By Ainsley Walters, Staff ReporterWHILE SOME businesses were pulling down shutters, bracing for Tropical Storms Isidore and Lili, hardware stores all over the island did brisk business as property owners rushed to fortify their valued assets.
The traditional rainy months and hurricane season are generally busy times for hardware store owners. And Petrena Facey, manager at Renisean Hardware Limited, which is deep in the heart of Greater Portmore, said sales increased significantly for her West Henderson Boulevard business when the island was threatened by back-to-back storms.
"Business boomed," she said. "Prior to the rains, when everybody is on alert, the normal construction items such as cement and blocks stop selling, but more people start buying items to protect against disasters.
"Sales increase on roof compound, tarpaulins, nails..." Facey explained. "Some people even start chaining the zinc on their roofs."
Located on a low-lying plain on the south coast of the island with no hills to protect it, Portmore is at risk of getting the full brunt of storms, creating a windfall for hardware operators as property owners batten down.
In addition to the disaster factor, the ever-growing dormitory community is well-known for its lavish home improvements. The threat of damage to their property send residents scampering to hardwares such as Renisean.
After the rain, the usual items pick up again...sand, steel, cement," she said.
Only six years old, Renisean is owned by Karlene Tai-Bennett. It started with a single building before expanding to separate its administrative offices from store.
"Greater Portmore was chosen because it's a developing community and the need was here," Facey explained. "People are always building."
Being close to its customers, operating efficiently and offering competitive prices have allowed the young business to rub shoulders with bigger and more established hardwares in more commercial areas of the community.
"Not many people offer same-time delivery plus we're open from 7 in the mornings," Facey pointed out. "Opening early is very important in Portmore because you get the customers who want to buy something before they head out for work. You would be surprised to know how much business is done at that time of the day."
Hardware business being a physical, hands-on job, Renisean has 25 employees on its payroll six days per week, most of whom are from within the community.
Other key elements to Renisean's success have been its ability to attract and keep customers, the manager said.
"Portmore people shop around a lot," she explained. "Once you have good prices, you'll keep your customers. That's why we try to stock from a pin to an anchor. We don't want somebody to buy a nail here and a piece of zinc somewhere else."
