Building Better: Behind the Inspiring Vision

How a construction veteran and a former banker are transforming affordable housing with innovative concrete technology while creating community wealth.

When Dale Merrill and Jerrold Johnson founded E-Z Block Manufacturing Jamaica Ltd. they weren’t just launching another typical manufacturing or construction company, they were introducing a revolutionary building solution designed to transform housing across the Caribbean. Seven years after they began their quest the duo has firmly planted roots in Jamaica, where their innovative insulated concrete form (ICF) building technology has been gaining traction since 2021.

“We offer an innovative, insulated, concrete-form-building technology that helps you build cooler, quieter, faster, stronger,” explains Johnson, the company’s Managing Director. With approval from Jamaica’s Bureau of Standards for both commercial and residential construction, E-Z Block occupies a unique position as a manufacturer, with a sister company that does the building of the homes,  creating specialized blocks that outperform traditional building materials in the tropical climate.

Merrill, who serves as Director of Installation & Training, brings over four decades of construction expertise to the venture. “I’ve been a contractor-builder for pretty much my whole life; over 40 years. My real expertise is in construction and contracting,” he notes. This practical knowledge has proven invaluable as the company adapted its North American technology to Jamaica’s specific needs.

From Canada to Jamaica

The journey that brought E-Z Block from Canadian beginnings to Jamaican shores was a calculated mission driven by climate compatibility and social impact. From day one Johnson and Merrill made the strategic decision to establish their entire manufacturing operation on the island, recognizing Jamaica’s unique potential for their product.

“Jamaica was always the goal. Canada was set up for Jerrold and me to learn how to manufacture this,” Merrill explains. “We’re not just the founders of the company. We actually made the blocks with the system, set it up, and we’ve improved the system.”

This hands-on approach allowed the founders to perfect their manufacturing process before relocating. “Once we perfected what we could in Canada, we said, ‘Okay, let’s get this to Jamaica,’ which was always the goal,” says Merrill. In 2021, they moved their factory equipment from Canada to Jamaica, establishing their manufacturing base in the Caribbean nation.

The tropical environment proved ideal for production. “It’s a perfect storm because the warm, humid air is ideal for concrete,” Merrill points out. “We’ve been able to refine our manufacturing process and give a more consistent product.”

Their initial exploration of building materials included considering a styrofoam-based insulated concrete form. However, fate intervened when they discovered Jamaica was banning styrofoam products. “A $60,000 mistake is a lot less than a $2 million mistake,” Merrill notes with relief, viewing the near-miss as providential.

Both Merrill and Johnson recognized that there was a greater plan for their vision. “In January of 2020 we found the E-Z Block product on a mountain top in Utah, and we are forever grateful to the inventor, Aaron Eames and his family for providing us the opportunity to purchase a license to manufacture the product”, stated the duo in unison.

This decision proved fortuitous, as their current product avoids environmental pitfalls. The company’s willingness to adapt their approach based on local conditions has become a hallmark of their business philosophy.

The Technology Advantage

E-Z Block’s revolutionary building system delivers four key benefits perfectly suited to Jamaica’s unique environmental challenges. The company’s motto—”cooler, quieter, faster, stronger”—encapsulates the practical advantages that have made their insulated concrete forms a compelling alternative to traditional construction methods.

“The key things for Jamaica are cooler, quieter, and stronger,” explains Merrill. “It’s climate resilience to hurricanes and earthquakes. It’s environmental resistance to mold and termites. It seemed like the perfect match for Jamaica as far as the product.” These benefits directly address the island’s tropical climate and vulnerability to natural disasters.

What sets E-Z Block apart from other insulated concrete forms is its composition. Unlike many ICF products that use styrofoam, E-Z Block was developed using an alternative formula. “A lot of people have heard of ICF, which is an insulating concrete form, and they’re familiar with that in styrofoam,” Merrill notes. Their decision to pursue a non-styrofoam solution has proven advantageous both environmentally and practically.

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 like me in Jamaica that have been doing something a certain way for a long time and don’t want to learn a new trick.”

Rather than forcing rapid adoption, the company chose a strategic approach, gradually building credibility through demonstration projects and education. “We didn’t really want to do all of it. We wanted to pass it on, but because people were pushing back and when we gave people some carte blanche, they didn’t stick to the systems,” says Merrill. “It meant we had to become the contractors, and that was to protect the brand and the product.”

At present there are a variety of structures built with the E-Z Block system all across the island. In addition to homes and multi storey condos there is a school, a church entryway, security walls and even a swimming pool.

A turning point came when the company established a certification program with the University of Technology Jamaica (UTECH). “We have an MOU with UTECH to collaborate in 13 different areas, but the first area that we did was UTECH E-Z Block certified installers,” Johnson notes. This institutional validation provided crucial legitimacy to their system.

