calls a more autocratic hierarchy common in many Caribbean businesses. SURVIVING TWO MAJOR DISRUPTIONS—AND GROWING STRONGER Domus began operations in 2007, launching in St. Kitts in a repurposed sugar factory to develop product lines and establish market positioning. Early momentum was strong—then the global financial crisis hit. “By the middle of 2008, 90% of construction went away,” Ortt says.“When construction died… that was pretty difficult.” The company stabilized over time, and by 2012, signs of renewed market demand led Domus to pursue a major strategic move: building a purposebuilt manufacturing facility in Trinidad. But in the Caribbean, timelines expand. “In the Caribbean, everything takes about 10 times as long as it does in Canada or the US,” Ortt notes. Ultimately, it took until 2018 to secure land, build the factory, and relocate production from St. Kitts. That move proved transformational. Trinidad offered a substantially larger domestic 33 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01 DOMUS WINDOWS
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