Business View Caribbean | August 2022

69 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 8 Another challenge lately has been the increase in costs resulting from pandemic delays. “To be honest, in the beginning it was difficult. Everything was halted, prices went up for materials, and it had a big effect with the contracts we had because you already have a fixed price to build something and then prices for materials go up. So it wasn’t nice to deal with that,” Jimenez recalls. “But when you have an agreed communication with your project owners you have to stick with that. I have a great relationship with my providers and we try to keep the prices low.” Luckily, despite the rise in prices, construction in Curacao has begun to soar. Many people are looking to invest in the island, building vacation homes or homes they plan to rent on sites like Airbnb. “Construction is a hot item,” Jimenez says. “It means more business right now in the construction world, to be honest, after the pandemic. The market is pretty big from the U.S., the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.” Pro1 is currently working on some of the biggest projects they’ve ever had, including a 240-square-metre house, complete with a swimming pool. They’ve also got a commercial project in the works with the University of Dutch Caribbean, building a large office building for the school. The firm takes on projects of all sizes and budgets throughout Curacao and Bonaire, making sure to really listen to the clients’ needs. Clients receive video calls, have zoom meetings, and are sent pictures and videos during the process to make sure everything is running smoothly. Through the entire process from start to finish, Pro1 is there for its clients, standing by each project it completes. “We are known for the good work that we give and for the service that we deliver and the quality we build,” Jimenez says. “People see that you’re building and your responsibility because start to finish on a project on the island is very important. You don’t have many contractors finishing what they started. So we focus on our PRO1 GENERAL CONTRACTOR BV