Sands: Construction industry remains strong, steady rebound expected

Sands: Construction industry remains strong, steady rebound expected
Leonard Sands, former president of the Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA).

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bahamian construction industry remains strong, according to former contractor’s association president.

Leonard Sands, former Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president, said the industry will witness a steady rebound to pre-COVID business levels.

“The industry is doing fairly well. There is obviously a lot of work on Abaco. If you look at what’s happening there with reconstruction efforts, they can’t even find housing for the workers with all of the activity that’s going on,” Sands told Eyewitness News.

“The demand is very strong in the northern Bahamas particularly. I don’t think anyone is complaining about the amount of opportunity out there right now. Could it be even more? Absolutely. But right now, there is a lot of work going on in the residential market.”

Sands added: “There have been challenges brought on by the pandemic, but I think the industry will steadily come back to where it was prior to March 2020. There is some very strong activity in the residential sector — Western New Providence is very busy.”

Sands noted that the pandemic has forced adjustments in many sectors, including construction.

“The pandemic has impacted businesses and the way business is done. The hardware stores and building material suppliers had to adjust,” he said.

“There were some hiccups, but they had to maintain their business because the demand was certainly there. They had to adapt. Everyone has had to make adjustments and the industry has benefited from the natural evolution.”