best to seek your insurance company’s or agent’s advice in order to properly arrange such coverage.5. Take advantage of some of the discounts offered by many insurers for updates such as monitored burglar alarms, burglar bars, a fire alarm or retrofitting of your home for a hurricane.

Ask about these to be sure you take advantage of improved premiums. 6. Some items appreciate or lose value over time. The value of computers, jewellery and other items insured years ago may have changed since you originally purchased them. So you should ensure that you review the coverage which you have on them. These are just some of the items you

should check for to ensure that your home insurance is keeping up with the value of your home and possessions. One thing you should definitely do to assist with this is to keep a list of the contents of your home. It’s wise to have a description of your possessions room by room and to keep any receipts with the list in a secure place. In this way, if your home is damaged or destroyed, this list is safe and would assist in expediting the processing of any claim.

With any type of insurance protection, it’s important that you work with your insurance company or agent to identify your needs and to ensure that your policy meets those needs. Once this is done, it is recommended that you review your policy annually to ensure that your home insurance coverage is keeping up with the changes you make in and around your home. ◊

FEAUTRE

Rated A - (Excellent) by

For the latest rating, access www.ambest.com

United Insurance Agents (Saint Lucia) Ltd. J. E. Bergasse Building, Vide Bouteille, P.O. Box 102, Castries

Tel: Castries (758) 456-6560 • Fax: (758) 456-6508 Vieux Fort (758) 454-8515 • Fax: (758) 454-7207

E-mail: [email protected]: www.unitedinsure.com

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You've made your house a home and added those one-of-a-kind pieces whichexpress your sense of style. Now, trust United to insure your home's contents and to give you the peace of mind you need to face whatever life brings your way. So call or visit United today for a quotation. Whether you own your home or you're renting, you'll see that you're in safe hands with United.

TRUST UNITED WITH THETHINGS YOU HOLD MOST DEAR

You’re in Safe Hands with United


Walls or Fences?

Often during the course of security presentations the writer is asked which is better - walls or fences? Very often from the side comments of the audience it can be detected that the majority view is that walls are a better security option.

Walls give the impression that a house is hidden from view and many people think that if the house is hidden from view then bandits will not know that the house exists and so will not target that house. This can seem plausible if the house is a one story structure and there are walls all around. Once the house is more than one story in height it is unlikely that the walls will be higher than the house so the house will be visible and so the idea of hiding from view as a means of protection is no longer applicable.

One side effect of the hidden from view approach is that while walls may block the view of persons passing by, it also raises their curiosity as to what is behind the wall, especially persons who pass often. Indeed in the minds of some thieves, the high walls indicate that there must be a building with items of high value and therefore worth their time to investigate how to break into the building. Another side effect is that many people now subscribe to neighbourhood patrols by a security company and others have alarm systems that are linked to a monitoring station with

armed guard response. Guards, who are in vehicles patrolling a neighbourhood or even the police on a drive-by patrol of an area, cannot see behind the wall and so are not able to give the resident of that home the benefit of the mobile patrol.

Another reason some people like to have walls as a security measure is the belief that individuals cannot climb over the wall. For most homes in the Caribbean, this is a complete fallacy because the walls are simply not high enough. Any wall less than seven feet in height can be easily scaled. The thief merely has to grasp the top of the wall and pull himself up. Even walls up to ten feet are simply overcome through the use of stout poles or planks. As walls by themselves have failed to prevent burglary a significant number of homeowners have resorted to using barbed wire or razor wire on the top of their walls. This use of sharp wire however gives many homes a prison like appearance.

The other perimeter defense system that is widely used in the Caribbean is fences. As a result of the ease of installation and its long life, the fencing of choice has been chain link fencing and this type of fencing does fulfill certain security functions. It clearly shows the legal boundary of the homeowner’s property and creates a psychological deterrent thereby deterring casual intruders as it presents a barrier

that requires an overt action to go past. For the individual who is determined to get into the property it requires them to do some preplanning in terms of having tools to defeat the fence.

The biggest security benefit however of chain link fencing is that it can be seen though and so the homeowner’s neighbours can see intruders attempting to enter the property and act as an early warning system. Of course for individuals to get this most tangible benefit of chain link fences there must be a sense of community in the neighbourhood and neighbours must live well together. Homeowners who subscribe to neighbourhood patrols by a security company or have alarm systems that are linked to a central monitoring station with armed guard response have the benefit that the security guards, in the vehicles or even the police on a drive-by patrol of an area can easily see what is happening around the property.

Many individuals often denigrate chain link fencing on the basis that thieves can lift the base and go under the fence. That method of entry is simply the result of poor installation. Chain link fences should always be anchored in concrete to prevent this entry route. The other complaint that is sometimes raised is that the links are easily parted. The majority of Caribbean individuals however do not know how to differentiate among chain link and indeed most do not realize that there are different types of chain link. Hence, they purchase chain link that is easily pulled apart.

Two important factors in selecting chain link are the mesh size and the gauge of the wire. The mesh size is the minimum clear distance between the wires forming the parallel sides of the mesh. The smaller the mesh size the more difficult the fence is to climb or cut and the heavier the gauge of the wire the more difficult to cut. Below is a guide to the security levels of varying gauges and mesh sizes.

By Brian Ramsey

FEATURE


A. Extremely high security

B. Very high security

C. High security D. Greater security

E. Normal industrial security

3/8"mesh 11 gauge

1" mesh 9 gauge

1" mesh 11 gauge 2" mesh 6 gauge

2" mesh 9 gauge

These five levels are all above the type of chain link that is most often used in the Caribbean around homes and residential properties.

