Business View Caribbean - August/September 2018

78 79 CWM INFRASTRUCTURE This is remarkably true in the case of Curaçaose Wegenbouw Maatschappij (CWM) and its es- teemed Director, Wendell Bonafacio, who offers, here, the 65-year journey and future growth path of one of Curaçao’s most valuable construction entities. In the words of Wendell Bonafacio: “I am, as the company Director of Curaçaose Wegenbouw Maatschappij (CWM), the Bonairiaanse Wegen- bouw Maatschappij (BWM), and Eigen Woning Plan (EWP), very proud of the company and its staff. The social responsibility towards the people and soci- ety is a very important element of the company to me. There are many people who earn a living by working at, or for, the CWM, such as the subcon- tractors, suppliers of products and raw materials, equipment rental companies, and lorry drivers. “In 1952, Janssen de Jong came to the Caribbean for the construction of the airport in Curaçao. For this purpose, the Curaçaose Wegenbouw Maatsch- appij N.V. was established on September 3rd, 1953. Around that time vehicle traffic in Curaçao also increased – many new roads had to be built and dirt roads paved. The opportuni- ty presented itself for CWM to achieve an im- portant place in the field of road construction, and we have succeeded. CWM is specialized in the construction and maintenance of the infra- structure on the island. From the beginning, the company played an important role in the reviv- al of Curaçao. “Sixty-five years is no small task. Most people have no idea how intensive road construction can be! We are dealing with all facets of road construction such as excavation work to install water pipes or telephone and electricity cables, sidewalks, bike paths, street lighting. We can carry out all facets of the work, and we always like to think along with the customer to real- ize projects in the best way and, of course, at the lowest cost possible. The construction of roads in the Leeward Antilles with their tropi- cal climate and soil structure requires a special approach. Where there is a will, we will create a way. “At the moment, CWM employs 125 people, from the engineers to the laborers who actual-