Full employment reported in thriving construction sector
| Long known for its superior financial services, Switzerland has become a global leader in the telecommunications and information technology sectors as well. Supported by highly skilled, multilingual workers and a stable, business-friendly environment, high-tech activities in general have seen impressive growth in Switzerland over the past decade, particularly since the 1998 liberalization of the $ 7.5 billion Swiss telecom market. |
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ermuda’s construction sector is very active, with full employment of the island’s 2,000-plus construction workers and a rise to around 300 foreign construction workers employed to fill the gap. Private-sector construction projects totalled US $125.6 million in 2001, with public-sector projects totalling US $47.4 million. This represented a significant rise over the US $144.5 million in new private- and public-sector projects reported in 2000, and the growth trend is continuing this year.
Bermuda’s government has budgeted US $109 million for social infrastructure projects in 2002-2003, including new transport infrastructure, new educational facilities (a new secondary school was recently completed), and new office space.
Additional construction projects now underway or planned include major office and condominium developments, waterfront projects, and on-going work at the Fairmont Princess and other hotels, indicating that the industry is thriving in all areas.
As for the impact of September 11 on Bermuda’s construction industry, Alan Burland, chairman of the construction division of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce and president of BCM McAlpine, says, “It appears that in Bermuda, people have gotten over 9-11 more quickly than expected. The market is fairly strong at the moment and I think it will prove to be a little stronger in the last two quarters of 2002.” He adds that foreign construction workers with specialized skills not currently available in Bermuda are being employed to complete certain projects.
The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce encourages contacts from US companies and investors wishing to know more about Bermuda’s expanding construction sector. |
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| BCM McAlpine Ltd. |
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CM McAlpine, Bermuda’s longest-established and most highly respected construction firm, grew out of a family-owned business established in 1926 on what was then a sleepy colonial island. When the founder’s son returned to Bermuda after World War II, he reoriented the business to focus on the construction industry, and this forward-thinking move proved a tremendous success. BCM’s long history of excellence and innovation in the Bermuda construction sector had begun.
With a new airport and new fame as an attractive tourism destination, particularly for travelers from the US, Bermuda entered a boom phase, and BCM grew along with it. Among the company’s major projects was the construction of the landmark Southampton Princess hotel, completed in 1972.
Given its excellent reputation and solid track record in Bermuda, BCM presented a number of advantages for a foreign partner wishing to enter the thriving Bermuda construction market. BCM began to work with leading UK construction group Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd., a firm that has been at the forefront of the construction industry for over 130 years. McAlpine is one of the UK’s leading building and civil engineering contractors, with a vast portfolio of projects that include Wembley Stadium, London’s Dorchester Hotel, North Sea oil platforms, nuclear power stations, and London’s ambitious Canary Wharf development, to name only a few of the initiatives in the vast McAlpine portfolio.
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“We are flexible, and we are here for the long haul.”
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As Alan Burland, BCM McAlpine’s President and managing Director explains, “Over the years, it became clear that these two companies shared a common approach to business: a commitment to quality products and service and a determination to build long-term relationships. Finally, in 1996, this relationship was truly cemented after BCM underwent a management buyout and brought in McAlpine as a partner. The resulting company, BCM McAlpine Ltd., has a small but flexible management team with the human and physical resources to provide a top level of service.”
BCM McAlpine has completed a number of ambitious projects on the island, including the refurbishment of the Sonesta Beach Hotel in 1995, the refurbishment of the Civil Air Terminal in 1996-7, the Waterfront Development including The Zurich Center and Miles Market in 1999, Cambridge Beaches Resort and Spa 1998 and 2001, the refurbishment of The Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel 2001-2,the first phase of the Tucker’s Point Club 2000-2, and several prestigious residences. Burland explains, “The building trade softened post 9/11, but now we have many major plans on the table for the coming year, such as several large office buildings planned in Hamilton in the next five years. Some of these will be rebuilds, in which we remove older buildings and construct new, modern buildings in their place.”
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Alan Burland
President and Managing Director
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As Bermuda’s leading contractor, BCM McAlpine offers a winning combination of BCM’s in-depth local knowledge and proven expertise joined with McAlpine’s scope and experience. Burland points out, “One of the true strengths of the company is the fact that we can draw upon the expertise from McAlpine to ensure that we will have the skills and experience necessary for any project. The training that is available to the staff ensures that there will always be a wealth of highly skilled and qualified employees on hand as well.” BCM McAlpine has a fulltime staff of around 200, and regularly sends staff members to the UK for advanced training to make certain that BCM McAlpine can offer the latest services to its clients in Bermuda. Few companies can match BCM McAlpine in its commitment to staff excellence.
Explaining how BCM McAlpine has maintained its competitive edge, Burland says, “We are flexible, and we are here for the long haul, not just to make a quick buck. Most of our clients will need help further down the line, even after their initial building needs have been answered, and we are here to help them. A lot of the time, we act as a consultancy service and bring the solution to the table.”
BCM McAlpine is also Bermuda’s top source for building supplies, stocking only the finest and most reliable products. These include lumber of all types, such as treated and untreated pitch pine, spruce, white pine, Bermuda cedar, Virginia cedar, western red cedar, redwood, mahogany, oak, teak, cypress, plywood, fir, form ply, pine flooring and marine lumber. BCM McAlpine also offers steel products that include holorib steel decking, reinforcing rods and mesh, steel studding, structural steel, and steel doors and frames.
The firm also provides Portland cement, additives, drywall and accessories, plaster goods, adhesives, caulking, bricks, and cement boards, and a wide range of hardware such as security lock systems, lockets, hinges and closers. The company stocks wood and metal doors, bi-folds, louvers and entrance doors, as well as “Hurri-Shutters” hurricane shutters, which are exceptionally strong and easy to install. BCM McAlpine’s offering of tools and equipment includes Hitachi electric tools, Kango electric hammers, hand tools and Winget mixers, and available accessories include nails, screws, bolts, wall anchors, saw blades, drill bits and more. In addition, the firm has a highly experienced carpentry and millwork service providing milling, joinery and cabinet-making services. Even competing construction companies in Bermuda rely on BCM McAlpine for their building supplies.
BCM McAlpine has established strong relationships with a number of architects, including many in the US, and is known for its very fair pricing policies. This solid reputation in the building sector continues to bring BCM McAlpine its big-ticket projects.
The company also actively supports a number of community-service efforts in Bermuda, including the Bermuda Sloop Foundation and the National Training Board which are dedicated to training the local leaders of tomorrow. “We adopt long-term strategic planning, as the world is moving so fast,” says Burland, who is a prominent figure in Bermuda and serves on several government committees.
As for the future, Burland says, “Bermuda must be part of the global economy but must be extraordinarily flexible and must not be too reliant on just one pillar of the economy. We will do all we can to help the island succeed. Tourism must reinvent itself; amenities are key to tourism, and Bermuda could be a model for a green, eco-friendly jurisdiction.” Whatever Bermuda’s future, BCM McAlpine is certain to be a productive part of it. |
BCM McAlpine Ltd. (back)
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#48 St. John's and Pitts Bay Road
Pembroke HM07, Bermuda
Tel.: +1 441 292-2288
Fax: +1 441 295-7708
info@bcmmca.bm |
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