Local Company Now Manufacturing Custom-made Granite Countertops
[2009-01-13]
As Grand Bahama seeks to bolster its position as the industrial capital of the country, one local company has started manufacturing custom-made granite countertops.
Barry Iseard, partner for Island Project Granite Counter Tops, is encouraging other businesses on the island to consider manufacturing as an advantage to the economic situation.
Iseard said many people may think that it is better to buy in the United States as opposed to supporting what is made locally.
"You would always have a challenge when manufacturing in The Bahamas because you have to convince the customer that it is the best product available," Iseard said.
He added that Grand Bahama has all of the resources necessary for manufacturing and it would also improve the level of employment on the island.
"Freeport is good for manufacturing because we have the Container Port and excellent shipping between the United States and other markets," Iseard said, adding that initially what he is manufacturing is for the local market, but once the operation is up and running it can be used for export.
At Island Projects, Iseard said the decision was made to manufacture countertops because there is a great demand for the product.
With the new division in operation for almost a month, Iseard said that they have already had business from all over the island.
He explained that in the past persons who were interested in granite countertops would have the laborious task of having to travel to the United States with their measurements to have the granite cut and shipped home for installation.
Now, Iseard said that they would take responsibility for the entire process and everything would be done on island at the convenience of the customer.
"It can be very costly if you have to do everything abroad and if the measurements are incorrect, the stone would have to be re-cut and that does not always work sometimes," Iseard said.
This, in turn, can be good news for the customer as the prices will be reduced to an affordable rate, he said.
"We have a manufacturing licence, which means that we can bring materials in duty free and pass those savings on to the customers," he added.
Iseard said that this is the first time that granite is being manufactured on the island at this scale, noting that at least $100,000 has been invested into this venture.
"We have brought in new equipment to cut the slabs here and we have a special saw that we had imported for the job. We have also sent our employees to be trained to complete the job," Iseard said.
He added that training is a continuos process for the job which they plan to continue throughout the year.
Samuel Moxey, one of the employees who went to train in Washington, demonstrated how the granite countertops are manufactured at the facility.
First the slabs are lifted by a hoist connected to suction equipment. Then they are rinsed with water to free the material of any debris. After that, cardboard templates are placed on top of the three-inch slabs to create the counter tops. The 1,000-pound slab is applied for cutting, using a special saw, then they are buffed and ready for installation.
Moxey said training for the job was not that difficult because the process was similar to making Formica countertops.
He added that going abroad to work in an actual factory gave him the knowledge he needed to return home and offer the trade for the business.
Iseard said Island Project Granite Countertops will be looking to expand its business to New Providence and Abaco in the future depending on the demand of the market.
Island Projects has been in Grand Bahama from 1982. It offers a variety of services that include construction, hurricane shutters, renovation and many other jobs within the construction sector.
Source: http://freeport.nassauguardian.net
Keywords:Granite
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