At Paget Primary School, one group of boys have been sparking their enthusiasm by mastering woodworking skills that might one day open up a range of career opportunities.

Veteran lecturer Kevin Bean has been delivering lessons under the pilot Adopt-a-School programme in conjunction with the Bermuda Technical Institute Association and Hamilton Rotary Club.

So far, youngsters have been getting to grips with basic hand tools such as a try-square and a saw as they learn the first steps of carpentry.

“They are developing the skills,” Mr Bean said. “It’s new for them. There’s a lot of things that come together when you try to saw a straight line. The body mechanics, the discipline of the supporting hand, making sure they follow the line.

“We gave them a piece of wood. We found their initial cut was off. After three or four attempts, they started to get it pretty straight. They are definitely improving.

“It’s trying to get them to understand the tool and use them properly. Once we master the sawing, then we can get into the chiselling.”

Woodwork classes are also another way to teach maths skills.

“I always try to get them into measuring, to understand fractions,” Mr Bean said.

“For most technical things, you have to do measuring and be accurate. I develop various games with them to help them understand fractions.

“Carpentry skills transfer across the board for anything. Let’s say they want to be an electrician – you still need to know how to measure. If they want to be a metal worker, or a car technician, or get into drywalling or tiling, it’s important for them to understand maths and measuring.”

Safety is the number one rule, but Mr Bean also strives to install a “can-do” attitude that can help the pupils believe school is a place where they can thrive, even if they have struggled with traditional academic work.

The woodwork classroom walls are adorned with posters carrying messages like “If it’s to be, it’s up to me” and “I can do it”.

“Usually when they are exposed to something they can’t do, they say it can’t be done,” Mr Bean said.

“The more success they have, the better that particular skill will come to fruition.”

Pupils said they enjoy the lessons.

Dezi DeGrille, 8, said: “I like to use the saw. When I get older, I would like to make statues out of wood. One day I would like to get a job where I could do this all the time.”

Tikoa Russell, 8, said: “I like the saw. I have used it many times. I like this class – it’s good.”

Mr Bean said he hopes youngsters can be inspired to pursue careers using their hands and brains.

“A technical education allows you to troubleshoot, which means you analyse and go through your mind, trying to solve the problem before you tackle the job,” he said.

“I hope this can get students to think about the process.

“If they want to be a carpenter, the skills are varied. We develop the technique of how to be more efficient at developing the skills.”

The career opportunities are endless.

“For a technical education, there is no ceiling,” Mr Bean said. “I’m supposed to be retired. I don’t have a business card because if I did I would be too busy.”

Paget Primary principal Sonia Raynor said a group of 13 boys had been handpicked for the class.

“We are in a time where we really need to be honest and recognise that our children need more of something different,” she said.

“Not all children learn the same way. We wondered what we could we give our boys to learn and help them. When the Rotary came and suggested this, I thought of certain children that would benefit because of their learning styles.

“There has to be a person in charge to lead, that will provide the discipline and knowledge in a meaningful way.”

She said that the lessons are more than just about learning woodwork skills.

“It’s another way to tap into who they are and give them some confidence in school,” Ms Raynor said.

“At some point in their teens or 20s they may reflect back on this and say, ‘I can do this.’

“In Bermuda, the reality is we need more tradesmen. This can be one. We have people from all different professions in life, and we need them all. We can’t keep going down the path of trying to create the same kind of professional. We respect them all.

“Mr Bean has a wealth of knowledge and knows how to bring it. The boys feel valued. They really feel they are special when they put their aprons on.”

Rick Richardson, the president of Hamilton Rotary, spearheaded the partnership between the Technical Institute association and the school.

Mr Richardson, a former student at the Technical Institute, believes a technical education can offer young people more prosperous lives and even combat social problems.

“It’s been a godsend for that class of boys,” he said.

“Kevin is a remarkable teacher. He nurtures. At the Technical Institute, we had amazing teachers from all nationalities, but they brought us all along. I see this in Kevin.

