CG Construction & Consultancy

6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 I was 28, I was a Project Manager on a $30 million project. By 31, I had built high-rise office blocks, balance cantilever bridges, major subterranean subway stations, and a large commercial park enablement project in the UK.” In 2000, Smith decided to leave the UK and settle in Antigua, where he established a new kind of construction company that permanently employed most staff, giving them a sense of pride in their company and their work. “We’ve been building in Barbuda since, starting with the first project, a swimming pool for a very wealthy client who had precise requirements for a multi-level swimming pool with rapids and winding rivers.” “I had quite a bit of experience building this kind of swimming pool from building center parks in the UK, so we completed it successfully, opening the door to more projects with high- end clients building bespoke homes.” In many ways, this first project was a defining moment for Smith and what would become CG Construction & Consultancy. He explains some of the idiosyncrasies that set the business apart from other real estate developers on the island. “Number one is our typical client,” he says. “They are almost certainly overseas, which requires a special approach to ensure you gain trust and continuity.” “This type of client also requires that we keep an open dialogue throughout the construction period because we will only see them two or three times during the build process.” Maintaining this level of communication and continuity has led the company to adopt various techniques and technologies that other construction companies with a more local client base rarely use. “Originally, it was email and photographs, but now, we send a daily WhatsApp log to our customers with photographs and commentary. If they are multiple parties, they can set up a WhatsApp CG CONSTRUCT ION & CONSULTANCY