Perhaps most surprising is the cost-effectiveness of this premium product. “It can be less expensive if someone follows the whole system, but the key thing is it’s not being sold at a premium,” says Merrill. “We’ve arranged contracts now so we can compete in the affordable housing market with something that’s a premium product, which doesn’t sound right.” This contradiction has caused some skepticism in the market.“It’s a challenge we have in Jamaica because it’s counterintuitive—how can it be better if it’s less expensive?” Merrill acknowledges. The company’s solution has been to let results speak for themselves rather than relying on aggressive marketing. Their patient approach has focused on quality and consistency.“We said,let’s just do what we’ve got to do. Number one, make sure we can consistently produce a quality product in Jamaica, find the workforce there that can do that,” says Merrill. With structures now completed across the island, the evidence of their technology’s effectiveness continues to grow. BUILDING CREDIBILITY IN A NEW MARKET Introducing a revolutionary building system to an established construction market hasn’t been without challenges. E-Z Block’s founders quickly discovered that skepticism and resistance to change would be significant hurdles to overcome in Jamaica, where traditional building methods are deeply entrenched. “The challenge is, as simple as the method is, there are some intricacies that you have to follow for this to be constructed and be everything it can be,” Merrill explains. “One of those pushbacks is from old dogs 69 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 03 E-Z BLOCK (MANUFACTURING) & EVOLUTION ICF GROUP LIMITED (CONSTRUCTI
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