“The boys need to feel like they can succeed. I said, some of you will be tradesmen, some of you will be business owners, some of you will be leaders in other fields. This is what we were taught when we were entering the Tech.”

Mr Richardson said he and many of his contemporaries came from single-parent families.

“We were young black boys who could go either way. We saw some of our contemporaries fall through the cracks. We needed to be energised,” he said.

“Our leaders and teachers taught us we really will be able to do anything we want to do. If we get a grip of this fundamental work, you can build on it.

“This is a pilot programme. Hopefully, we can build on it and those in education can see what’s being done and take it further.”

The post Woodwork classes inspire future generation appeared first on RG Magazines.

If you have a piece that you think might be worth fixing and keeping, there are some things to consider.

The experts in furniture restoration at BS&R Group can help you decide whether a piece is worth putting in the money.

“We can rebuild even the most dilapidated thing, but you have to ask yourself when does the bank account dry up,” said Anthony Madeiros, the managing director of the family-owned and operated stripping and refinishing business.

While Mr Madeiros doesn’t ever wish to tell someone their possessions are “trash”, he does prefer to be transparent about how much work it would take to give an item new life.

“I’m here to give them value for a piece,” he said.

Providing quotes and an initial conversation about what might be involved in restoring a certain piece will cost nothing, and is the best place to start, Mr Madeiros suggested.

But he also says there are a few key things to look for that make a piece almost always worth restoring, such as cedar.

“Any cedar furniture of any decent aesthetic is probably worth it no matter what the condition,” he said. “It’s worth restoring and keeping it in the family and giving it a new lease on life. It’s a national treasure, and you owe to your heritage if anything.”

Once you’ve distinguished the type of wood, then it is worth looking at the budget to see if it is worth keeping.

He also recommends exploring possible restoration further if the item is made of oak or mahogany.

“These pieces are often very well built,” Mr Madeiros said.

Anything with plywood or poorly held together with nails going through the wood won’t hold much historical value, he adds.

While almost anything can be restored, people do have to be realistic about what goes into the restoration process, particularly if something is very old or in poor condition.

“Pricing is a bit of a moving target in these situations, and we might not always be able to fit the entire scope into an estimate,” said Mr Madeiros. “If it’s getting crazy we’ll discuss further with the client.”

Traditional restoration projects are not just about “using some Gorilla Glue and putting a screw in it”.

These are long-held techniques using traditional adhesives and specific tools, he said, and “you have to give the value back to the piece and keep to a certain discipline”.

With some creative thinking, some older pieces can also become a more aesthetically pleasing item that can fit into a modern lifestyle.

Mr Madeiros has worked on pieces that have been transformed with different stains, white washes and paints.

“We can take an item and modernise it; repurposing it from a period restoration to a modern piece,” he said.

It can give something a completely different look without going crazy over budget, he added. In many cases, a new coat of paint or faux finish can hide problem areas on an older piece cutting down on costs.

And compared with what you can buy brand new these days, restoring a piece of well-made furniture can prove valuable in the future and become an antique of tomorrow.

The post To restore or not to restore appeared first on RG Magazines.

This is from Joey Almeida, co-owner of Fine Woodworking. He has been doing carpentry since he was about 20 years old and chose this field “because I didn’t want to work in an office”.

Mr Almeida said: “It’s just that simple. When I started carpentry, it was something you could be proud of. It was a trade in which you came up through the ranks and created something. You had a tree, and now you had a cabinet. I was captured by fabricating and doing something with my hands.”

He added he paid attention to the “old-timers” and followed what they did, and “there is pride in what we do”.

Carpentry has been good to him, and he would love to see more young people enter the trade.

“One of our challenges now is getting good carpenters in Bermuda. Carpenters who can do finish work, not rough work.”

He said that comes from too much focus on certification and not enough hands-on training.

“If you’re looking for a job from me, I want to know that you’ve done it for ten years and you know what you’re doing without asking me.”

Mr Almeida advises students who may be struggling in school to let them apprentice at a carpentry firm and capture their interest.