Recent technological innovations mean that one is no longer limited to brick walls or chain link fencing. One fencing option that is now available is WireWall. This was originally specifically developed for maximum security prisons but is now also used for high end residential properties. WireWall is a welded wire mesh. The unique welded mesh design and construction features narrow openings that are highly resistant to climbing or cutting. Attempting to cut through WireWall takes many minutes and if cut it will not unravel or lose its stability. The narrow openings prevent any would-be climber from getting a handhold or toehold. WireWall has no blind spots, providing a clear line of sight at any angle, so that it is easily seen through.

Another option that has begun to appear in the Caribbean is the use of electric fences. These are certainly a strong deterrent to unauthorized entry. There is however a definite liability issue for accidental death or injury arising from these fences. Just imagine the homeowner’s predicament if an old lady tiredly walking home leans against the fence to rest for a few moments or a little child playing near the fence touches it while retrieving a ball. If a homeowner chooses this security option we recommend that it be used as a topping for a wall. That wall should be at least seven feet high and then the electric fence placed on top so that there can be no accidental touching of the fence. Warning notices should be visibly posted at multiple locations along the fence. Even with those precautions one still has to take into account workmen who may place ladders nearby.

A very recent entry on the perimeter protection market is the use of razor spikes. These consist of a continuous double row of razor sharp spikes. The outer spikes are barbed and the narrow inner spikes have high penetrating power. Razor spikes are a wall topping to deter anyone attempting to climb over a wall. They are a formidable barrier but unlike razor wire they do not have that prison like appearance and indeed have an aesthetically pleasing appearance. As a result of their galvanised coating they have a long life and are very easy to install as they simply have to be bolted into the top of the wall. In addition they can also be painted to match the colour of the wall. They also have the advantage that they can also be used as a topping for a WireWall or a gate. As is normal with many products there are cheap imitations made with a lighter grade of metal that can easily be bent, defeating the purpose and greatly reducing the security effect. In addition the imitations tend to be painted but not galvanized and so rust easily.

So at the end of the day, what is the best choice for someone looking for perimeter protection for their home or business? As always the answer is that it depends. In this case it would depend on the physical characteristics of the property, your relationship with your neighbours and the amount of money available for the perimeter protection. As a general rule however, if the back of the property is an area not seen by others, a good choice is a wall at the back topped with razor spikes, and fencing at the front and sides to provide visibility for the neighbours. ◊

Brian Ramsey has a B.A. in Accounting & Management, along with an M.B.A. in Finance and over 25 years in the Caribbean security field. He is the Regional Development Director for Amalgamated Security Services Limited which is the parent company of Alternative Security Services St. Lucia Limited. Amalgamated Security operates in Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

About the Author


BIZZ BUZZ

The Financial Times has ranked five Caribbean countries among the top ten Caribbean and Central American countries of the future.

Trinidad and Tobago was placed third, followed by Barbados in fourth place. Jamaica was ranked 10th position. Antigua and Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands were the only Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member countries on the list, coming in sixth and seventh respectively.

Costa Rica was ranked number one in the Caribbean and Central America.The rankings are created by the British media group’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Intelligence Division as a benchmark of the investment attractiveness of countries and cities in more than 55 sectors for 350 locations around the world.Officials in Antigua and Barbuda have already reacted to the findings. In the individual rankings, the twin-island placed second in best infrastructure, fifth in best quality of life, sixth in best FDI strategy and eighth in best human resources.

Investment Promotions Director at the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority (ABIA), Fitzmaurice Christian, said the high ranking in infrastructure underscores the country’s attractiveness in business process outsourcing, which relies on a reliable telecoms infrastructure and a well trained work force.

He said the ABIA would concentrate on improving these rankings and on making the top ten in the other three assessed areas - economic potential, business friendliness and cost effectiveness.◊


St. Lucia-based Consolidated Foods Ltd (CFL), through its subsidiary, CFL St. Vincent Holdings, has signed an agreement to operate two more supermarkets in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The two supermarkets – which formerly operated as Aunt Jobe’s – will be re-branded to Super J IGA stores. CFL currently operates nine Super J IGA stores in Saint Lucia and this latest acquisition brings the total number of Super J stores operating in the chain to eleven.

CFL’s Chairman, Michael Chastanet, Director, Joanne Cooper and Managing Director, Andre Chastanet, were among the signatories to the agreement, as well as Ken Boyea, the former owner of Aunt Jobe’s. In signing the agreement Boyea said he was, “pleased to see the coming together of two regional companies for the benefit of the people of the region.” He noted that the two stores affected would not be closed and all current operational staffing would be maintained.

In June 2011, CFL acquired a lease to the premises of the former Food City Supermarket Operations in Kingstown, which was renovated to house a Save-a-Lot supermarket that was scheduled to open in October. With the acquisition of the two Aunt Jobe’s stores, CFL is poised to become one of the major investors in the retail market in St. Vincent. ◊

Caribbean Countries Get High Ranking In New FDI Report

CFL Acquires Two More Supermarkets In St. Vincent

CFL’s Chairman Michael Chastanet (middle) and Ken Boyea (right) review the agreement to operate two more supermarkets in Saint Vincent


The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture says it was encouraged by the local response to its plans to host Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov 14-20) in St. Lucia for the first time.