The certification program has become a key driver of business growth. “For 2024, I would say 50% of the business we did came as a direct result or consequence of the course,” Johnson reveals. This educational initiative has created a network of trained professionals who understand and advocate for the E-Z Block system.

Community-Centered Manufacturing

The E-Z Block operation in Jamaica embodies a philosophy of community investment and local empowerment. From the beginning, the founders prioritized hiring and training Jamaican workers, viewing their business as a vehicle for creating sustainable careers.

“We used local talent in Tucker and Granville at the factory,” Merrill explains, referring to their initial manufacturing site. This approach aligns with their broader vision of establishing roots within Jamaica’s economy rather than simply extracting value from it.

As demand grows, the company has ambitious expansion plans that maintain this community-first approach. “We’ll be expanding the Tucker facility, probably increasing capacity by 50 to 75%,” Johnson says. “We are also opening another facility in Spring Village, St. Catherine, which will be an outdoor factory that is not confined by walls, which will be triple the size of where we are now,” he explains. “We will start production in that facility in June.”

This new location represents deeper community integration. “We’re community focused and we want to build through the community, make people better, helping to improve their quality of life both inside and outside their homes,” Johnson emphasizes. “We are partnering with the Spring Village Development Foundation, which also has a training facility. They teach welding and stuff like that. So, we’re going to be partnering to outsource some of our fabrication.”

This manufacturing philosophy intentionally balances efficiency with employment opportunities. “We take the Henry Ford model. We feel that our workers should be able to afford houses that are built with E-Z Block they helped produce,” Johnson notes. This approach stands in contrast to highly automated production methods that might reduce labor requirements.

The Dignity Program

At the heart of E-Z Block’s business model lies an innovative social initiative that transforms how communities participate in housing development. Their “Dignity Incentive Program” creates pathways to homeownership through collaborative building efforts, showing a philosophy that is more than profit margins.

“For our workers, not just E-Z Block workers or Evolution ICF workers, but associated organizations like Spring Village Development Foundation, we’re going to have dignity production days,” Johnson explains. “Production days where once a month, people that want to be involved in the program can come to work and give production time.”

The system creates multiple touchpoints for community involvement. “They’ll come work in the factory, one of the factories, and they log that as hours,” Johnson continues. “Once a month, we will also have another day where it’s a building day, where you’ll go and help someone else build their house.”

This collaborative approach yields tangible benefits for participants. “What that does in turn is it allows you to earn E-Z Blocks to build a house,” Johnson says. “It gives them work experience and ties into the community. It takes a community to build your house. That’s the underlying philosophy.”

The program creates emotional connections between everyone involved in building the home, and homeowners. “When we’re building our houses, we’re going to involve our guys at the factory. We’re telling them, ‘Today the blocks you’re making are for this house over here,'” Johnson describes. “At the end of the day, they’re going to sign a card or do a short little video saying, ‘We’re so happy that we can contribute to the building of your home.’ That gives them a sense of pride in the work they’re doing.”

E-Z Block’s Vision for Jamaican Housing

E-Z Block and Evolution ICF Group have positioned themselves squarely within Jamaica’s affordable housing sector, addressing a critical national need while establishing a sustainable business model. The company sees tremendous opportunity in this market segment, which continues to face significant supply shortages.

“Affordable housing is where we really want to be,” Johnson emphasizes. “We want to get good at doing the same thing over and over again. And if we look at the economy and what’s happening, there’s some uncertainty in the world. But what’s not going to be impacted is the affordable housing sector. That demand that Jamaica has doesn’t change.”

The scale of Jamaica’s housing shortage provides ample room for growth. “In 2008 in Jamaica, they did a survey on the number of houses needed in the affordable housing sector. At that time, they needed some 500,000 houses,” Johnson notes. “They said from 2008 to 2030, we need 15,000 new housing starts every year.”

To address transportation costs, which can consume up to 25% of development budgets, the company has engineered an innovative solution. “We’ve developed what we call a portable onsite plant, which takes our factory and puts most of it in a container so we can move it to a developer’s site and manufacture the blocks onsite,” Johnson explains.

The founders remain committed to their original vision despite challenges. “Our investors to date are all friends and family members who believe in Jerrold and I,” Merrill says. “We didn’t come to Jamaica to try this. We came here to do this, so we will stay there until this is done. In our minds it has always been purpose before profit.”

As E-Z Block continues to expand across Jamaica, it stands as proof that innovative construction methods can simultaneously address housing shortages, create meaningful employment, and build stronger communities—all while delivering homes that are indeed cooler, quieter, faster, and stronger than their traditional counterparts.

At a Glance

Who: E-Z Block Manufacturing Jamaica Ltd.(Manufacturing) and Evolution ICF Group Limited (Construction)

What: Manufacturer of innovative insulated concrete form building technology and construction services

Where: Tucker, Jamaica

Website: www.ezblockja.com

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