GROWTH POTENTIAL:

From FT Farfan to Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) to Home Construction Limited (HCL) to Sissons Paints and Lange Ballast, companies came in such diversity and the main hall for displays was filled.

Most of the stalwarts were there, but newcomers took the jump for the first time. For some it generates new business and is a way to let people know what is going on in their neck of the woods.

New to the trade show was Exotica Aquascaping Limited (EAL), a company which specialises in the design, installation and maintenance of aquatic features.

The company’s president and aquatic designer, Ricardo Meade, said the company has been around for three years in Trinidad but has been operating in New York for the past 18 years.

He said the company has always kept a low key on the local radar as they were not equipped to handle a large amount of business. But this has not stopped the company from creating fantastic displays for the Tourism Park 2006, which was held in the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, during the month of August.

Meade said his company was responsible for most of the waterworks at the park including the mangroves area. He said apart from this major event, EAL has done more lasting work including some of the waterfalls at The Falls in Westmoorings and private jobs at residences around Trinidad and Tobago.

The company’s appearance at BITS this year though was expected to help expand its current client base, he said. The reason behind the move to appear in the trade fair this year is that the business is expanding with the launch of a showroom expected to take place in November at the company’s headquarters in El Socorro.

He explained, “We are mainly at BITS this year for the exposure, letting people know about the company. Right now, we are exposing our work at the trade show.” He added that BITS has always been an avenue for regional companies to showcase their prowess in the construction industry. Prior to the event, Premier Events General Manager, Brian Stollmeyer explained that there is a need for the show as rapid growth is taking place in the building industry and insiders were in need of a forum to display their products and services. He added that architects, engineers and other professionals in the industry are too busy to be aware of all the advances being made so the concentration of exhibitors at BITS is always welcoming.

The show, he added, assists these professionals to see the latest innovations in a short space of time and is ideal to suit their busy lifestyles.

After the show was held he said the show fufilled all expectations and more. “We witnessed an increase of approximately 20 percent in turnout this year as compared to last year’s figure,” he said. He added that all of the show’s exhibitors reported that they did a great deal of business this year while visitors learnt a great deal about the products and services of different local and regional companies. He said the Caribbean Building Awards which was held for the first time this year at BITS was also a tremendous success.

Some companies took a different tack this year. The Frank Mouttet Group of Companies, for instance, has been exhibiting at BITS for the past few years but this year their marketing focus was rather unique.

Rather than display the usual products pertaining to the construction sector, the company showcased its range of Timberland safety boots for construction workers. Vijay Mohammed, a sales representative for the company said that the demand for occupational safety which has risen in the past year influenced his company’s decision to display the boot.

“We have been selling this particular product for the past five to ten years but with the demand for OSHA, we have realised that safety is the number one priority throughout the construction of any building,” he said.

He said the booth has been attracting both industry insiders and members of the public who have visited the fair, as the Timberland brand is well known for its sturdy build and its capability to outlast most footwear.

This year is no different with PROCOMER, the Foreign Trade Corporation of Costa Rica, which had occupied a chunk of space at the trade show to promote six different companies out of the Latin American nation. The corporation is at the moment testing the profitability of appearing in BITS though PROCOMER has already decided to appear in next year’s production with a different selection of companies out of the Costa Rican construction industry.

Assistant Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Office of PROCOMER, Sheri Derry-Joseph said the office has been present in this country for the past three years as part of the Free Trade Agreement between Costa Rica and CARICOM.

“The Costa Rican government has embarked on an aggressive promotion campaign of the country’s export products and services which includes participation in trade shows like BITS,” she said.

The Costa Rican companies in this year’s trade show include: Galvatica, SA which produces galvanised iron plates for roofing and flat steel plates; Tubotico SA for structural, industrial and galvanised piping for EMT electrical wiring conduction; Master Closet Ltda which features do-it-yourself modular grilled closet organisers and closet doors; Extralum SA which makes aluminium profiles for windows, doors and other structures; Westomatic which produces electric and gas water heaters and Conducen Phelps Dodge SA, a company which makes electrical copper and aluminium wire for construction and industrial uses.

The trade show has been attracting new business as many first time exhibitors have decided to hop on board. According to Brian Manswell, managing director of Reliable Appliance Parts and Services, BITS is an ideal opportunity for advertising, an opportunity his company could not afford until recently.

His company, which is a wholesaler and retailer of lawn and gardening equipment and appliances, is now at a point where it is able to handle increased sales and Manswell believes the show could provide this surplus.

“Companies could not only benefit from industry professionals visiting the show but from other exhibitors in the show,” he explained.

He said the show is an excellent opportunity to showcase a concentration of products and services related to the building industry and to build solid business contacts within the same industry.

Managing Director of Styroforms, Michael Pascal, agreed, saying his objective at BITS was to create a larger clientele. The company specialises in creating architectural mouldings and forms for buildings with reinforced Styrofoam and has been around for eight years.

Pascal said he too has visited the show many times in the past but was only able to exhibit at this point as the company is expanding.

Although a relative unknown to the general population of Trinidad and Tobago, the company has outfitted several well-known establishments including Movietowne, Ruby Tuesdays, Honda Classic Motors, Port-of-Spain and Pizza Boys in Maraval, to name a few.

“BITS is as good a place to start an advertising campaign,” he said.