Business View Caribbean | April 2021

69 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN APRIL 2021 THE PHOENI X GROUP since the early 2000s. Ask Howe about life in Grand Cayman and he’s quick to share, “It’s just another beautiful day in paradise.” With the COVID-19 pandemic playing havoc in the Caribbean and around the globe, the last year has presented a myriad of unexpected challenges and opportunities. The Cayman Islands’ Government took a strong position on COVID and went into full lockdown mode early on, which included closing the border. Howe recounts, “It worked extremely well and within a few months, we were able to resume life in a normal capacity. As a result, our domestic economy is in a boom and we’ve had a very busy time since then at Phoenix.” Investment interest is high with many people contemplating relocation to the Cayman Islands for first or second homes. According to Howe, “People are trying to get here to purchase property. Other people are buying property sight unseen. So our real estate market has been very active over the last six months. It’s a combination of people buying already finished homes and/or raw land. And when all the borders start opening up, we do think we’ll have an influx of people wanting to relocate.” With the realization that people don’t have to be in the actual office anymore to work, the Cayman Government has put together a nomad work visa opportunity, where you can pay a fee to come down to the Islands and work. As long as you fit the criteria. The hope is that it encourages people to apply for the visa, and then stay in the Caymans to live and work and boost the local economy. During the lockdown period, Phoenix had a request from a client about building bio-shields. Basically, plexiglass for COVID-19 protection at the airports, pharmacies, grocery stores, any retail environment. It started with one customer and soon Phoenix had four crews fabricating and installing the bio-shields across the island. Howe Managing Director, Shayne Howe