Wilrock Limited

WILROCK LIMITED Loading aggregates unto a ship for export tion companies have to comply with certain project specifications. So, we come in when the local supplier of a country can’t deliver. “Basically, it’s an ongoing business where, from time to time, different locations will have to protect their coastline. It varies, some years are better than others.Most of our work is for private companies. And we don’t get involved in contracting, ourselves. We’re a supplier.We work with construction compa- nies and private firms.They come to us–if you like our product, you come and ask for it. “Right now, we have reached all the markets we can possibly access.We are known on almost every Caribbean island as an alternate source and have had inquiries as far down as Surinam but anywhere beyond Montserrat I don’t think we can economically supply. There is inconsistency but at least we are known. Being a member of the St. Lucia Manufacturers Association is also a benefit for keeping our name out there.” BVM: Being a family business, is succession planning on the agenda? Wilson: “Presently we have 64 employees. My brother, Gilbert, and I are in direct management of the company, and two other brothers play a supporting role. As for the next generation, our future objective is for succession planning. It may not necessarily remain a family-operated com- pany. That’s the vision I’m working on–how to reposition the company beyond our life span.We might have to diversify, maybe into real estate, that sort of thing. In a family business, some- times the next generation doesn’t share the same vision as you. So, it’s a process we’re going through now. “Most of our employees have been with us quite a while.We try to avoid changing faces often–we want to give the workers a sense of stability and a sense of ownership in what’s happening. The majority of them are actually on the second level of vacation. In St. Lucia, our legislation is 14 days vacation for the first five years, then 21, and then 27. So, most of our staff have been with us more than six years.We give them a stable source of income. There are good days and bad days, because we are still sort of in a recession, but we try to keep the workforce together with minimal disturbance to the employment. We have a philosophy of trying to keep workers motivat- ed.” BVM: What are the biggest challenges in today’s construction environment? Wilson: “Honestly, the biggest challenge is getting paid for your product and getting the value for what you do. I tell customers that I have proven myself in the market and I’m try- ing to get the correct value for the effort we’re putting into what we do. Because when you’re coming from a small operation, you have to work harder to convince the market nowadays that you have the capability.We have supplied some of the largest projects in the Caribbean, already, so right now we have enough under our belt.We’re trying to continue to inspire confidence that we are the better ones to deal with.We’ve done some marketing, but really it’s a lot of word-of-mouth and references when people want to know how to get things done. The construction industry is a funny one.