Among the entities that signed up as BF went to press last month were: Bay Gardens Hotel, the Star newspaper, Construction and Industrial Ltd (CIE), Digicel, ECFH, Ministry of Social Transformation, Ministry of Tourism, St. Lucia Bureau of Standards, National Skills and Development Centre (NSDC), CARE, Belfund, St. Lucia Development Bank (SLDB), Accela Marketing and Harris Paints.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is a worldwide movement of entrepreneurial people stimulating the economy by unleashing their enterprising talents and turning their ideas into reality. It aims to inspire the next generation of future entrepreneurs and business leaders by building and developing their confidence and ambitions.

Over 104 countries already participate in the week of activities, which engages students, policy makers, aspiring and established entrepreneurs, companies and businesses. The objective is to reduce poverty, tackle escalating energy demands and improve human welfare.

Activities take the form of business competitions, essay contests, mentoring sessions, talk shows, large-scale conferences and networking events. The week is also used to launch new initiatives, showcase projects or generally raise the profile of entrepreneurship.

The movement seeks to promote and focus the country’s attention on the value of entrepreneurship. Its partners recognise that entrepreneurship is a force for good that can lift people out of poverty, enable people to take control of their own lives, or simply turn their passions into profit.

Meanwhile, Monroe College and the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College have pledged to support and be intimately involved in GEW. Now, even young entrepreneurs who heard of the plans have shown a keen interest.

Azuka Laborde, who plans to shortly start her own business, also attended. So did Thia Harvey of Special Moments Caribbean, who had only just started operating her own business and took time to show her support, noting the great need for an improved environment on island for young entrepreneurs.

Bay Gardens Hotel also agreed to be a Sponsor and Partner of GEW St. Lucia, by pledging free use of its facilities for the planning of GEW and hosting the Launch of GEW St. Lucia 2011. Many of St. Lucia’s largest firms, and their owners, committed to support GEW as they understood the challenges facing young entrepreneurs in St. Lucia.

GEW has the four crucial pillars of building entrepreneurship as its main objectives: Inspire, Connect, Mentor and Engage the Youth. GEW is celebrated worldwide. ◊

Chamber Encouraged By Local Response To Global

Entrepreneurship WeekSt. Lucia’s private sector has been investing heavily into the

education of the island’s young persons, with several companies making donations and contributing to payment of the educational expenses of St. Lucia’s most promising young persons.

Banks, Credit Unions and Utility companies are among the many who have been making scholarships and bursaries available to students, either of members or who have a proven capacity to think beyond school.

Bank of Saint Lucia Limited launched an innovative education savings plan for Saint Lucians. It’s called “Edu- Start.” Designed specifically for saving for an individual’s post- secondary school education, it is the latest savings product. Edu-Start was launched on July 29th at the Palm Haven Hotel with customers, students and staff members attending.

Assistant General Manager of Bank of Saint Lucia Limited, Ms. Joanna Charles, stressed the importance of saving for various needs in life, with a child’s education being no exception.

Ms. Charles stated that, “The idea of an education savings plan is certainly not novel on the international scene as many international financial institutions offer them. However, it is new to the local banking industry as none of the domestic banks currently offer this type of product.”

The Saint Lucia Civil Service Co-operative Credit Union on August 29th 2010 held an Awards Ceremony to recognise the sixteen children of members who received scholarships and bursaries to attend the leading secondary schools on the island. The eight scholarship winners had performed excellently at the 2011 Common Entrance Exam and had attained marks ranging from 93.1% to 95.67%. In addition, eight more students were recognised for their outstanding performance, with academic grants.

Annually, the St Lucia Civil Service Co-operative Credit Union supports over 60 children through the scholarship programme and spends over $80,000.

Twenty-four students also received scholarships from Saint Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) for the current academic year. The scholarship packages were presented to the students at the power company’s 6th Annual Scholarship Social held at the Cul-de-Sac Power Station. Four of the recipients are new entrants into the company’s scholarship programme, having performed well at this year’s Common Entrance Examinations. The others were continuing in the programme at various stages of secondary school and the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.

The new entrants were welcomed to the programme by LUCELEC’s Human Resources Manager, Nicole DuBoulay, who encouraged students to continue on their path of academic excellence. LUCELEC’s Managing Director Mr. Trevor Louisy made the presentations to the recipients.

Forensic Pathologist and co-founder of Rise Saint Lucia, Dr. Stephen King, was the motivational speaker at the event. ◊

Private Sector Supports Education Through

Scholarships And Bursaries


HEALTH & WELLNESS

It’s not every day that any one gets to attend a ‘live and direct’ lecture on stress management from perhaps the best man in the business. But that was the lucky experience of over a hundred local business executives and other societal leaders on August 17th, when they gathered at the William Jefferson Clinton Ballroom at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian hotel along the Pigeon Island causeway for a lecture from the best known stress reduction expert in this part of the world.

FICS (Financial Investment & Consultancy services Ltd) had invited the island’s leading corporate and business leaders to take time off their busy daily schedules and spend a day with Dr. Ken Nedd for a clinical motivational lecture on ‘Stress As A Leadership Issue.’

The speaker was well chosen – a man well-respected throughout the Caribbean, Canada, the USA and Europe for both his expertise and success rate. He has lectured patients in Canada and top business executives from South Africa, as well as conferences of Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers, as well

as a conference of Mayors of the United States. Major international corporations, universities, associations, civic and community organisations worldwide have all benefitted from his presentations.

Those who took time off that day did not regret trying to leave their stress at the home or workplace that morning. And they were not alone. Governor General, Dame Pearlette Louisy also attended – and she encouraged participants to use the experience to better understand the dangers of stress, not only to human health but also to productivity and financial progress.