“There’s nothing like hands-on. Straight up. We need to get them hands-on, starting at the bottom. We need them at 15 and 16 to get them into these trades. Give them to me or to other people who can teach them. Maybe they don’t like carpentry, but maybe they can be electricians or mechanics.”

Carpentry covers a broad spectrum and has evolved over the past 30 years.

One significant change, according to Mr Almeida, is that many owners are watching HDTV shows.

“We do the soft close, under-mount drawer slides,” he said. “We do the soft close European-type hinges. We spray the Shaker doors. We are up to par on any of the modern stuff that is out there.”

Mr Almeida added that designers know what the customers want and can design it, and carpenters can accommodate it.

“We can make sure that the corner is no longer a dead space.”

As a result, the lazy Susan has fallen out of favour.

Current design trends in the kitchen include updating drawers and updating the hardware.

“We’re changing to the soft close hinges, changing the front doors to Shaker-style, which is quite popular, but some people still use the flat panel.

“You can’t transform your whole kitchen by changing the drawers and the handles.”

He said other features to give kitchens a fresh update include painting the drawers and putting in a new tile backsplash.

“Small things like that can change the whole kitchen.”

Popular woods include hardwood like birch or maple for staining. He said there is little demand for dark woods because the birch and maple can be stained and varnished. His form used ¾-inch birch plywood.

Mr Almeida said Shaker doors use birch or popular, which are then sprayed.

Bermuda cedar is mainly used for front doors, which is an investment that requires maintenance.

“Every year you have to have that door stripped and refinished on the outside.”

The post Train young people to learn carpentry appeared first on RG Magazines.

She’s patiently waiting at the agreed meeting place but is watching the front door as each person comes in to make sure she doesn’t miss me.

With her eyeliner immaculate, leopard print shirt and purse complete with graph paper and triangle ruler among its contents, she looks every bit professional and approachable.

As the kitchen designer for Atlas, Cindy shares that she’s the one to take all the measurements for a client’s kitchen, talks with the clients to ensure they get what they’re really looking for, helps with the designs and gets the project going. You can’t tell by looking at her, but she’s been doing this role for about 22 years.

When I explain I’m here to find out what it’s like being a woman in an industry traditionally dominated by men, Cindy chuckles.

“Women are really doing a lot more now,” she insists. Contrary to the old adage that women should stay in their place, barefoot and pregnant, Cindy shares that more and more women are entering non-traditional fields like construction and truck driving.

“I like it,” she grins, the sincerity shining behind her eyes. “My grandfather taught me how to mix cement and build walls. My grandmother always taught me not to have to depend on a man – to know how to do things myself.”

So how did she end up in this field?

“It’s like this here,” she leans in to divulge. “I was working in golf at Southampton Princess for 15 years, then I did five years at Hamilton Princess with my own shop. My cousin approached me to start a kitchen place – it’s always been a family business. My third son has Atlas now.

“I had to learn! An old gentleman taught me his tricks of the trade, including the advice to measure twice and cut once! Carpenters taught me to measure. I shadowed a lot, too. As time has gone on, there’s new products and tech coming out. It’s always a learning experience.”

Cindy says that she’s never had the experience of being physically intimidated while in the field. Instead, she says older women are most likely to be asking where the man is!

“They’ll come in and say ‘Where’s Brian?’,” Cindy laughs. “And I say, ‘I’m here, I can help you!”

An advantage we have as women, she confides, is that we can get away with anything when we talk woman to woman.

“People like to see Brian, as the owner, out in the field doing work. However, they appreciate the woman’s touch – attention to detail and functionality of a space being frequently complimented traits that women appreciate.”

Would she advise young women to go into construction?

“Yes, go for it! I wish I’d have done a lot more. The world is turning – women are controlling more. If you can do it, why not?”

Cindy is pleased to note that, at Atlas, they are sharing the knowledge and assisting the upcoming generation.

They have a young woman, Aleyah, that assists in the process by providing the 3D imaging after the initial rough sketch and measurements are taken by Cindy.

