Shelter Solutions
en Franklin once famously said that, “out of adversity comes opportunity” and this is so true of the early beginnings of a Grenada company formed after Hurricane Ivan devastated Grenada. “Shelter Solutions” After the gale force winds and rains struck, Paul Antoine and the business partners behind Shelter Solutions noticed an obvious gap, an acute shortage of roofing material across the island. “After the passing of Hurricane Ivan the idea came up with a group of us that we needed a roofing company on the island. Roofing was in short supply so we worked quickly to open in 2005. It repesented a million-dollar investment at that time.” says General Manager Paul Antoine. “Starting after Ivan we got a lot of experience and this fast forwarded our progress. We were able to really see what the problems are and seeing the reaction of materials to the climatic conditions here. Also the accessories are very important things like screws that are the right quality to make sure the product does not fail. So we import the raw material, the metal, then we roll form to make three different profiles of roofing material.” The enterprising Grenadaian business decided to not just supply hurricane proof roofing, but also offer a full fitting service and now with 15 Year guarantee. “We are the only manufacturer that imports raw material from Australia it is very good quality and very suitable for close to the sea that is why we can guarantee our material for up to 15 years.” Antoine told Business Grenada. A lot of roofs flew off during the hurricane because they were not secured properly, or anywhere near the Miami Dade County Hurricane standards. Our roofs will
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Paul Antoine GM pass uplift ,wind driven rain and impact resistance. So we can guarantee all the roofs that we fit ourselves.” “We can also supply screw patterns to contractors, so that they are certain that the roof structure is secured properly, and to within specification, but we cannot offer our guarantee to outside contractors as a lot of contractors make the mistake of using a circular saw for instance, to cut roofing materials and this opens up the entrance to rusting. We ensure that the correct tools and methods are used.” In the seven years since birth, the company has built an impressive client list supplying roofing material to some big names across Grenada including the five star “Spice Island Resort” and a number of prestige buildings, most recently Port Louis Marina Village. Antoine says a turn over of $3.5 million per year and fifty five percent of the market share still puts Shelter Solutions ahead of the pack. “We are the market leaders even though competition has increased. Our prepainted “EZ 200” has proven to be very good in this climate”, he adds “The insurance companies certainly look www.businessgrenada.com
forward to working with us, as our roofing has been tested and certified to Miami Dade County standards as a manufacturer. An excellent product leads to an excellent reputation and full insurance coverage. However Shelter Solutions has another string to its bow and can in fact be called the local experts in water proofing concrete –for applications like tanks and pools this has proven to be a big success. In essence they are the islands source for concrete additives that mix with cement and stone to waterproof concrete. “We also have a rubberised membrane, crystal internal membranes and a range of products to suit different applications.” Whats on the horizon? It would appear that the company has two big visions for the future one involving export and the other a new product to manufacture. “The market is contracting here so we do not see much expansion at this moment, but we will expand into Barbados which is a much bigger market, we are opening a factory there,” Antoine disclosed. The company, remaining ever vigilant for new opportunities, does not intend to stand still there either, as it eyes another material found on roofs - solar panels - one of the fastest growing green energy generating materials today, and they intend to make them right here in Grenada. “We could expand in the future into the manufacturing of solar panels. Right now our Cost of production for roofing is pretty cheap with our set up, as our machinery is hydraulic so we do not spend a lot on electricity. The challenge we face with Solar panels is to keep our costs of production low “ which the company are currently investigating. Very interesting times lay ahead for Shelter Solutions, The question remains, Could solar panels be competitively Made in Grenada?
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