Business View Caribbean | Feb 2019

built in 2015 on several acres of land that was reclaimed from the nearby seabed. It has 86 employees and offers a vast array of home improvement and maintenance supplies, in- cluding: plumbing, electrical, marine, lawn and garden supplies; hand and power tools; small and large appliances; an extensive stock of home products; a wide variety of quality paints and surface protectors; office supplies and much, much more. A smaller store, on the island of Virgin Gorda, has four employees and focuses on plumbing, electrical, hardware, tools, and housewares. “One of the things that functions well for us with our second store on Virgin Gorda is a liaison officer,” Michael notes. “Our custom- ers on that island interact directly with the liaison officer at our main store with their inquiries, since our Virgin Gorda Store is only 4,000 square feet and there’s only so much you can cram into it. Additionally, we are in the process of acquiring property in Virgin Gorda to build a new and much bigger store, which would encompass a lumberyard, also,” he adds. “We’re hoping to have that completed within the next four to five years, if not sooner.” Regarding CTL’s competitors, Michael says, “Competition is everywhere on the island; we compete with everybody because everybody AT A GLANCE CLARENCE THOMAS LIMITED HOME CENTER WHAT: A family-owned retail company WHERE: British Virgin Islands WEBSITE: www.ctlbvi.com 46