“It’s never too late,” urges Cindy. “Never too late to do anything. If you like to learn, can give 100 per cent for the customers, know how to ‘wow’ people, and know how to serve, this is for you.”

The post Not just a man’s world appeared first on RG Magazines.

As individuals, we’ve all made our personal choices on how well to protect ourselves. From the perspective of a building or property manager, however, there must be a much wider perspective to ensure the safety of everyone.

We spoke with Ryan Faries, general manager at the BCL Group of Companies, on what things to consider when it comes to keeping your commercial property clean during this post-Covid world.

In what ways has building maintenance become more important since the pandemic?

The pandemic has placed unimaginable pressures on all aspects of business. Cleaning companies and building managers alike share the safety of staff and building occupants as a top priority. The enduring burdens of the pandemic therefore made the need for quality and consistent cleaning standards more imperative than ever.

While we are no longer in a state of crisis, cleaning and building maintenance island-wide remains under a magnifying glass more than ever. To adequately meet the necessary KPI’s of every building, we have initiated enhanced cleaning methodology and protocols to ensure all levels of cleaning and quality controls are being completed daily.

What are some of the best ways of keeping a commercial property clean?

Increasing the frequency of cleaning throughout all high touch surfaces is the most effective way to disinfect and maintain a commercial property. The use of CDC approved disinfectant cleaning products and consistent cleaning of high touch surfaces will assist with ensuring a safe working environment throughout your commercial property.

Our trained professional cleaning crews will perform their routine daily and nightly duties while also complying with all building and government guidelines to ensure all cleaning tasks are sufficiently completed.

What can you do as a property manager for a building, and when do you need to call in the experts?

Maintaining a close relationship with your cleaning contractor to ensure tasks align with necessary building requirements will inevitably ensure both parties’ common end goals are met.

As a leader in its industry, Bermuda Cleaning Limited is able to assist with all cleaning needs big and small. We work closely with property managers throughout our operation and are able to provide guidance on all cleaning initiatives to new clients as needed.

We pride ourselves with having the appropriate infrastructure, from our office and operations teams to our onsite crew, to handle any task.

Do you foresee any reversion to pre-pandemic practices on the horizon? Are there any protocols that have been put in place that you think we should keep?

We find ourselves transitioning to a “new normal” as we learn to navigate daily life once again. Building occupants are and should be confidently returning to work as normal.

The pandemic has highlighted that cleaning and sanitization are paramount to a happy and safe work environment. I am sure all industry members would agree that we have been at the forefront of this push for normalcy through our commitment to heightened cleaning standards. Enhanced cleaning protocols to ensure our community’s ongoing safety hopefully remains part of our new normal.

The post Cleanliness is vital in this post-Covid world appeared first on RG Magazines.

Tree surgeon David McCann, the owner of Bermuda Arborist, said invasive species have increasingly spread across the island in recent years.

“I’ve noticed an influx of new homeowners lately who have inherited old problems from old properties and we are helping them out,” Mr McCann said.

“A lot of them are to do with invasive species that have taken over Bermuda really. A lot of problems are related to trees like casuarinas, which grow very tall quickly and have very shallow root systems.

“We have lots of trees like Mexican peppers that colonise an area. They won’t let anything else grow underneath them. Once they get a foothold, it’s an issue for homeowners.”

Scheffleras, an Australian species commonly known as umbrella trees, are popular with many homeowners in Bermuda.

But Mr McCann said: “They have crazy root systems. I have found their roots in a water tank, and followed the root, and the tree is over 100 feet away.

“The roots tap into septic systems and water tanks and cause a lot of damage to walls and driveways. That’s something to consider.”

Invasive trees are often not able to withstand high winds, which can create hazards during heavy storms.

“Lots of trees can get tall in America where there isn’t the same high winds. But in Bermuda they need to be kept short,” Mr McCann said.

“Casuarinas especially have very shallow root systems and they tend to topple over very easily. Their root systems are only two or three feet deep, and they get even 150 feet tall in certain situations. They really need to be kept short.

