The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian manufacturer  yesterday  estimated that it had seen a four-fold increase in business in Hurricane Matthew’s aftermath, telling Tribune Business it was targeting the launch of a second location before year’s end.

Larry Phillips, founder of Phillips Sailmakers & Awning Manufacturers, told Tribune Business yesterday: “It’s been crazy since the hurricane for  people in construction, anyone in roofing, landscaping; it’s been crazy. I would roughly say that business is about four times up.”

Mr Phillips said his company, which has been in business for 35 years, is planning on opening a second outlet for its furniture offerings in Sandyport before year’s end.

“We are now opening up a  second location in Sandyport, for furniture,” he said, “bringing in more indoor furniture, buffets, cupboard headboards, that kind of stuff, along with some high-end lamps and accessories.

“That should be open in another few weeks before the end of the year. One person is already hired, there will probably be another, and we’re looking for two more people here. That’s four jobs total.”

Mr Phillips added: “If we get our duty exemption back for the seats we will probably be looking for six persons. We had to slow the growth of that down because prices went up and we had to make less profit.

“We had a supplier here who had asked, if we were doing that, why didn’t we bring in the furniture. We started bringing in the outdoor furniture and making our own cushions here.

“At the onset, Customs would give us an exemption on anything we did work for.   Some years later someone decided that we were violating the Duty Free Manufacturers Act; just the furniture side.”

Prior to the recession, the company employed as many as 19 persons, according to Mr Philips. “We’re up and down. Right now, we’re up,” he added.

“Right now we have about 15 employees. We were as high as 19 and then the recession hit. As people left we didn’t replace them.”  The company has operated out of its Shirley Street location since 1999.