DOMUS WINDOWS ENGINEERING PEACE OF MIND FOR THE CARIBBEAN
ENGINEERING PEACE OF MIND FOR THE CARIBBEAN DOMUS WINDOWS AT A GLANCE DOMUS WINDOWS WHAT: A n innovative and industry leader that puts unparalleled construction and safety first WHERE: O perating across the Caribbean region A FIRM WINDOW TO SUCCESS AS 2026 BECKONS 1 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01
In the Caribbean, the environment doesn’t just influence construction—it defines it. Humidity and salt air are relentless. Security concerns are real. Energy efficiency matters. And hurricane season brings a level of risk that most North American markets will never experience. For Domus Windows, those regional realities aren’t obstacles—they are the blueprint. 2 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01
“We’re focused on the Caribbean climate and what goes with it,” says Terry Ortt, CEO of Domus Windows, describing the company’s core design principles. “A lot of humidity, high salt content air, hurricanes, security, energy savings.Those are really at the core.” Operating in the window, door, and outdoor products space, Domus has built its niche around UPVC—a material the company believes offers the resilience required for Caribbean conditions. But beyond material selection, Domus differentiates itself through breadth of product range, manufacturing sophistication, and an uncommon capacity for mass customization at scale. A BUSINESS MODEL BUILT FOR ISLAND LOGISTICS The Caribbean presents a unique economic challenge: small island markets with fragmented demand can make shipping and supply chain economics difficult. Domus addresses that reality with a wide product range designed to serve multiple customer needs, enabling consistent shipment volume and creating the scale required to operate efficiently. “When we’re dealing with smaller islands, we need to be able to have enough breadth of customer base in order to make shipping economic,” Ortt explains. That range, however, is not limited to standard “off-the-shelf” solutions. Domus is structured for customization—down to the elemental level— something that becomes a true competitive advantage in a region where projects can vary dramatically by island, building style, and exposure conditions. “We’re geared up for mass customization,” Ortt says. “We have 1,000 different configurations. Each component element of each configuration can be custom sized. For example, we have up to 150 glass options.” THE ORIGIN STORY: FRUSTRATION THAT BECAME OPPORTUNITY Domus wasn’t born out of a business plan; it was sparked by a real market failure. Before moving to the Caribbean, Ortt’s background was firmly rooted in large-scale corporate leadership, including serving as CEO of UniHost Corporation and Chairman of Choice Hotels Canada while overseeing a major integrated hotel operation serving 2.5 million guests per annum. But after relocating, he encountered a painful truth as a homeowner renovating a property in Jolly Harbour, Antigua. 3 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01 DOMUS WINDOWS
Windows that were promised in six weeks took six months. Doors took two years. “That’s when I thought… there is a very real need for those products,” he recalls. “But not the way they’re doing it.” That gap—high demand paired with unreliable delivery and inconsistent quality—became the catalyst for Domus. Just as important, Ortt aimed to build the business differently than the traditional structures he observed in the region. “I was motivated to do something different,” he says, describing a more corporate, empowerment-focused model built around self-starters, rather than what he 4 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01
calls a more autocratic hierarchy common in many Caribbean businesses. SURVIVING TWO MAJOR DISRUPTIONS—AND GROWING STRONGER Domus began operations in 2007, launching in St. Kitts in a repurposed sugar factory to develop product lines and establish market positioning. Early momentum was strong—then the global financial crisis hit. “By the middle of 2008, 90% of construction went away,” Ortt says.“When construction died… that was pretty difficult.” The company stabilized over time, and by 2012, signs of renewed market demand led Domus to pursue a major strategic move: building a purposebuilt manufacturing facility in Trinidad. But in the Caribbean, timelines expand. “In the Caribbean, everything takes about 10 times as long as it does in Canada or the US,” Ortt notes. Ultimately, it took until 2018 to secure land, build the factory, and relocate production from St. Kitts. That move proved transformational. Trinidad offered a substantially larger domestic 5 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01 DOMUS WINDOWS
