We don’t produce anything in the Cayman Islands,” Kline explains. This reality, which might handicap other builders, has become Encompass’s strategic advantage. Rather than viewing isolation as a limitation, Kline reframes it as liberation.“From a mindset perspective, I didn’t look at it as a regional supply thing. I said, “Well, at the end of the day, if we plan our projects properly, we can buy from anywhere in the world,” he states. “Instead of living inside of this box, we said, take the box away and let’s just find the best resources, the best trade partners anywhere in the world.” The company sources Italian cabinetry directly from manufacturers, imports tile from Spain and Italy, purchases lumber straight from Canada, and procures materials from South America and Asia.This global approach contrasts sharply with U.S. builders who, as Kline observes,“get kind of spoiled.They just go to Home Depot or their local lumber supplier and they get everything from the same three suppliers.” Recent supply chain disruptions and potential tariff changes have validated this strategy. “We’re just built for it to begin with. So the shock of having to be creative with where we order from or how we logistically get it to us has kind of always been there 32 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 07
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