Dame Pearlette noted that “Stress has been described as a complex and potentially dangerous phenomenon – as perhaps the biggest threat to our health and our financial progress.”

“But,” she added, “Some people do speak of ‘helpful’ stress or even ‘neutral’ stress, recognizing that we can turn that pressure to our advantage, both to ourselves and to those we lead.”

Addressing the corporate leaders, the Governor General pointed out that, “Tremendous pressure will be brought to bear on those in the leadership positions

who have to move the process forward.” To handle that pressure, she advised, they would have to find out “how to endure this pressure without being crippled or even killed by the stress that so often accompanies it, how to manage the stress that will inevitably manifest itself in our organisations and avoid the type of debilitating stress that so often weakens productivity or stifles creativity and innovation.”

She looked forward therefore, to Dr. Nedd “teaching us how to deal more effectively with stress and how we can use it to become more innovative, more resilient in the discharge of both our private and public responsibilities.”

FICS Founder and Chairman of the Board, George Theophilus, and Managing Director, Sharmaine Francois, put the event in perspective and encouraged participants to prepare for an experience of a lifetime aimed at helping them better understand the session’s theme: “How to Reduce Organisational Stress and Increase Performance of All Employees.”

Dr. Nedd, described as everything from “dynamic, inspirational and energetic” to “passionate, phenomenal and sensational”

The Healthy Business Of Stress Management

By: Earl Bousquet

Dr. Ken Nedd speaking at the seminar


On another occasion, “I gave a happiness prescription to a woman who went on to win a Nobel Prize for Medicine.”

The stress manager explained the importance of happiness to good health, indicating that “One hundred bursts of laughter are equal to 15 minutes of exercise” and recalled a study of 36 women with cancer over a seven-year period which revealed that those who laughed and were happy lived, and the others died because aggressive tendencies can kill.”

Similarly, he said, “Happy employees work harder, just as happy athletes score more; and happy patients recover more quickly from illnesses and sicknesses.”

He added, “It’s the function of the doctor, not to make you cured but to make you happy, just as it is the function of the manager to make the staff happy so that they will produce more.”

Dr. Nedd urged the corporate leaders to “protect your employees from filing too many unnecessary forms and that will

lived up to all those adjectives. Assisted by music, PowerPoint displays and a wireless audio system, he talked and walked his gathered corporate audience through his themes, moving from table to table, person to person, as he explained simple things about the body and the mind that we just don’t normally know.

The topics transcended everything from: The Essence of Innovative Leadership, How to Create a Great (High Performance) Group, How to Consistently Bring out the Best in Your Employees, How to Help Your Employees Overcome Stress and How to Create Happiness at the Workplace, to How to Prevent the Stress of Leadership from Affecting Your Heart and Immune System, How to Spot a Great Leader, How to Become a Great Leader, The Very Latest Nutrition for the Peak Performer and An 11-second Exercise for The Busy Executive.

But Dr. Nedd also talked his local audience of client patients through his one-day lecture series with attractive and flowery phrases such as: “The empires of the future are the empires of the mind,” “To live is to change, to change is to grow and to grow is to create ourselves endlessly” and “Money is useless unless you can also turn it around to fun.”

He encouraged participants to aim high for themselves and for their country, indicating that solutions to their stress and other problems depend on “your ability to take action” and adding encouraging sayings such as “Take action to take yourself to the top and take St. Lucia with you” and “Leave here with a soaring sense of responsibility that’s mountain high, to take you there and make you make St. Lucia into the country that will lead the world.”

He also urged them to, “think global and start to see St. Lucia as being able to go to the top” and “Imagine St. Lucia’s Governor General, who’s here with us, is heading the fastest nation to become prosperous in the world.”

Dr. Nedd, a medical doctor in the field of medicine practicing and living in Canada but lecturing worldwide, shared some of his success stories. “I motivated a cleaner in Barbados who is now the General Manager of one of the island’s top ten hotels,” he said.

improve their productivity.”He warned, however, that “Happiness

is never found, instead it is a choice and it is created.” He therefore invited them to “discover the biology of happiness” and “use it as a tool to bring it to yourself.”

A practitioner in the field of Family Medicine, Dr. Nedd offered some simple but damning statistics – and a solution: Half of all men will develop cancer and one-third of women will develop malignancies, but I will show you how to deactivate the genes that give you cancer.

And, as if to remind his audience he hadn’t forgotten who they were and from whence cometh quite a lot of their stress, he added, “I’ll also teach you to live longer to make more money!”

In her welcome address, the Governor General said of Dr. Nedd, “I have no doubt that he will keep us completely engaged and hanging on his every word, so that we will leave here, not only with information and motivation, but also with practical reusable tips that will help us to create within our communities, our organisations and institutions healthy high performance systems and structures.”

At the end of the day with the doctor in the house on the presidential dance floor, most, if not all, left certain they were now better able to understand stress as a leadership issue – and in a better position to manage and reduce it. ◊

Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy St. Lucia’s Governor General addressing participants


HEALTH & WELLNESS

Dengue fever is a viral disease spread by the Aedes mosquito. The viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito, with the Aedes aegypti mosquito being the most important transmitter of the dengue virus. In some parts of the world it is also known as ‘break bone fever.’

The virus has four different types; infection with one type will usually give lifelong immunity to that type, but only short-term immunity to the others. Subsequent infection with a different type increases the risk of severe complications.