Established in 2012 and headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, Concepts in Freight Limited (CIF) provides comprehensive global logistics solutions. With a management team boasting over a century of collective experience, CIF blends “old-fashioned” personal attention with modern industry tools to ensure efficiency, security, and customer satisfaction. CORE SERVICES: • Ocean Freight: As an FMC Licensed NVOCC, CIF specializes in FCL and LCL shipments, offering weekly consolidations across the Caribbean and a global network spanning the Americas, Europe, Asia, and beyond. • Air Freight: Fast, reliable, door-to-door services for time-sensitive cargo with advanced tracking. • Logistics & Security: TSA-endorsed facilities providing warehousing, inland haulage, and specialized packing/crating. The CIF Advantage: Our “Family Network” philosophy ensures high-touch service and competitive pricing. By handling complex documentation, insurance, and logistics planning, we remove the “headache” of shipping, allowing you to focus on your business. From our strategic hubs in Miami and Trinidad, we connect you to the world with a hands-on approach that treats every shipment with precision. Experience a logistics partnership where everybody knows your name. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, Concepts in Freight Limited (CIF) provides comprehensive global logistics solutions. With a management team boasting over a century of collective experience, CIF blends "old-fashioned" personal attention with modern industry tools to ensure efficiency, security, and customer satisfaction. High-Touch Service and Competitive Pricing OCEAN AIR RORO DISTRIBUTION ADDED VALUE Trinidad & Tobago: Address: #17 Dennis Mahabir Street, Woodbrook, Trinidad W.I. Tel: +1 (868) 625 5857 Email: quotes@ciftrinidad.com Miami Warehouse: Address: 4120 West 104th Street, Suite #20 Hialeah, FL 33018 Tel: (305) 468 3255
market, improved logistics access, and the opportunity to build a facility engineered specifically for highefficiency and output capacity. While the pandemic in 2020 created another setback, the post-pandemic period has been marked by rapid growth. “From 2021 onward, we’ve been growing very quickly and doing well,” Ortt says. A WORLD-CLASS FACTORY—AND A PRODUCTIVITY ADVANTAGE Unlike many manufacturers forced to adapt to imperfect facilities, Domus built a factory designed around the company’s operational needs from the ground up. The result, Ortt says, is a highly efficient plant with a measurable productivity edge. “In benchmarking, we find that we can produce approximately three times as many windows as our competitors per man hour,” he explains. The facility’s location also supports performance— positioned near major highways and not far from the port—critical advantages in a region where logistics can make or break production timelines. 7 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01 DOMUS WINDOWS
– Premier extends sincere congratulations to Domus Windows and Doors on being recognized as one of Trinidad and Tobago’s Best Managed Companies for 2025 by Business View Caribbean. This distinction is a testament to Domus’ strong leadership, disciplined operations, and unwavering commitment to quality and customer experience. Premier has had the privilege of working alongside Domus as a trusted partner in customs brokerage and containerized transport, supporting its import and manufacturing operations in a highly regulated, timesensitive environment. Domus’ success reflects not only innovation and craftsmanship, but also a deliberate focus on building reliable partnerships that strengthen its supply chain and operational resilience. “Domus’ success is the result of deliberate leadership…” As a family-driven organization, Premier shares Domus’ values of integrity, accountability, and long-term thinking. We have witnessed firsthand Domus’ evolution, attention to detail, and commitment to doing business the right way, qualities that distinguish truly wellmanaged companies. This recognition is well deserved and speaks to the strength of Domus’ brand and management team. Premier is proud to be associated with Domus’ journey and looks forward to continuing this partnership as Domus builds on its achievements and expands its impact within the manufacturing sector. Contact us - Trinidad & Tobago Tel: +1 (868) 612-4722 Guyana Tel: +1 (592) 504-8352 Email: info@premiercustoms.com Scan to learn more
TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT: MILLIONS SPENT TO CREATE CONTROL AND CLARITY Domus’ operational sophistication isn’t limited to physical infrastructure. Ortt’s early career included building and scaling an IT company, and he brought that mindset into the manufacturing environment. Domus has invested heavily in software and systems that support end-to-end tracking—an essential capability in the Caribbean where shipping schedules, container availability, and delivery certainty can be unpredictable. “We’ve spent millions of dollars on our software and the processes and tools that go along with it—like tracking orders and tracking shipments,” Ortt says. “Tracking shipments is a big issue in the Caribbean.” When asked about AI, Ortt is candid: while it may assist with rudimentary tasks, he does not see it as central to the Domus model—particularly given the complexity of mass customization and the consultative approach the company takes with clients. PRODUCT LINES DESIGNED FOR REALWORLD THREATS Domus segments its product portfolio into three primary categories: basic units, security, and hurricane