Business View Caribbean | Volume 9, Issue 3

28 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 3 start doing that in 2022. Ultimately, we have plans to grow over the years. Currently, we outsource one or two items, but to expand, we would need to bring in more people to get to that level, as we increase capacity.” While prices of raw materials will likely never go back to where they were, Agostini suggests they will probably go down a bit and eventually not be as volatile. He notes, “The price of steel, for example, is changing every week. We have some good suppliers of materials, although it takes a long time for them to reach Trinidad, depending on where we order from. COVID has really affected everything around the world, but we’re carrying on as best we can.” Key to the business development plan going forward is that the affordable housing component of the business needs to grow significantly. As Agostini admits, “The main challenge is that Caribbean people are accustomed to doing things a certain way, so to change them to something else is indeed difficult. Although, we have seen in the past five years, a lot more people turning towards using cement board to build houses with, and the popularity of the product is growing. When using steel framed and alternative methods of construction, (other than traditional brick and concrete) once finished correctly, the completed house looks just as nice, with no noticeable difference.” He adds, “We are a small company that is building ourself on innovation. We believe we are just as successful as large companies all over the world in terms of developing top quality products. That’s something we’re proud of. Every day we’re testing to improve our offerings.”