The incubation period (which is the time between exposure and the onset of symptoms) ranges from 3–14 days, but most often it is 4–7 days.

Symptoms: • Fever — usually sudden onset. Fever is usually high, over 104°F, and is classically biphasic in nature, breaking and then returning for one or two days. • Generalized body pains, muscle and joint pains. This gives rise to the name ‘break-bone fever.’• Headache (typically located behind the eyes), also known as retro-orbital pain.• Rash — usually in about 60% of patients. This is a fine, reddish measles-like rash.In some cases, patients may develop

petechiae (small red spots that do not disappear when the skin is pressed, which are caused by broken capillaries) as well

as some mild bleeding from the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose.

In severe cases, shock (dengue shock syndrome) and hemorrhage (dengue hemorrhagic fever) may occur (usually in less than 5% of all cases of dengue), however those who have previously been infected with other serotypes of dengue virus are at an increased risk.

Management: There is no specific medication for

treatment of a dengue infection. Persons who think they have dengue should use pain relievers with acetaminophen and avoid those containing aspirin. They should also rest and drink plenty of fluids. Most cases of dengue fever, will recover within 7 to 14 days, but patients experiencing the following should seek medical help urgently:

• Severe abdominal pain• Persistent vomiting• Restlessness, confusion• Worsening headache, neck pain or stiffness, seizures

Prevention: There is no vaccine for preventing

dengue. The best preventive measure

is to prevent mosquito bites.

Items that collect rainwater or that store water (for example, plastic c o n t a i n e r s , drums, buckets, or used a u t o m o b i l e tires) should

be covered, overturned, or properly discarded. Pet and animal watering containers and vases with fresh flowers should be emptied and cleaned (to remove eggs) at least once a week. This will eliminate the mosquito eggs and larvae and reduce the number of mosquitoes present in these areas.Using window and door screens reduces the risk of mosquitoes coming indoors. Proper application of mosquito repellents, containing up to 30% DEET as the active ingredient, on exposed skin and clothing decreases the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.◊

Dr. Tanya Destang-Beaubrun, MBBS (UWI), IBCLC, is the Director of Integral Health Care Medical Clinic at the Rodney Bay Medical Centre where she works as a Family Practitioner and Lactation Consultant. For more information, please con-tact her at (758) 452 8621 or (758) 45-DOKTA (36582). www.rodneybaymedicalcentre.com

DengueFever By Dr. Tanya Destang-Beaubrun

About the Author


Globally recognized wellness practitioners of yoga, personal development and feng shui will lead the first Saint Lucia Health and Wellness Retreat from November 17 to 20, 2011.

The inaugural Health and Wellness retreat has drawn three internationally-renowned experts to Soufrière, one of Saint Lucia’s most alluring destinations. John Schumacher, a leading

iyengar yoga expert will tailor his daily yoga workshops for participants. With the fabulous Pitons peaks as a backdrop, Dr. Stephen Brewer, acclaimed author of “The Everest Principle,” will lead seminars on achieving peak performance and optimal health. William Spear will guide attendees through the intricacies of the ancient methods of intuitive feng shui - the art of harmonising the way people relate to their environments.

In addition to harmonising a roster of speakers from across the health and wellness world, the November event, which has drawn strong interest across the Caribbean and beyond, offers an information-packed itinerary that includes photography and art workshops, culinary classes, as well as pottery and painting design.

Participants can also avail themselves of the hiking, snorkelling, mountain biking and other outdoor activities for which Soufrière is known the world over.

“We are delighted to be able to present such a distinguished and varied panel of lifestyle experts,” said Senator Allen Chastanet, Saint Lucia’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Minister Chastanet believes that in an age of highly stressful environments, travellers are looking to the Caribbe◊an for integrated approaches to stress management, fuller more rewarding lives and well-being.

The retreat is being produced by the Soufrière Foundation in partnership with Soufrière’s resort community and in concert with the Saint Lucia Tourist Board.

“The natural beauty of Soufrière, the warmth of our people, and the historical therapeutic benefit of the sulphur springs, make this UNESCO World Heritage Site the perfect fit for the Health and Wellness Retreat,” asserted Lynton Lamontagne, Chairman of the Foundation.

Soufrière, known as the ‘Eden of the Caribbean’, is home to some of the world’s best hotels. In the recent Travel + Leisure 2011 World’s Best Awards, four resorts in Soufrière - Ladera Resort, Jade Mountain, Jalousie Plantation and Anse Chastanet Resort - were named among the Top 25 Resorts in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas. ◊ For further information about the retreat, contact Lisa Charles of Milestone Development at + 1 758 489 2433 or email [email protected]

Lifestyle Experts To Lead Saint Lucia Health & Wellness Retreat

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22nd – 24th February 2012, Madrid, SpainAn informative event for delegates to forge lasting relationships, create new business partners and generate new opportunities. IPS 2012 will present the industry with the most e�ective platform for partnerships at both a technical and strategic level. It is the ideal opportunity to reach buyers and suppliers from the western and USA markets together with delegates from the emerging markets from areas including Central and Eastern Europe, India, China and South East Asia.For further info: www.internationalpowersummit.com

IF YOU HAVE MISSED THIS YEAR’S EVENTS, ENSURE TO PENCIL PLANS FOR ATTENDING NEXT YEAR. LOOK OUT FOR NEW DATES.

