Contractors Awards 2022

bringing You the Top picks for bermuda’s leading Contractors Over the past Year!

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Contents

6WELCOME TO OUR 7th ANNUAL CONTRACTORS AWARDS!

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Cold Snap Services Pg

Accounting Pg

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Plumning Pg

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Inspired Fitness Pg

Group Pg

Windows

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Island lIvIng

4 Business Profiles

In this issue we take a look at four amazing businesses doing some pretty amazing things! Monique Bridgewater of Figures is providing accounting and administration services for small businesses. Dwayne Trott of Clean Energy Storage Solutions (CESS) is building Bermuda’s clean energy ecosystem. A new tech company General Project Systems (GPS) is providing innovative management solutions for Contractors. Naeem Holdipp is upping the painting and coatings game with his business BrushWorks!

When it comes to our homes, finding the BEST contractor is a top priority to keep everything looking and working its best! When we find a great one it seems we can’t get far without singing their praises online, to our friends and family and even to complete strangers. These are the Contractors who go above and beyond to provide amazing service. It’s our most anticipated issue each year we’re so excited to bring you our 7th Annual Contractors Awards and to celebrate all of those who stood out in their field over the past year.

11The Pandemic Comeback Story!

The Construction Association of Bermuda (CAOB) are just coming into their own again after an extremely challenging two years. We sat down with the President of CAOB, Simon Tully, for an interesting catch up on where they are today post pandemic. Simon updates us on current challenges in the construction in Bermuda, how their members have adapted to industry changes and how the CAOB are leading the charge for industry training courses specifically safety training.

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Welcome to Our

7th AnnUAl COnTRACTORS AwARDS!

When it comes to our homes, finding the BEST contractor is a top priority to keep everything looking and working its best! When we find a great one it seems we can’t get far without singing their praises online, to our friends and family and even to complete strangers. These are the Contractors who go above and beyond to provide amazing service. They come at all hours to save your bathroom when the plumbing breaks, keep your pool from turning green and are there to cut, tile, paint and beautifully decorate your house to make it a home that’s truly yours.

It’s our most anticipated issue each year we’re so excited to bring you our 7th Annual Contractors Awards and to celebrate all of those who stood out in their field over the past year.

Working with strategic partners to get any job done right the first time is more important than ever post pandemic. More so in Bermuda’s construction industry, where we face additional challenges being situated in the middle of the Atlantic.

We’ve seen changes in local planning regulations, global supply chain challenges and price increases just to name a few. With all of this, Bermuda’s industry leaders never stopped navigating it all while finding the most efficient way to take projects to completion.

Many residents have cracked the code on who they work best with, who gets the job done just the way they imagined while going above and beyond creating room for more inspired visions to become future projects.

Some home owners have dabbled in small and large DIY home renovations finally having unexpected down time over the past few years but the reality is that we are back in the swing of things. We’re now looking again to outsource many of our dreams projects to suit both our home and work life balance.

This brings us back to our contractors, identifying who they are and where their expertise will prove beneficial to our plans. Whether your project is indoors or outdoors, a simple plumbing fix, a kitchen

back splash or a complete renovation on your entire home or office, understanding who does what is key.

Our Contractors Awards seek to highlight the best in each identified field, whether that be an individual or the team within a company. Our awards are also a great opportunity for contractors big and small to talk about their trade and share their expertise with the island year-round.

Let’s celebrate and support these individuals and teams that keep our homes secure, functional and looking their best!

THIS YEARS SURVEY:

To select the Winners and Honourable Mentions for this years awards, we assembled an amazing group of industry experts who together made the decisions on who stood out over the past year. Our panel are a group who work with a wide variety of contractors in many fields and rely on their support for their clients and businesses.

Our Expert Panel Included:

Simon Tully, President of the Construction Association of Bermuda Jill Henneberger, Partner and Director of Design at By Design Patrick Caton, President at Caliper Engineering Services Ltd.

AwArd wInners!

Indoors:

Air Conditioning/HVAC

#1 - Thermodynamics & Maintenance

Honorable Mention:

Cold Snap Services Ltd.

