“Anthony James Plumbing was founded by Anthony James, who is my dad. We’re a family business,” explains Anton James, the company’s current director. “He left teaching in 1982 and decided to go around with his Hillman Hunter, a popular car at the time, doing plumbing and maintenance. Then he got into bigger projects with the state and made his name in the private sector in Trinidad.”The transition from classroom to construction site proved prescient, positioning the company to capitalize on the nation’s infrastructure boom. Today’s Anthony James Plumbing is a member of the Trinidad & Tobago Contractors Association, operating from locations in Belmont and Tobago. The family structure remains intact with Anthony James as managing director and licensed plumber, his wife serving as director and company secretary, and their sons Anton and Brent handling different operational aspects.“We’ve done projects in Barbados, St. Lucia, and Grenada Hotels through Nicholas Development, including Radisson and Crown Plaza Hotel,” Anton notes, highlighting the company’s regional expansion beyond Trinidad’s 1.5 million population market into the broader Caribbean construction landscape. THREE PILLARS OF SUCCESS Anthony James Plumbing operates through three distinct business segments that have positioned the company as a comprehensive service provider in the Caribbean market. The contracting division handles major commercial and industrial projects, while maintenance services provide ongoing support, and a recently launched supply operation serves the broader plumbing community. “The operation is Anthony James Plumbing, and we do plumbing maintenance, plumbing contracting, and plumbing supply,”Anton explains.“The plumbing supply is a supply house that we’ve opened just over a year now in May 2024. That’s another business segment because we are looking at changes in the business environment and realizing that sometimes you’re a victim of your own success.” The supply division addresses a strategic challenge: as the company grew, it became less competitive for smaller projects but could now support emerging contractors who needed materials and guidance. 17 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09 ANTHONY JAMES PLUMBING, MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LIM
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