events 2011/12 events 2011REGIONAL TRADE SHOWS AND CONFERENCES

FIME 201110-12 August, 2011 Miami Beach Conven�on Center, Miami, Florida FIME, the annual interna�onal medical equipment expo will be held in Miami. The largest variety ofsupplies on display. A must for any cu�ng-edge medical supplier. For further info: www.fimeshow.com

24 - 27 July, 2011, Curacao Miami Beach Conven�on Center, Miami, Florida FIME, the annual interna�onal medical equipment expo will be held in Miami. The largest variety ofsupplies on display. A must for any cu�ng-edge medical supplier. For further info: www.fimeshow.com

24 - 27 July, 2011, Curacao Miami Beach Conven�on Center, Miami, Florida FIME, the annual interna�onal medical equipment expo will be held in Miami. The largest variety ofsupplies on display. A must for any cu�ng-edge medical supplier. For further info: www.fimeshow.com

CARILEC ENGINEERS CONFERENCE

CAIB’s 38TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & CONFERENCE

CARILEC HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE16-19th November, 2011, Paramaribo, SurinameCaribbean Associa�on of Indigenous Banks, Inc (CAIB) is a community of locally incorporated/owned banks and other financial ins�tu�ons in the Caribbean/CARICOM Region, which provides opportuni�es for discussion on issues impac�ng the indigenous banking/financial services community as well as for the sharing of experiences and networking.For Further info: www.caibinc.info

25-28th October 2011, DominicaThis conference is specifically geared at targe�ng human resource personnel who are func�oning in a senior or managerial capacity in their company. The conference provides stakeholders with the opportunity to examine issues rela�ng to the competency needs and the skills sets required to func�on effec�vely in a modern work environment. Special emphasis will be placed on strategies adopted by the par�cipa�ng companies in integra�ng their technical, human, ins�tu�onal and technologically skilled workers.

WORLD TRAVEL MARKET 2011

7th – 10th November 2011, ExCel, London, UKStaged annually in London, World Travel Market - the leading global event for the travel industry - is a vibrant must a�end four-day business-to-business event presen�ng a diverse range of des�na�ons and industry sectors to UK and Interna�onal travel professionals. It is a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade to meet, network, nego�ate and conduct business. By a�ending World Travel Market, par�cipants efficiently, effec�vely and produc�vely gain immediate compe��ve advantage for their business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry.For further info: www.wtmlondon.com

18th – 21st November 2011, The BahamasThe purpose of this conference is to assist in improving regional responses to HIV through the applica�on of research, knowledge, lessons learnt from collabora�on and good prac�ces throughout the Caribbean.For further info: www.2011caribbeanhivconference.org

CARIBBEAN HIV CONFERENCE

CARIBBEAN MARKETPLACE 30th ANNIVERSARY

INTERNATIONAL POWER SUMMIT (IPS) 2012

22nd – 24th January 2012, Atlan�s, Paradise Island, BahamasThe most important marke�ng event in the region hosted by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Associa�on (CHTA). Caribbean Marketplace a�racts all sectors of the industry to s�mulate informa�on sharing and networking as well as conduct business. For further info: www.caribbeanhotelassocia�on.com


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CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank has a new chief executive. September 12 was the first official day on the job for the company’s new leader, Douglas “Rik” Parkhill. Parkhill took over the running of

the financial services institution from John Orr, who has returned to CIBC in Toronto, CIBC FirstCaribbean said in a statement. Michael Mansoor, chairman of FirstCaribbean International Bank, first announced Parkhill’s appointment in May. Parkhill joins CIBC FirstCaribbean from its parent company, CIBC, where, in his most recent assignment, he was the managing director and global head of CIBC’s capital markets sales and cash equities in that company’s wholesale banking unit, based in Toronto.

Parkhill has more than 20 years of experience in the global financial services industry, serving clients in Canada and around the world. Before joining CIBC in 2008, he was co-chief executive officer of the Toronto Stock Exchange. Mansoor described Parkhill as “a seasoned financial services executive—known as a skilled leader and for having a strong employee and client focus.” Mansoor added: “He has the right combination of leadership and industry experience to lead our bank at the recent stage of our company’s development and in the present economic environment.” He described Parkhill as someone with the correct combination of “global financial services experience and leadership capabilities to make him an ideal successor for the CEO position at CIBC FirstCaribbean.”

Parkhill notes that he is eager to get to know the region and immerse himself in the culture of doing business in the Caribbean. He lists as among his priorities visiting as many of the bank’s clients, partners


Onel Sanford-Belle is DBS Newsworld’s new primetime News Anchor She has since been receiving rave reviews as the principal presenter of the station’s flagship weekly evening news program.

Onel is a professional news anchor, journalist and film and TV producer with more than 10 years experience in broadcast journalism. A native of Guyana, she has worked for both radio and television in the Caribbean, and is best known for her work as one of the pioneers of “iNews”, an evening newscast that she produced and anchored in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) from 2000-2003. She also founded the Virgin Islands-based ElShaFord Media Productions and produced and directed several documentary films, educational and promotional videos and corporate videos for both private and public sector entities.

As an independent film producer, she also has to her credit a music video which won the prestigious Caribbean Star Award, Ouida Nisbet which she wrote, produced and executive produced. She also holds producer’s credits on 3 short films shot in New York and New Jersey.

Onel also produced and directed a television special on the devastation caused in Grenada by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and an acclaimed television special

Clinton Reynolds has taken on the position as Producer/Presenter of DBS’ Newsmaker Live. He has earned the reputation for being an astute journalist, producer and media

professional both locally and internationally. Clinton brings his experience and refreshing approach to DBS’ Newsmaker Live.