systems—plus a smaller set of outdoor products such as handrails and fencing. The “basic” category serves conventional needs, but Domus’ market focus is clear. Despite basic windows representing the majority of the broader market, Domus’ sales mix is weighted heavily toward higher performance solutions. “We only do about 15% of our sales in basic,” Ortt says. “Seventy-five percent is in the security and hurricane lines.” In security products, Domus offers multiple tiers— including high-impact systems built to withstand forced entry. In hurricane products, the company positions its standards at the top end globally, citing wind-load ratings and practical learnings from realworld storms. “We have the highest standards, I believe, in the 9 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01 DOMUS WINDOWS
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world,” Ortt says.“Higher than Miami-Dade… in terms of wind load—200 miles an hour.” Domus also operates its own test lab and points to Hurricane Irma in 2017 as a proving ground—an event that helped launch the company’s “economical hurricane line” based on performance observed under worst case hurricane conditions. MATERIALS ENGINEERING: QUALITY IN THE DETAILS In Caribbean environments, failure often comes from what others consider minor components. Domus takes a holistic approach to materials engineering, with high corrosion resistance provided by all components including installation fasteners, whereas many window systems break down over a short period of time. “The screws that we use are coated with an industrial coating used in aerospace and food processing and offshore oil and gas,” Ortt explains. “Whereas 99% of windows outside our company are installed using regular steel screws… within two to five years, the screws are totally eaten.” It’s a technical detail, but one that reflects Domus’ broader philosophy: products must be engineered for real Caribbean exposure, not adapted from designs intended for other climates. SUPPLY CHAIN: THE BIGGEST CONSTRAINT— AND THE BIGGEST DISCIPLINE For Domus, supply chain isn’t a secondary issue—it is one of the most difficult structural challenges in the business. “We have to carry probably three to four times as much inventory as North American manufacturers,”Ortt says, citing long lead times, container-based shipping requirements, and the complexity of batching materials at scale. Because many suppliers are oriented toward North American trucking logistics, Domus must adapt processes for container shipping and timing— another example of where technology, planning, and inventory strategy become competitive requirements. 12 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01
MARKET DEMAND AND THE HUMAN COST OF STORM RISK Construction demand today is “quite steady,” Ortt notes, though it varies from island to island in boom-and-bust cycles. Domus mitigates volatility by serving a wide geographic footprint from Guyana to Jamaica, smoothing demand across markets. Still, Ortt is candid about the region’s cultural approach to hurricane risk—often rooted in taking chances rather than investing in protection. As a professional engineer specializing in hurricane resistance, he emphasizes that window and door integrity is foundational. “Eighty to ninety percent of all building failure starts with the failure of a window or door,” he says.“Once you keep the shell intact, the chances of losing a roof or having major damage drop dramatically.” LOOKING AHEAD: JAMAICA AS THE NEXT GROWTH ENGINE Asked about priorities for the next 18 eighteen months to two years, Ortt points to one clear focus: deeper penetration in the Jamaican market. “It’s more than half of the population of the entire Caribbean,” he says.“It’s in one location, so the ability to achieve economies of scale in delivering the highest level of service and more frequent shipping really can work for us.” With frequent container shipping already in motion and a market scale that supports consistent logistics flow, Jamaica represents both a growth opportunity and a strategic anchor for Domus’ next phase. In a region where weather risk of the strongest of hurricanes is increasing, quality is inconsistent, and logistics are complex, Domus Windows is betting on a model built around engineering, operational discipline, and performance that doesn’t break down when conditions get tough. In the Caribbean, that is not just a value proposition—it is a necessity. 13 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01 DOMUS WINDOWS
PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Concepts In Freight Limited www.cifglobal.com Based in Trinidad and Tobago, Concepts in Freight Limited delivers comprehensive global logistics solutions built on reliability and personalized care. We combine modern technology with a hands-on approach to ensure efficient, secure shipping. Our philosophy focuses on service flexibility, meticulous attention to detail, and building strong, lasting relationships. n Premier Customs Brokerage www.premiercustoms.net 14 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01
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