Business View Caribbean | Feb 2019

C TL Home Center is the British Virgin Islands’ (BVI) own retail giant that is continuously evolving with the desire to expand into the wider Caribbean. A common household name and fixture in the BVI, the company exemplifies love for the community and has grown to become a Virgin Islands suc- cess story in the truest historic pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit of Virgin Islanders. Formerly known as Clarence Thomas Ltd., the company was founded by the family patriarch, Clarence Thomas, in 1967. “My dad was one of the few licensed plumbers in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s,” explains Michael Thomas, the company’s Managing Director. “It came out of a need for him to procure the materials that he needed for jobs. So, he started importing prod- ucts for some of the projects he was working on and other plumbers came to him, wanting to buy materials that they needed for their jobs. Back in the ‘60s, it was a pure plumbing supply house, but, eventually, it morphed into a retail establishment and it’s been growing ever since.” Today, the company, which is still a fami- ly-owned enterprise operated by Michael and his brother, David, has two locations. The main store, in Fish Bay on the island of Tortola, is the 70,000-sq.-ft. SuperStore and Lumberyard, 45