Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 2016 - 2017

Exporters’ Insights

His major competitors now come out of Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, with foreign imports from the US andUK also seeking a portion of the Caribbean market. That said, throughout its 40 years of existence, none of Structural System’s buildings has failed in a natural disaster – the holy grail of achievements in building design. Hisbiggestproblem,headds,comeswithcustomers ignoring building standards anddemanding quotes for builds that donot complywithCaribbeanwind codes. Structural Systems’ builds withstand 130 mph winds by design, while competitors’ builds buckle at wind speeds over 80mph. “We cannot compete on price with inferior quality products… but we deliver a superior quality product, with the best value formoney,” the businessmagnate insists. But all this notwithstanding, the industry has been sluggish. Pre-engineered buildings are far from a consumer product, and the market has been depressed for almost six years. Structural Systems operates at just 50 per cent of its production capacity, and it is thrusting its efforts behind the exportmarket to shore up business and to keep its workers employed. Challenges to Exporters Williams is forceful when he speaks about the challenges to businesses looking to export in the Caribbean. The former investor in the defunct regional airline REDjet bemoans the prohibitive cost of intra-regional travel and the red tape that still surrounds the movement of Caribbean nationals between states. “The cost of travel is too high,” Williams says, citing onerous ticket fares for work crews deployed to regional countries. Citing the ease of work and travel within the European Schengen Zone for EU nationals, and the uniformity of European customs procedures as ideals for the Caribbean, Williams asks rhetorically: “Can you imagine what it would do to manufacturers if every time they passed from one state to the other, they needed to clear customs and get work permits?” “We hold our own,” says Williams.

proffers an example from his own experience. “My nicheisgettingsomethingdonethathasn’tbeendone before somewhere in the Caribbean, and making a few dollars doing it,” he said. But he cautioned that grit, determination and persistence were also a part ofthedeal.“Thekeyistogetoutthere,weartheshoe leather down, knock on doors and see people. You can’tgetcontractssittinginanoffice,”Williamsadds. Advice to Exporters Looking back reflectively, the reputation that Williams has built for Structural Systems has put it in a strong competitive position, whichhe admits hasaidedintheabilitytowincontracts.Andhaving expanded to other territories in theCaribbean, he says that his most important challenge was to find honest partners in the countries that he earmarks for expansion. He readily admits that he has made bad decisions on partners in the past, but advises that it is best, as entrepreneurs, to see such experiences as teachable moments. Williams counts his teamof dedicated employees –many of them his fellow shareholders – as his competitive advantage. Between them, they are embarking on a substantial project in Trinidad for a suite of new builds. The Caribbean is his market, and Williams is optimistic about his company’s future. “We went through a pretty bad couple of years where Williams Industries invested in things like REDjet, and we lost a lot of money, but we’re gradually getting back into our stride,” he said. Structural Systems’ indicators have improved significantly in the past two years, with consecutive year-on-year growth and expansion of exports since 2013. Despite being a leading Caribbean exporter, he is easy with his advice to new entrepreneurs and industry peers. He holds his obsession with competitiveness on quality, rather than merely on pricepoints,asoneofhiskeysecretstosuccess. And while he admits that individual governments have donewelltoencouragefiscalincentivesforexporters, he now thinks the time is right for exporters to call onregionalgovernmentstocometogethertoreduce thelastremainingimpedimentstothemovementof labour and people within the Caribbean.

For exporters trying to find their niche, Williams

Jovan Reid is a specialist in public policy analysis and media advocacy.

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