A Surinamese firm, Hurricane Steel is in Guyana for this weekend’s Building Expo and hopes it can generate interest in its pre-fabricated buildings in local housing and other areas of the construction sector.
Manager of the Paramaribo-based Hurricane Steel Phil Tja-a-Lien who is in Guyana accompanied by a team that includes Guyanese-born Henry Elcock, who is serving as consultant to the delegation, told Stabroek Business that Hurricane Steel will target the building sector with its steel-framed buildings that utilize traditional concrete foundations. He said the structures utilize various materials for finishing and can be used in the construction of homes or businesses. Hurricane Steel manufactures the materials used and offers expertise in the construction of the buildings.
Tja-a-Lien told Stabroek Business that the company had already constructed more than 40 houses in Suriname and it had undertaken various contracts for Surinamese firms including the state-run company Staatsolie.
Elcock said while he was familiar with the tradition of construction in wood and concrete here in Guyana he believed that the advantages offered by the steel-framed structures including durability, absence of vulnerability to pests and relatively short construction time could make an impact with the Guyanese market. He disclosed that a display building being constructed at Providence for the Building Expo had already been sold to a local buyer and that the company would be responsible for dismantling and reassembling the building at the conclusion of the event.
Asked about the likely higher costs associated with steel when compared with wood Elcock said that the advantages offered by the steel structures would, at the end of the day, make them cheaper than wooden structures. Hurricane Steel is offering 50-year warranties on the steel structures and 25-year warranties on the overall buildings.
According to Tja-A-Lien Hurricane Steel had met Housing Ministry official Myrna Pitt and the company was open to collaboration with both the public and private sectors in order to arrive at the best arrangements for introducing the structures on the Guyana market. He said that apart from seeking a developer with whom the company can work Hurricane Steel was also interested in engaging the government on the availability of land, duty-free entry for the components and the possible waiving of VAT.
Hurricane Steel is currently offering three turnkey houses, one measuring 65 square metres and two others measuring 107 square metres. The houses will be marketed complete with bathroom and toilet, washroom, kitchen and fitted cupboards, doors, windows and floor tiles.