Clinton began his career as a News Reporter with the St. Lucia Broadcasting Corporation (Radio St. Lucia) in June 1995 and he was employed for over four years in the News and Current Affairs Department. Clinton advanced quickly and before leaving St. Lucia to pursue his studies in 1999, his duties expanded to include the role of News Anchor and producer or two major feature shows – “The Press Club” and “Assignment.” Both of theses programmes were well liked and well received by the public. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication with an emphasis in Radio/Television Broadcast and an MBA in Finance, both from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma.

His many successes include Outstanding Freshman of the Year award and an invitation to join the Freshman Honour Society, induction into various honour societies including Phi Kappa Phi, the national interdisciplinary honour society, as well as the honour societies for Foreign Languages, Political Science and Communication. Clinton received numerous broadcast awards in the state of Oklahoma including the distinction of a record 7 awards at the 2002 Oklahoma Broadcast Educators Association (OBEA) annual convention and this record still stands to date.

MAJOR MOVES

and employees as he can in the coming weeks. He added: “We intend to position ourselves to work alongside our clients to ensure they in turn are positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that are sure to present themselves as the recovery of the world economy progresses. It’s an interesting and exciting time to be here,” read the statement.

on CARIFESTA VIII held in Suriname in 2003.Onel is an alumna of the New York Film

Academy and is currently enrolled in the London School of Journalism’s freelance and feature writing program. She is also a member of the International Documentary Association.


Yachting enthusiast, Cuthbert Didier, is the new Maritime Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism. A former General Manager of Rodney Bay Marina before it became IGY Rodney Bay, Didier has more

recently been a leading member of the St. Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB), where he has brought both his experience and his interest and knowledge of shipping issues to the discussions about increasing the island’s earnings from yachting, and giving more attention to the role of shipping and yachting in tourism.

For years, both at Rodney Bay Marina and on the Tourist Board, Didier has championed the cause of yachting, insisting that it was getting less attention from the government and other shipping authorities than it deserved, seeking better arrangements for visiting yachts and advocating a revisit of the regulations to make it easier for yachts to stay longer. The yachting contribution to tourism is always highlighted by Didier, who has also been advocating that St. Lucia also become a Ship Registry, where ships could register and pay associated fees, as is the case in other Caribbean territories, such as Kingstown (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Kingston (Jamaica) and Nassau (The Bahamas).

In his new job as Maritime Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism, Didier is expected to continue advocating a greater role for maritime affairs in the island’s tourism industry.

Joanna Marius has been appointed Head of Customer Experience at LIME St Lucia.

Ms. Marius has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of customer service. She has been employed with

the company for the past 16 years, during which time she served as an international telephone operator, a customer service representative and Supervisor Customer Services.

She also brings seven years of IT experience to her new role, having served as Supervisor Internet & Data, Assistant Manager Internet, and more recently Manager Service & Product Support. Ms. Marius has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Information Technology.

Among her colleagues she is known to be a dedicated worker and a highly self-motivated professional with in-depth knowledge of the company’s communications and IT systems.

LIME’s Vice-President of Country Operations, Chris Williams, said, “LIME is proud to welcome Ms. Marius to her new position as Head of Customer Experience. Her passion for customer service and her background in IT and CIS, as well as her knowledge of the company’s service delivery systems will augur well for the business. We are confident that she will bring high levels of professionalism and creativity to her role as we work to deliver exceptional customer experience to our valued customers.”

The Caribbean Association of Audit Committee Members (CAACM) has elected St. Lucia’s, Henry Mangal of Eastern Caribbean Financial holdings (ECFH) Limited as its Chairman. The appointment

was made at its 5th Annual Meeting in Trinidad in August, attended by close to 200 delegates.

Membership of the CAACM is drawn from respective Audit Committees and professional accountants of banks, financial institutions, statutory corporations and the wider regional private sector representing both local and Pan-Caribbean companies.

Mangal is a self-employed Leadership and Organisational Development Consultant operating regionally from his Saint Lucia-registered business, Acumen Consulting.

He is an elected Director of ECFH and serves on the subsidiary boards of Bank of Saint Lucia Limited, Property Holding & Development Company Limited and Mortgage Finance Company of Saint Lucia Limited. He is also a member of the Audit, Human Resource and Credit Committees of the ECFH Board.

Mangal has a BSc in Accounting from the University of the West Indies and an MSc in Strategic Leadership from the University of Westminster.

In 2010, Mangal was elected Deputy Chairman of CAACM. This year’s conference was held under the theme, ‘Adding Value, Not Bureaucracy: The Role of the Audit Committee in Assessing your Business Risk Profile, Risk Priorities and Governance Structures.’

MAJOR MOVES


TISI General Services Limited General Business & Consulting Services Sham Mohammed, Curtis Hudson

A Hipp Service ltd Import & Export Services Alban Frederick Hippolyte

Waterside Investments Ltd Property Holding Company Edmond O’Dwyer Barbara Singh Doris Cater- Nandlal Rhory McNamara

Do Something World (St.Lucia) Inc. The organization is geared towards promoting the love Timothy Robinson, of Christ in the nation through business, social and of Emmanuel MC Lorren religious activities whilst fostering a spirit of volunteerism Michael Francis and community service

T MC Lorren Entreprises ltd Arts, Craft, Literature, Theatre Productions Emmanuel MC Lorren Martha Mc Lorren, Catherine Sifflet

Aqueduct Inc. Water Production Christopher Talal Tohme

UrDesign Timber Homes (St.Lucia) Ltd Building & sale of timber homes Saraya Roberts

Escape Charters Limited Boat Charters, Pleasure Cruising, Sports Fishing Kent Glace, Sophia Betts

Harlequin Air Limited Travel & Airline Services, Commercial Flight Services David Edward Ames

Blanchard’s Customs & Freight Providing Customs and Freight Services Berkley Alexander BlanchardServices Inc.