Temperature Control

ELECTRICAL

#1 - SRM Enterprises

Honorable Mention:

NexGen Electrical

Chance McLean

Outdoors:

Landscaping & Excavating

#1 - Crown Landscaping

Honorable Mention:

Brown & Co Landscaping

Pitchers Landscaping & Maintenance

Glass & Windows

#1 - PVC Windows & Doors

Honorable Mention:

Commercial Glass & Aluminum

VinylTech

Other:

Home Insurance

#1 - BF&M

Honorable Mention:

CG Insurance Group

Freisenbruch-Meyer Group

Home Security

#1 - Selectron

Honorable Mention:

2Tech

Precise Systems Integration

PLUMBING

#1 - H&H Plumbing

Honorable Mention:

DHPS Limited

C&C Solutions

Interior Painting

#1 - Lisa’s Eco Painting

Honorable Mention:

Abbott Decorating

Kindred Maintenance

CARPENTRY

#1 - Fine Woodworking

Honorable Mention:

DeCosta’s Unique Carpentry

C.N.C Automated Carpentry Ltd.

CLEANERS

#1 - Atlantic Cleaning

Honorable Mention:

Cleaning & Landscaping

Island Cleaning Services

Exterior Painting

#1 - Scott Rego

Honorable Mention:

Kindred Maintenance

T. Rance Painting & Maintenance

Pools

#1 - Nautilus Pools

Honorable Mention:

Longtail Pools

Aqua Tech Pool Services

Stonework, Tiling & Masonry

#1 - Surface Trends

Honorable Mention:

Granite & Marble

Peets Tile

Surveyor/Valuations

#1 - Amann Group

Honorable Mention:

Bermuda Realty

Fulcrum Property Consultants

Locksmith’s

#1 - Bermuda Security Services Ltd

Honorable Mention:

Ward’s Locksmith

Barnes Locksmith

Movers

#1 - Joe Vieira Trucking

Honorable Mention:

Fast Forward Freight

MiniMax Forwarders

Interior Designers

#1 - By Design

Honorable Mention:

Design Services

Commercial Interiors Group (C.I.G.)

Architectural design

#1 - Bothelo Wood

Honorable Mention:

& Associates

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The pandemic ComeBack story

Q – As the Voice of Construction in Bermuda, please describe how you have best supported your members post pandemic.

A – We are just coming into our own again after an extremely challenging two years, with our CAOB scholarship annual golf tournament coming up in October after a two year hiatus. We have had a tremendous response from our membership which will allow us to resume giving grants to Bermudians who are pursuing a career in construction disciplines in University. We have also finally updated our charitable status so that we can continue to accept valuable donations in that vein.

Q – What are the main struggles that you have seen in recent years?

A – The main struggles in recent years are common issues that transcend the construction industry - finding qualified personnel and the cost of doing business. With advances in technology there are fewer and fewer young people inclined to work outdoors, with their hands, and in the trades in general. It seems that there are ‘easier’ opportunities that are presenting themselves where potential candidates work behind a desk or anything but working with their hands. More emphasis must be made on the benefits of learning a trade and the careers they lead to. With the cost of doing business, margins are becoming less and less as costs increase and pressure is on General Contractors to try not to price themselves out of jobs. Homeowners are also much more savvy than 20 years ago so they are importing many of their own supplies leaving the GC to try to make a profit on fewer and fewer items.

Q – Have you noticed a success trend in members who have been forced to adapt to recent global changes?

A – Members who have been successful in recent years are customer focused, keep their costs contained, and concentrate on doing great work. These three attributes combine to give member companies more opportunities to continue to get work as their reputation is first class.

Q – With supply chain changes, can you describe how your members are adapting?

A – We adapt!! Rolling with the punches of delays in kitchen supplies and windows is a prime example of construction

By Simon Tully, President of CAOB

management whereby planning ahead is key to keeping projects on time and on budget. The curveball comes into play with change orders and unexpected items, but usually with multiple projects on the go there are ways to utilize materials from other jobs to continue on.

Q – Post pandemic, have you seen an increase or decrease in job creation within the construction industry?

A – ‘Job creation’ can be interpreted in two ways – as in employment, or, as in project creation. We are continuing to see fewer and fewer individuals entering the trades, making us reliant on foreign workers, and at the same time, we are going through a construction boom. Bermuda is seen as a safe investment property wise and with several sites opening up (think Riddles Bay) there are increased opportunities for contractual works. Renovations and upgrades are also plentiful and contractors are turning away jobs, or delaying start dates for a year in some cases due to volume.

Q – Can you tell us about your safety training and safety efforts currently available to both members and non–members?

A – The CAOB are the local representative for NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) training courses, and safety training is by far the most subscribed to. Many local sites require a minimal safety course orientation just to step foot on them so we are able to facilitate internationally recognized safety courses that can then be verified online. Many safety courses rely solely on a piece of paper that needs to be produced, or an online course that cannot be independently verified. With NCCER, the verification is registered online and can be upgraded or added to at any time. We have local instructors that can conduct any type of safety course NCCER has to offer, including things such as working in confined spaces, working at heights, and general site safety.