“Norfolk pine trees and Cook’s Island pine trees get very tall, up to 200 feet. They tend to snap when high winds come so the whole top of the tree will go flying. They also shed their branches in high winds – they go shooting off like javelins. I have seen them go through car roofs and right through slate roofs in Bermuda.”

You also have to be careful with your trees for liability reasons.

“If your trees keep coming down on powerlines, eventually you are going to be held accountable, especially if your whole neighbourhood loses power,” Mr McCann said.

“You’re not going to make friends. Everyone’s looking at your trees every time there’s a strong wind. Sometimes when they come down, you can be held liable.”

Then there’s the rat infestations.

“The rats love the berries on the Chinese fan palms,” Mr McCann said.

“They make their nests from the fibres in the leaves. Water collects in the base, so they have food, water and shelter. It’s like a five-star hotel in the Chinese fan palm canopy for rats. If you have a whole row of them, you can imagine the rat population multiplies very quickly.”

If you don’t want to remove the whole Chinese fan palm, you should get it pruned so that it doesn’t have thousands of berries.

Homeowners can do their part to discourage invasive trees by planting their own fruit trees – and Bermuda Arborist can help look after them.

“If you can control your own area, your own garden, it’s a big help for the rest of the community,” Mr McCann said.

“We see a lot more people getting rid of these invasive species and now planting fruit trees, whether it’s citrus, avocados, mangos, peaches, everything. We come by every every three months and care for them, look out for pests and keep them fertilised.”

The post Don’t let invasive trees damage your house appeared first on RG Magazines.

Butterfield is aiming to change that with a range of “green loans” it launched last September.

Teresa Gibson, Vice President, Consumer Credit, said the bank now lends money to allow customers to buy solar panels and other household items, such as eco-friendly doors and windows, energy efficient appliances, tankless water heaters and climate control air conditioning.

The loans can also be used for electric and hybrid cars and their charging stations.

“A green loan is a finance product that makes it easier for people to purchase energy efficient products,” Ms Gibson explained.

“When we looked at our products, we wanted to see how we can assist the community.”

The initiative is part of the financial institution’s commitment to its ESG – environmental, social and governance – framework, a concept becoming increasingly important in the corporate world, as companies look to show their investors that they care about more than just making money.

The green loans on offer from Butterfield are all about helping customers do the right thing for the environment within their budgets and without a prohibitively expensive initial outlay.

Ms Gibson said: “We put these products forward to get more individuals on board in just reducing their carbon footprint.

“We can do 100 per cent financing. For our unsecured loans, we can go anywhere between $500 and $50,000.

“The loans are for five- or ten-year terms, depending on the size of the debt.”

Green loans for cars are for a maximum of seven years.

Some secured loans for amounts above $50,000 – where customers must provide collateral, such as their home, against the debt – can be for longer terms.

Ms Gibson said: “It’s based on the customer’s income and finances and what that piece looks like.

“We try to make the repayments as comfortable as possible. Individuals can make extra payments, for example when it’s bonus time or if they are working additional hours.”

She noted that installing solar panels can help reduce energy bills over the longer term and that customers might want to consider them and other green options as the weather warms up.

Ms Gibson said those applying for green loans don’t have to be a Butterfield customer already – though they will have to open an account once approved.

“The lending rates may vary according to our base rate, which is currently 7.25 per cent for new Bermuda-dollar consumer loans,” she added.

“We work closely with clients to understand their financial needs and to provide comfortable repayment options.”

Ms Gibson did not have exact figures for loan applications so far but said a “number of people” were interested.

“We have actually launched this in the Cayman Islands as well and their feedback has been much the same.”

The post Making eco-friendly more affordable with green loans appeared first on RG Magazines.

Although her business, Baptiste, has had some knocks – she bought it from her father just before the 2008 financial crisis – she has weathered the storms and good fortune has often come her way.

“Good stuff happens to us,” she says, of the home improvement store on Khyber Pass in Warwick. “I’m the luckiest person you’ll ever meet.”

