TO mention that there is a construction boom in Bermuda, is to state the obvious. Real estate development is evident across the island. In the City of Hamilton, where office space comes at a premium, buildings are being demolished to make way for taller, more modern-looking structures. In the outlying parishes growth is just as apparent — hotels are undergoing significant improvements and new condominiums seem to appear every other day. For more than 80 years the skilled craftsmen of what is today BCM McAlpine Limited have helped shape the face of the island. The Bank of Bermuda head office in 1967, the Southampton Princess in 1972, the central utility plant at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in 1999 and more recently, the Atlantis Apartments, Crow Lane House and the Waterfront at Pitts Bay today stand as part of its legacy as do the thousands of workers involved in their building.

ALTHOUGH not so apparent to the casual observer, Gail Marshall, Cyril Maybury, John Richardson and Maurice Caines share several things in common — their work in the construction industry, a concern that more Bermudians aren’t taking advantage of the opportunities it offers and a passion for BCM McAlpine Limited.The company started in 1926, with the formation of G.H. Burland & Son Ltd. It later evolved to a partnership known as Burland, Conyers & Marirea Ltd. (BCM). The existing firm represents a joining of forces with the latter company and UK-based group, Sir Robert McAlpine Limited.After “extensive discussions on joint venturing on major projects in Bermuda...it became clear to both parties that they shared a common approach to business — a commitment to quality products and service, and a determination to build long-term relationships,” explained company president Alan Burland. “In early 1996, this relationship was truly cemented when the local management bought out BCM’s share of the company and the new operation purchased the operating assets from the BCM Group. This created a small, but flexible management team with the resources — both physical and human — to position BCM McAlpine to provide the level of service and expertise that Bermuda needs to help enhance its position in the international business arena.”

The company operates solely in Bermuda. Its main operations are general contracting and construction management, through which it undertakes “civil engineering, commercial office, hotel, school, residential and interior fit-out projects”. BCM McAlpine also runs a builders’ supply merchant yard and the island’s largest mill and joinery shop, from where it produces special orders for the local market.

That it places its staff high on its list of assets, is evident to those in the company’s employ.

“They take care of us, they’re really fair, they’re a really good company,” said Ms Marshall in explaining her unwavering commitment. An industry veteran of 15 years, she joined the company six years ago and serves as a field labour superintendent, responsible for “all the hiring, firing and disciplinary action throughout all our job sites throughout the island”.

As a female, it was tough joining the construction industry, she admitted. However as a single mother she had few alternatives and the job suited her personality type.

“I really loved the challenge and I just wanted to keep going up the ladder,” Ms Marshall said of her initial interest. “For me, once I learn something it makes me want to learn more. I really like the idea of seeing a hole in the ground and, all of a sudden, you’ve got something you’ve built there, you’re part of that team. It makes you take a lot of pride in what you’re doing and I think if we all took pride in what we did we’d be okay on this island.”

Having worked on approximately 30 different jobs since she joined BCM McAlpine, the superintendent believes the most difficult challenge she faced came in 2003, in the clean-up after Hurricane Fabian.

“We did half the roofs after Fabian and it was so difficult meeting the demand, especially when the people asking for help were older people. We were working ten-, 12-hour-days, as fast as we possibly could, just getting the roofs on for them. That’s when they gave me another position in the company.”

With 30 men under her charge, Ms Marshall said she was able to meet all the deadlines set.

“I’d rather be busy,” she said. “It makes me feel like I’m being challenged. To me, that’s the good part of construction. It’s more than just showing up every day. It’s what you’re going to produce every day. Of course, in the first year or two after I got the position it was pretty hard (as a female supervising men), but after that the guys respected me. Today they know I respect them. They know I don’t tolerate the ignorance. The bottom line is, if you don’t want to get in trouble, just do what you got to do every day. We’ve got a good team.”

A typical workday for Ms Marshall begins while many of us are sound asleep — at 5.30 a.m.

“The minimum for me is a ten-hour day. I start my paperwork before the guys get in. They work from 7.30 until 4 — sometimes later depending on the demands of the job.”

Asked what about the industry the general public might not be aware of, Ms Marshall stated: “It is challenging. It is hard. A lot of things are outside of your control when it comes to planning. Sometimes the client wants to see the job go a little faster but there’s reasons — with unusual ground conditions or something like that — that you can’t go faster. It’s challenging but it’s great working with different people.”

Maurice Caines was introduced to construction while pursuing a degree in hotel management. Put off by his perception that advancement within that sector was typically slow moving, he decided to transfer to construction full-time. He began as a labourer with BCM nearly 30 years ago, advancing along the way to the position of foreman. He left to take advantage of presented opportunities, shortly before the company partnered with Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd., and returned seven and a half years ago.

