Thursday, March 9, 2017
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A former Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president yesterday said it was “totally unfair, unjust and untrue” for Baha Mar’s foreign bathroom manufacturer to criticise this nation’s “skills construction labour shortages”.
Stephen Wrinkle told Tribune Business that the assertion by Oldcastle SurePods, which made 1,800 prefabricated bathrooms for Baha Mar’s casino and Grand Hyatt hotels, again showed how the Government had failed to protect Bahamian contractors and employees.
The criticism arousing Mr Wrinkle’s ire came in a press release issued yesterday by Oldcastle to tout its bathrooms, which were pre-assembled and then shipped by container to Baha Mar’s property in Nassau prior to the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing,
“In addition to the speed, simplicity, superior quality and safety benefits of modular bathrooms, two things stand out with this project,” said Bill Seery, Oldcastle SurePods’ director of business development.
“Installing 1,800 bathrooms in one project site is our biggest job to date. Second, was our ability to ship to an island that faces skilled construction labour shortages.”
Mr Wrinkle took issue with the latter remark, describing himself as “saddened and disappointed” by Oldcastle’s dismissive comment about the quality of the Bahamian construction workforce.
He questioned how many Bahamian contractors the company had talked to, or knew, and added: “That’s totally unfair to Bahamian contractors and workers; totally unfair, unjust and untrue, and, once again, the Bahamas is not looking out for the interests of the Bahamian people.
“How can Oldcastle presume to know what our construction capabilities are? They didn’t contact the BCA for any relationship, and have not talked to any of the main contractors, yet they come in duty-free, get free board and house, do the work and take the profits home, while we have thousands of construction workers out of work.”
Mr Wrinkle added: “That doesn’t compute. That’s why the economy is in the shape it’s in.
“This will continue to be the modus operandi until we have a Government that respects the interests of industry and the private sector.”
Oldcastle said its product had been selected by China Construction America (CCA), Baha Mar’s main contractor, “to eliminate thousands of man hours from the project site, while ensuring five-star bathroom quality”.
Oldcastle added that the prefabricated bathrooms were easy to lift, place and install, helping developers save time and money.
Comments
Chucky says...
Hey Wrinkle, do you really believe what you're suggesting?
Would you like us to believe that these bathroom units could be built better and cheaper here? Along with that notion, you must also expect us to believe that Baha Mar chose to spend more money for less.
Seems as though your philosophy is quite flawed. Perhaps you think that they were importing outhouses for bathrooms.
The Chinese are smarter than you think, and they don't like to waste money, so I'm sure the reasoning was well thought out and way above your pay grade.
And as for the government failing to protect our Bahamian jobs; it's always the same story, protect us, protect us etc. Let me tell you something, the best way to protect Bahamian jobs regardless of industry, is simply to provide the best possible product or service, on time, up to standard and, for the best value / price. We have been protected too much and for too long, and we can no longer compete.
Not to neglect other obvious problems such as our attitudes , poor education and low standards and poor work ethic etc
Posted 9 March 2017, 9:12 p.m. Suggest removal
banker says...
Well said. If we were the best of breed, we wouldn't need any protection. And that goes for any business endeavour from financial services to chefs.
Posted 9 March 2017, 10:13 p.m. Suggest removal
letitbeme says...
Chucky is so right in his take on Mr. Wrinkle's concern. it is just a sad situation in this country. How we got here? I know; petty politics and encouraging slackness. We can't compete with global economy that is consuming us for sure. Thanks to Sir Lynden Pindling and his petty PLP crooks and cronies he perpetuated form the outset of independence. What an embarrassment!
Posted 10 March 2017, 11 a.m. Suggest removal
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