So it was with the pandemic in 2020, when Bermuda entered its first lockdown and businesses were forced to close to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Baptiste was still riding high on the property renovation boom sparked by the America’s Cup and was geared up for what was expected to be a better than average year.

The store, which includes water heaters and pressure tanks in its inventory, was quickly deemed essential so was allowed to open.

Sacha said the layout of the building lent itself perfectly to the required social distancing.

“There is a door, a window, and a door so we just put a table outside each door and it was like a McDonald’s drive-thru,” she said.

“You came to the first one, you placed your order, you came to the second and you paid your bill and then at the third one you picked up your stuff. It worked out really, really well for us.”

Baptiste had partnered with US-based wholesale distribution firm Orgill long before the pandemic and it made sure the store was well stocked with items such as masks, gloves and hand sanitiser.

But people locked down at home were keen to improve their surroundings, so DIY and interior design products sold well, along with a large stock of garden furniture which Sacha had “splashed out” on that year.

Sacha hired college students who came back to the island – including her children and some of their friends – to act as warehouse runners. None of her existing 14 staff were laid off.

“It wasn’t anywhere near regular sales but it was enough to keep us going.”

She added: “Business really picked up as soon as the restrictions lifted. It wasn’t huge [renovation] projects but it was steady projects.”

Sacha has had to pivot before. She bought Baptiste at the “height of the building boom” in 2007, only to see the market crash with the Great Recession.

“I was then holding a business which was reliant on selling building supplies,” she said. “We had to rethink how we were going to go forward.”

She did just that, renovating the store in 2010 and, after Orgill conducted a market survey, filling it with colourful items, including light fixtures, designed to appeal to Baptiste’s many female customers.

The aluminium windows and doors her father had introduced also remained on offer.

“It was a really good thing for us, moving into just selling more of everything that people needed.”

Orgill remains a valued partner and Sacha regularly attends its trade shows in the US, choosing items which appeal to her and, often, her boyfriend.

The CEO credits her small, tight-knit team of staff who “really know their stuff” with helping to keep the business on track.

The home improvement boom has continued, to an extent, but there have been pandemic-related bumps along the road, such as an industry-wide shortage of paint and increased shipping costs.

Sacha said Baptiste, which also sells kitchens and bathrooms, tried to keep its prices down as much as possible and most customers appreciated the cost of running a business in a country where everything is imported.

“We are not thriving, we are not struggling, it’s just ticking along” she said. “I’d love to say we are doing awesome. It’s not awesome but it’s still pretty good.

The post A bumpy journey for Baptiste – but Sacha weathers the storm appeared first on RG Magazines.

But if you want to get ahead of the game more quickly and efficiently, Simon Tully argues you can’t beat certified training.

Mr Tully, the president of the Construction Association of Bermuda, said companies could also boost their workforce by taking advantage of certification opportunities.

“Bermuda is a DIY school,” Mr Tully said.

“People say, ‘I didn’t go to school for it, but I can do it.’ A lot of the trade skills are picked up as you learn in Bermuda. But because many workers don’t have any certification, it’s hard to separate what people really know and what they don’t know.”

Bermuda College provides courses in trades such as electrical wiring, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

However, Mr Tully said many certificate programmes have been so under-subscribed over the years that they no longer exist.

“You need the enrolment,” he said. “That’s why there’s no carpentry course. They need a minimum of five people to make it worthwhile. If they have only had one or two people subscribe to it, what’s the point?

“With some of these trades, there’s no subscribing with any of the courses because they feel they already know how to do it. Carpentry, masonry, plumbing, electrical trade – that’s where the pushback is.”

But what about those tradesmen who have honed their skills and knowledge through real-life experience?

“Just imagine if he had gone to trade school,” Mr Tully said. “How much quicker and advanced would he be? Whatever he learnt in the past, he would be five years ahead of that.

“If you are learning on the job, you might screw up three or four times and then figure it out. If you go through a vocational training, you are going to know your jobs and do it well, rather than trial and error.”

For workers, certification can mean you’re more likely to get a job – and employers can feel more more confident they’re hiring the right person.