Figures - Accounting & management Services

Clean Energy Storage Solutions

Monique Bridgewater has over 25 years of bookkeeping and accounting services experience. Realizing that there are a lot of small business owners such as contractors, carpenters, and retail stores, that need help with their accounting records and administration, she decided to open her business in January 2022.

5 Ways Monique Can Help You:

1 Manage and record your business’s day to day transactions. Keeping on top of your transactions is a must when running a business. This helps you assess how your business is performing.

2 Process your weekly or monthly payroll. Leave this daunting task to Figures. We will calculate your payroll less benefits in a timely manner.

3 Manage your accounts receivable and payables. Cash management is a very important part of your business. Receiving cash allows you to pay your bills. Keep these account balances low.

4 Prepare quarterly financial statements and analysis. This enables you to see the big picture of your business performance. We will provide you with an analysis as to why an account increased or decreased as well as provide tips on how to manage your business more effectively.

5 Prepare and file quarterly payroll tax returns. Many owners see this task as too complex or there’s lack of time to do the returns while managing their operations. Leave it up to Figures to do the filings.

General Project System ltd. (gpS)

Turning Service Providers into Service Masters!

General Project System (GPS) is a tech company run by Enrico Escolastica and Don-Ira Philip Rodriguez that develops digital tools for service providers.

Professionals can access an online platform where they can connect with clients and manage their business.

5 Benefits of GPS for Contractors:

1 Manage your agreements with clients with a few taps and swipes with the GPS “Connect Flow” where you can auto-generate agreements and sign them online.

2 Send proposals and quotes to your clients with ease with the GPS proposal tool, just pick your start and end date, pick the services you’re providing, YOU decide your pricing and how you want to be paid, and quickly send it to a client.

3 Automated invoicing is a must-have as a service provider. With this tool, you can generate invoices automatically based on your proposal and agreement without you having to do anything to the invoice.

4 You can download your agreements and invoices to your device right from the platform. So you can always back up your contracts and invoices.

5 Manage the jobs you have with the Task Manager. You can add steps to notify your client of your progress without having to call them or send a message.

Clean Energy Storage Solutions (CESS) is owned and operated by W. Dwayne Trott, an innovative and passionate Renewable Energy and Sustainability advocate who wants nothing more but to offer innovative solutions that help Bermuda accelerate its transition to a Zero Carbon footprint. The company’s magic quadrant focuses on: Renewable Energy areas; Heating & Cooling, Energy Generation & Energy Storage, E-Mobility, and Circular Economy initiatives.

5 Things to Know About Working with Dwayne:

1 He focuses on customer service with his clients, not to just make the sale but to develop a long-term relationship with them.

2 He listens to his clients’ needs, does not try to over-sell any solution and looks for the best cost-effective solution.

3 CESS solutions range from mobile and fixed battery and solar panel solutions; thermodynamic water heating solutions to waste and energy solutions at residential and commercial scale.

4 Dwayne strongly believes there is an education component needed on this renewable journey. Energy efficiency and management must be seen as key to CESS solution offerings.

5 Zeroe Bermuda Limited is a subsidiary, whose focus is on Electric Vehicles for commercial and residential purposes. They were the first company to import the first Electric “box” truck to Bermuda in 2022.

brushworks painting & Coatings

BrushWorks began in 2009 and is run by Naeem Holdipp. His background is in commercial and industrial coatings including roofing, rust proofing, and fireproofing. He later branched out into residential, fine finish coatings and minor renovations. His services also include roof coatings and repair as well as cedar restoration.

5 Things to Know About Working with Naeem:

1 He takes a very client forward approach and worked very closely every step of the way, to bring your vision to reality.

2 He has an impeccable eye for detail and he brings that to every project. Be it cutting in a ceiling or spraying your kitchen cabinets you can ensure that a high level of attention is given.

3 BrushWorks has a strong network of reliable tradesmen to call on when needed for your project such as carpenters, masons, electricians and plumbers.

4 Through this network, Naeem is able to outsource and coordinate any design services needed to bring your project to life.

5 Over the past year Naeem has focused on Kitchen Refurbishing as a niche market. With the goal of saving costs and benefitting the environment he is excited at the prospect of turning old into new!

Helping small businesses manage their finances, and grow their business.

Servicing Residential & Commercial properties with interior &exterior painting and coating solutions.

Building Bermuda’s clean energy ecosystem one customer at a time.

Helping Reduce Clutter & Increase Wellbeing

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