fp Turks and Caicos

In January, the Sailrock development put its first shovel in the ground, a positive sign that economic prosperity is coming back to the island of South Caicos.

“This is a good thing for everybody,” Delano Gardiner, proprietor of D&D Construction, told the fp. Gardiner’s North Caicos construction firm was chosen by the developers of Sailrock to take on the first phase of construction, which includes two villas and 10,000 linear feet of road.

Gardiner has so far hired more than 20 workers for the project, predominantly Turks and Caicos Islanders who were previously unemployed.

“The economy in TCI is not the best, and you have a lot of unemployed Turks and Caicos Islanders,” said Gardiner. “It is particularly a big boost for South Caicos, where fishing is the predominant industry.”

South Caicos District Commissioner Emily Malcolm said she is pleased to have the development get underway, and that so many local workers are being employed. With a large scale project like Sailrock, Malcolm said hiring skilled and unskilled workers is an indication it will have a large impact on the local economy, particularly in the future as it continues to grow.

The firm is not only hiring local workers, but also training them, hoping to make an impact for the future. Gardiner said he only hires outside workers when they need special skills not available on island, but he is ensuring local workers are be trained in those skills.

“Even though I may not be here doing the work, you will have a lot of local people on South Caicos who will then know how to do a little bit of masonry, carpentry and steel work,” Gardiner said, something he believes will go a long way to helping the future economy of the island.

Although D&D Construction is a North Caicos firm, Gardiner said most of his past work experience had been on Provo. Since the construction boom went bust in recent years, he has struggled to keep people employed.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” Gardiner said of doing a project of the magnitude of Sailrock. “I have a chance to employee a lot of locals on an island where we need employment.”

The Sailrock project is a large scale development on the island of South Caicos that will ultimately consists of vacation villas, a hotel and includes restoration of historic buildings around the island. “This project will keep me busy for 2012 and most likely beyond,” Gardiner said.

Ted Weldon, Sailrock Developer Ltd., said D&D Construction was selected through a competitive bidding process. “We were most impressed by Delano and his organization, and their ability to perform on the job,” Weldon said. To date he they have exceeded expectations.

Although nicknamed “the Big South,” the island of South Caicos is relatively small in relation to the largely developed island of Providenciales. Weldon says he and partner Colin Kihnke place the sustainability of the island as a large priority in their overall development plan.

“We are developing our project in a way that is respectful of the wonderful surroundings and beauty of the islands,” he said. “We are also respectful of creating opportunities for the local community to share in the success of it all.”