Mr Tully said: “It means you can actually prove you can do the job. You are not relying on circumstantial evidence or somebody vouching for you.

“You can truly go online and say that’s a prospective employee, he’s done a litany of certificates and passed them successfully. That’s what trade certification does for you.”

Mr Tully, the manager of an air-conditioning firm, said when he hires experienced workers he looks for people with a City & Guild certificate. He also gives a chance to newcomers to the trade who have trained on the air conditioning programme at Bermuda College.

“I ask the lecturers at Bermuda College to tell me who is their best and brightest because we need apprentices,” he said.

Another benefit to certified training is that it means you’re more likely to progress during your career – and not still be doing the same tiring jobs as you get older.

“There are guys that I know that are 60 years old and still installing air conditioners,” Mr Tully said.

“They’re laying on their side on dirty kitchen floors, trying to fix a refrigerator. They enjoy what they do, but they are always complaining about their back and knees and stuff.

“In trades, you are out there, there’s going to be some lifting, carrying, no matter what we do.”

One organisation that goes the extra yard to train its staff is power firm Belco.

“Belco have an amazing apprenticeship scheme,” Mr Tully said. “They are knowledgeable. They have got a great platform for teaching.”

The post Getting Certified appeared first on RG Magazines.

The owner of one of Bermuda’s fledgling firms, Invictus Construction, Mr Benjamin recalled how the seeds were sown by his first experiences in the industry.

“I was attracted to construction in my earlier years – as a teenager – while I was a labourer during the summer months, being employed by a family member,” he said.

“I was always intrigued seeing the bigger bosses – the developers, owners, engineers, architects, contractors, subcontractors – arriving on job sites to meet and discuss the works in progress.

“This was about 15 years ago, and most of these same people are now big players in the industry.”

Mr Benjamin, who has a strong desire to contribute to the ongoing development of Bermuda’s landscape and infrastructure, founded Invictus when he was just 24.

He recalled: “My family was renovating our house and I worked in the latter phases of the project when I had returned from university. I would take photos and post updates on the progress of the job.”

Mr Benjamin remembers receiving lots of positive feedback from his project photos on social media, which encouraged him to start considering construction as a serious career option. He took these musings to a good family friend for discussion.

“I used to put my thoughts and ideas across to a family friend, who is an experienced mason,” he said.

“He eventually suggested that we both try and take on a few small projects which he would oversee.”

Starting out can be rough in most industries, and construction is no different. The onset of a global pandemic certainly didn’t help either.

“The biggest challenge we’ve faced to date was during the pandemic,” said Mr Benjamin, now 32.

“Having to navigate through the restrictions was the hardest part, in the beginning – people not being able to work in a service only industry meant the end for a lot of companies. We’ve had to scale back our operating costs considerably, just to keep the company afloat.

“Another challenge is the frequent increases in the prices of materials. This year we’ve been affected by these increases – which always take effect immediately! This is something you can’t plan for. Being in the middle of a project and having the prices change can derail a project if the proper planning and budgeting is not in place.”

Being flexible and staying one step ahead of market movements is very tricky at times, but Invictus has been able to manage so far, and hope for the future is high.

“The construction industry has one of the highest turnover rates. Therefore, trying to plan too far ahead is always a challenge,” he said.

We rely a lot on the confidence of the economy, and its fluctuations make it virtually impossible to be overly ambitious with goal setting.

“We’ve managed to keep the company afloat by staying consistent – with meeting our quarterly goals, or even our weekly goals. In a sense, keeping small, realistic goals for the company has helped us through challenging times.”

With a strong team behind him, Mr Benjamin sees Invictus growing, and growing, and growing:

“This year, our focus is on scaling up. We have a good group of individuals in place that manage our day-to-day operations who will take us to the next level.

“I consider Invictus to be a small-to-medium sized company, and – in the next five to ten years – we are looking to grow and take on larger contracts. Ten years onward, property development is definitely in my sights for Invictus.”

The post A growth mindset: Invictus construction is building up! appeared first on RG Magazines.