“During my schooling I took up different elective courses that pertained to construction work as far as management and knowing your building and what have you, so it was easy to make the transition,” he explained. “For me, management is management. It’s just a question of what you’re managing. Whether it’s in construction, the hotel industry or whatever, you’ve got to be able to read people and work with them to understand them and pull the best out of them. It’s a trick to doing it. What it is I can’t tell you but I seem to be doing pretty good at it.”

His responsibility is made easier by the fact that BCM McAlpine is supportive of talented Bermudians eager to advance in the industry, Mr. Caines added. As evidence, he cited an impressive list of projects completed under his watch since his return to the company. Among them, the A.S. Cooper’s building on Front Street, the gymnasium at Warwick Academy and Tucker’s Point Club on Ship’s Hill. He is now at work on the Bank of Bermuda’s headquarters, Harbourview.

“As far as I can recollect they’ve always hired 95 to 98 per cent Bermudian workers. They’ve always had a lot of Bermudian supervision in the company - George Ratteray who just retired ran the mill workshop, John Richardson, Bill Walwyn used to be the personnel manager. Kenny Francis used to run the garage but he’s retired now and we have Edmund Fox. I’m a superintendent, Dwayne Crockwell is a superintendent, Leo Simmons has just started up as a junior superintendent and then (they have) numerous Bermudians at the college (undertaking) trade classes and they also help kids overseas who are studying engineering or what have you.

“With construction, it’s just totally up to you what you want out of it,” he explained. “There’s room to grow and every job’s different whether you’re a tradesman or a labourer. That’s what I like about it. Each job has different challenges. There isn’t a day that goes by where there isn’t something that goes wrong that has to be fixed. I call it problem solving, not construction.”

An added bonus for those with basic construction skills, is that they never need to pay someone to make repairs in their own home.

Stated Mr. Caines: “We do it all the time. I still go back to my parents’ house and do things just to save them money. And if I can’t do it, I know who to call to get things done quicker. It helps in a lot of different ways. You can apply it pretty much anywhere.”

As has typically been the habit, construction methods are likely to change in the coming years. According to the site superintendent, such changes will bring even greater opportunities to those interested in applying themselves in the industry and who are also versatile in their skills.

“When I was moving from labour foreman up, there weren’t a lot of Bermudians interested in becoming a superintendent because of the responsibilities involved,” he explained. “There’s a lot of hours that you don’t get paid for directly because you’re on a set pay. At Cooper’s I was putting in 60, 70 hours in the last couple of months before they opened because I coordinated not only with our guys but all the subs (sub-contractors) — mechanical, electrical, plumbing, painters. There was the scaffold crew on that particular job, the millwork people from overseas that were working for the owner. Everybody fell under my umbrella and I then answered to the project manager. It was a big undertaking.

“What’s different on the (Bank of Bermuda) job is we’re not the general contractor. We’re management for it. So it’s looking at it through a different set of eyes. It’s a whole different thing and in some cases it actually slows you down a little bit. The other interesting thing in working (on the Bank of Bermuda project) is there’s a lot of learning involved. This job and one other project that I know of, are the first two on the island to be done (using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED, which (is the accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings). It deals with building an environmentally friendly building and all the different things that go with it, maintaining a certain level on a daily basis. Everything has to be checked overseas. It’s something new for us and it’s time consuming but I’m of the opinion that everyday you let go by, if you don’t learn something, you’ve wasted the day. So, you put the time in even if you take it home sometimes.”

Having worked on the Cooper’s site and pleased with that result, Mr. Caines said he is enthusiastic about the further change Harbourview will bring to Front Street.

“From a heritage standpoint, it’s sad to see (the former Trimingham’s building) go,” he admitted. “But from a building standpoint, there was a lot in there that was dangerous and needed to come down. The Fire Department considers that block a tinderbox — if one building goes the rest of them go because most of them are made of wood and stone. These (newer) concrete buildings are breaking that up and (Cooper’s and Bank of Bermuda) have probably started the ripple effect where all the buildings have to be redone. It’s inevitable.

“When we worked on Cooper’s (Planning laws insisted) the building maintain the same look. When you look at it, the height of the building blends in with the other buildings on the street and that should happen at the bank because you have to mimic what was there before. I think the architect has done a good job of capturing that. (The renderings) show a more modern, fresher look to what was there already. The bank will have the same feel as Cooper’s as long as we stick with what I’ve seen in the drawings so far. We can do that up and down. I don’t see any problem.”