DD R Group of Companies Inc. Purchase and sales of agriculture produce Alicia Henry, Petros Randolph Import and export of vegetables and fruits Dale Rigobert Tours and tourism adventure packages

Sachael Management Services Ltd Provide management Services Chandra Pierre, Delano Pierre

Caribbean Mermaid Inc. Import & Distribution of seafood Andres Hernandez Cuthbert Francis, Leo Harrigan

Just for Spot Inc. Pet Shop Chandra Pierre, Delano Pierre

L. J.A. Construction Limited All areas of building construction and related Services Luke Joseph Ferdinand

Premier Island Contractors Ltd The Business of Business Construction Samantha Barnard, Katrina Griffiths

Children’s Literacy Action To engage in assisting the underprivileged children by Virgil Leonty, Claudius FrancisProgramme Inc.( CLAP) catering to their literacy and health needs Denise Regis To foster an appreciation and love for reading and learning in children

Alpro Construction Inc. To engage in the operation of construction & Development Peter Albert

BN Holdings Inc. General Business Bradley Marcelle Charles Ochilien Nelva Dawyn Bruneau

Admiral Development Inc. Real Estate Services and Villa Rentals Pinkly Francis Jessica Francis

COMPANY NATURE OF BUSINESS DIRECTORS

NEW COMPANY REGISTRATIONS




The Rock Inc Property Development Marcus Kellan Joseph Venus Alcindor Crafton Michael Chastanet

RSH Institute Inc. Provide Service of Tertiary Education Rhonda St Hill

Harlequin Boutique Hotel Limited Boutique & Hotel Relating Items David Edward Ames

Harlequin St.Lucia Property Limited Property Management Holding Company David Edward Ames

Freedom Fund Inc Real Estate Development Deborah Barley –Mathurin Anselm Mathurin

Caribbean Guardian Security Ltd Surveillance Security Consultants Andrew Patrick Antoine, Christina Duncun Antoine Carmila Jacques Telatini Imports Ltd Selling of Clothing & Jewelry, selling of electronics Patson Anius goods for wholesale Mary Amos

Cyan Fitness Ltd Fitness Studio and Gym Patson Anius Mary Amos

Winval Company Limited Real Estate, wholesale, retail, manufacturing Winster Frederick and Construction

Caesars’s Sport Book Inc. Sports Gaming Andres Hernandez, Marcellina Preville, Leo Harrigan

Blue Print Construction All forms of Construction and Renovation services Kurt Elibox

Maintenance Furniture & Maintenance of woodwork construction of shirting boards, Dennis Conrad EdwardConstruction Ltd moldings, ceilings, trimmings door jams etc.

Origen Inc Consultancy Services Wayne Girard

Good Standing Agency Inc. Corporate Service Carlos Phillip, Sameera Bhalla

Champion St.Lucia Inc Selling of Wholesale consumer goods Carlos Phillip Sameera Bhalla Research & Development Associates Consultancy , Research and Development Services Theron freud Lammieof Saint Lucia Inc.(RDA)

FRANJACK Inc. Beekeeping , Water bottling, Manufacturing of honey, Francis Jackman, Ribbs Dedier Wines, Vinegar, Cosmetics and skin products, tutoring John Charlemagne, services and Agro- Processing Michael Willie, Joseph Isidore

M.P’s Manufacturing Limited Manufacturing of T-Shirts Mochan Persaud Fazeela Persaud

Construction & Recycling Inc Construction , Recycling, Generally to do any other Alberton Jean business that is not restricted by law Claude Quami Richelieu




Bicycle World Inc. The sale of Bicycles, Bicycle parts & accessories Ned Samuel

BB Properties Ltd. Property Management Bridget Benchettab

C.S. Construction Inc To carry out the business of construction it all its forms Guoshan Liu

Zong Inc. Property Development Mc Lellan Augustin Earl Augustin

West Indies Nightclub inc. Business of a nightclub and restaurant Shazi Chalon, Phillip Montagnac Christian Florentin

West Indies Packaging To engage in the packaging of material and in Robin Phillip Cho, Fook Lun(WINPACK) Inc. agro and fish processing David Henderson Lavine Holbrook Andrew Winston Taylor Tyrone Decosta Harris Hilary Regis

Prio’s Sea Adventures Inc Sea Tours Denis Laurencin Chierry Poyotte Denis Kingston Louis

VS Limited Real Estate Development Callistus Vern Gill Steve Jameson

West Indies Plastics(WINPLAS) Inc. To engage in the distribution of goods Robin Phillip Cho, Fook Lun David Henderson Lavine Holbrook Andrew Winston Taylor Tyrone Decosta Harris Hilary Regis

Feree’ Ridge Development Property Development, Property Use Al-Dean Louis FernandCompany Limited Delbert Bynoe, Al Elliot

Clear Ocean Technology Inc. Water production Christopher Talal Tohme

st. lucia business focus 60

Documents

marketing cml64

gosl lime

building plans84

profile of products

high quality

saint luciatel

high ranking

construction sector90