A proposal that would have kept Bermuda's main cement supply operation in Bermudian hands was by-passed in favour of a temporary deal involving a foreign company.

That's the blunt message from the man who, when the Island's main cement business was thrown into jeopardy last month, stepped forward offering a way out he believed would have provided Bermuda with a "win-win" situation.

But instead of being encouraged to put his plan into operation ? or asked to expand on the idea ? Raymond Davis feels he was left completely in the dark.

It was only when he read yesterday that Mr. Davis (also known as Khalid al Wasi) realised his solution had lost out to a deal involving a giant international company.

Now Mr. Davis has spoken out at the apparent disregard shown to his offer to take on the current cement operation lock, stock and barrel from the Bermuda Cement Company.

The Island's main cement supply was thrown into crisis in August when the Bermuda Cement Company indicated it intended to cease its operation at Dockyard from December 31 in view of what it considered to be uneconomical demands being imposed upon it by landlord the West End Development Company (Wedco).

While construction chiefs could sigh with relief at this week's news that the cement supply at Dockyard will continue uninterrupted, following an agreement between the Government quango Wedco and Mexico's cement industry giant Cemex to create a stop-gap joint operation, a long-term solution has still to be set.

That could have already been taken care of, according to businessman Mr. Davis, if his offer to take over the Dockyard cement operation had been accepted.

He had secured a written understanding with Bermuda Cement Company president Jim Butterfield giving him the green light to buy the fixtures, fittings, plant and equipment at the Dockyard cement terminal, subject to an agreed price, should he be successful in obtaining the contract to operate the business when the Bermuda Cement Company ceased its 40-year-old operation at the end of the year.

Armed with that letter of undertaking Mr. Davis pitched his idea with Wedco general manager Lloyd Telford on September 8 and then in a letter requested a meeting with Wedco chairman Lt. Col. David Burch, announcing: "I believe that I can secure the continuity of the business and supply of cement in a seamless fashion and I am fully aware of the Wedco future plans, both for the current site of operation and the proposed new alternative site.

"I would like to negotiate terms of continuity that are mutual. I've also expressed the fact with Mr. Telford that I will open up the share hold for the participation of others."

Mr. Davis heard nothing back until he received a letter on Tuesday inviting him, along with a number of others, to bid for the future contract.

Wedco and Cemex have agreed to jointly run the cement terminal for up to two years while a long-term operator is selected.

Speaking to , Mr. Davis said: "I approached Wedco and I was concerned that they did not see me as a vulture coming to pick the bones.

"I said if we could come to an agreement I would be happy to buy the Bermuda Cement Company. That deal I'd stuck in principle in early September. I said if we could come to an amicable, mutual agreement there could be a seamless continuity of the business."

He received no feedback to his letter of September 13 until the announcement midweek that Cemex and Wedco would be forming a stop-gap partnership for an interim period of up to two years.

Mr. Davis said: "I made an effort but it appears the negotiations took place somewhere else. I was a local business person able to offer this but instead they have gone into partnership with a foreign company for two years when they could have done so with me.

"I thought I'd come up with a win-win solution, taking in the social issues, the finance package and fitting in with the social agenda."

Mr. Butterfield confirmed to that he had accepted Mr. Davis' approach, adding: "He is the one person who came to us and said he wanted to buy the equipment and we said fine. He was the only one who stepped forward and did the right thing the right way."