Business View Caribbean | Volume 8, Issue 10

28 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 10 published was reduced. Cudjoe-Jacob reports, “Construction here was not entirely deemed an essential service. Only construction in healthcare was considered essential. At the time, we were on a healthcare project at the Arima General Hospital, which was a rush because it was designated as a backup COVID-19 hospital. So we kept working throughout the first 2020 lockdown in Trinidad. And now that construction has come back in full, we do have some smaller projects in operation, but not many large ones.” When it comes to differentiating themselves from other similar companies, ALTURA boasts a proven track record and an exceptional roster of satisfied clients. As Cudjoe-Jacob describes it, “Project management is really about combining the art and science of construction to achieve a successful project. We’re really about solutions and making sure that we deliver the project on time and on budget. When a person comes to us, we can offer the full suite of project management. We will take you from concept to completion, including commissioning and training.” For example, if clients want to build a supermarket and have their own designers, ALTURA will work with them as a team. This will involve creating the design, issuing tenders, evaluating the tenders to help with selection, recommending a contractor, negotiating a better price, and then managing the contract, in terms of what work is done, when it is done, and ensuring that procurement is in line with what is happening onsite. In essence, taking the project from the foundation of the building to the completion. According to Cudjoe-Jacob, “When a building is finished with equipment, you have to do commissioning; helping with start-up of the equipment, ensuring it’s working properly. So you go through the exercise of commissioning with the design engineer, as well as the contractor and the supplier. There’s a whole going on at the same time. The company has a set of consultants they partner with regularly if design or other services not within their core competencies are required. Throughout the world, the onset of COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on every industry and every family – and Trinidad was no exception. For ALTURA, the pandemic has slowed down some projects, while the number of tenders being