Business View Caribbean NOV 2022

BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 25 24 The Trading International Group, one of Dominica’s most prominent business conglomerates, launched the hardware store in November 2018 to support the rebuilding efforts on the island. Founded by the renowned businessperson, entrepreneur, and investor Karl J. Nassief, the conglomerate also has interests in automotive, industrial, hospitality, and services. Do It Center Dominica, located on Goodwill Road in the capital, Roseau, is a franchise of hardware, lumber, and building materials cooperative Do It Best Corp., based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Through this affiliation, Do It Center Dominica carries a wide range of products that cover all aspects of the industry’s lumber, building, and construction requirements. Five years after Hurricane Maria, Dominica’s makeover is only gathering steam. As Ms. Evadney Esprit, Do It Center General Manager, explains, Do It Center is more than ready to continue supporting this transformation. “Overall, we have come an exceptionally long way. Almost all damaged houses have been repaired, and the vegetation is back to where it was before. The island looks good now. If you didn’t know a hurricane devastated us in 2017, just looking at the island now, you would not know. The road network is back to how it was, and we are recovering nicely from the hurricane.” The company continues to import hardware products to support the private sector, and government initiatives focused on restoring the island and making it hurricane-proof. “The government has put the call out for Dominica to be the first climate-resilient nation in the world,” says Esprit. “We are working towards adding hurricane-rated windows to our portfolio to help support climate-change-aware constructions.” Do It Center Dominica currently has seventy-two employees, most of whom joined the company at inception. Esprit notes that around ninety percent of employees who joined when the store opened are still with the company, attributing this to a family-like, inclusive culture. As the demand for building and construction materials remains high, Do It Center is experiencing robust growth, which has made it an attractive employer for job-hunting Dominicans. “We are creating a culture where employees will want to continue working with us, and even from the outside, people would want to work here,” adds Esprit. On the sales side, Do It Center Dominica is currently tapping into the enormous demand for building supplies on the island. Supporting these efforts is a wide range of materials in categories like houseware, plumbing, heating, power tools, electrical supplies, paint, lawn, millwork, and lumber. The company supplies individual homeowners, general contractors, and other entities, providing retail and wholesale options for their needed materials. In addition, the company supports backorders for products that might be out of stock and special orders for those it does not currently offer, as Esprit explains. “In instances where we do not have certain items in inventory, we special order them to keep your project going. In addition, we have an in-store Pro-Desk Coordinator – a dedicated team member that contractors can call to place their order and inquire about product availability.” Other customer benefits Do It Center Dominica provides our store accounts, a loyalty program, discounts on purchases, and payment terms for large purchases. Most of Do It Center Dominica’s customers come from the residential and hospitality industries, currently enjoying tremendous growth. One of the significant constructions currently underway is that of the 99-room Tranquility Beach Resort – Curio –A Collection by Hilton. “It is a major development by renowned Owner- Developer Ian “Sugar George” Edwards,” says Esprit, “and an addition to his portfolio that includes Trip Advisor award-winning Tranquility Beach Anguilla Resort in Anguilla.” Besides this development, Do It Center Dominica also supplies government housing projects under the Housing Recovery Project that is currently restoring the island’s residential properties while integrating storm resilience. Although most of the store’s supplies come from the United States, some inventory comes from China, Europe, and the UK. With the recent pandemic and its effects on supply chains, Do It Center Dominica has not escaped supply delays, especially with shipments coming from other locations besides the United States. “The long lead times, not having goods readily available - these are worrisome,” Esprit intimates. “We must plan purchasing activities carefully We deliver custom solutions to fit the needs of each of our clients. Putnam Lumber & Export Company is your link to the Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) market from the USA to your port of import. 6196 Lake Gray Boulevard, Suite 102 Jacksonville, Florida 32244 www.putnamlumber.com 1 (904) 777-2655 Putnam Lumber & Export Company is your Southern Yellow Pine expert! We are proud to be in partnership with Do it Center and are honored that they distribute our products in Dominica. BEST PRACT I CES IN BUS INESS & ECONOMI C DEVELOPMENT