Business View Caribbean | August 2022

80 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 8 it comes to both residential and commercial construction is the ever-present threat of hurricanes that pass through residential areas. Matalon Roofing is acutely aware of this risk and has adopted roofing techniques and materials that are considered to be the best on the market. Proving to withstand storms including Hurricane Ivan that hit the Cayman Islands years back, Matalon Roofing has made it a priority to utilize unique roofing materials in the majority of its commercial and residential roofing projects. “We are a full-range roofing company. We offer all different types of roofing from stone coated metal tile to painted tile and asphalt shingles,” Andrew says. “Our main focus now is standing seam roofing, which is huge in the Caribbean and even in Florida and Atlanta. It is the strongest roofing that you can get for hurricanes. So, after Hurricane Ivan went to the Cayman Islands a long time ago, every single roof blew off, but the only ones that were left standing used standing seam.” Matalon Roofing has made a concentrated effort to shift the market for this type of proven roofing material, recognizing standing seam as the future of roofing. According to Andrew, standing seam now represents about 65% to 70% of the company’s business. Inclement weather events are not the only factor that has impacted the direction of Matalon Roofing’s business. COVID-19 pandemic economic spinoffs have also provided some unforeseen challenges. Although construction did not slow down during the peak of the pandemic, while other sectors may have ground to a halt, rising inflation, increased cost of materials, and supply chain slowdowns have affected Matalon’s business model. In the early days of the pandemic, the local government chose to include construction as part of the services that were deemed essential. Matalon recalls, “There wasn’t really a construction slowdown. Luckily construction