Construction
Construction
SOUTHERN ELECTRICAL ILLUMINATING BETTER BUSINESS
Every building needs electrical cables , lighting , and appliances of all shapes and sizes . In Grenada these items , and many more , are provided with a five-star flourish by a company called Southern Electrical Co Ltd .
Located on Dusty Highway , Southern Electrical is a business that provides electrical appliances and fittings , as well as all the different types of electrical cables that are generally hidden from view . It is where professional electricians and DIY enthusiasts in Grenada shop , along with those who may only want a well-priced light bulb or perhaps an efficient fan .
To understand a little more about this provider of all things electrical , Business Grenada spoke with General Manager Emmanuel Duncan Jr at Southern Electrical ’ s well-stocked and warehouse-sized premises .
Southern Electrical is a family-run business and was created in 1996 by Emmanuel Duncan Sr , who had been an electrician and had worked in Grenada for a company with headquarters in Trinidad that manufactured electrical accessories . They found that competition with American and European markets meant that the manufacturing aspect became unviable and his employers moved towards retailing electrical products , such as wire , sockets , and other necessary items . Emmanuel Sr felt that his employers weren ’ t optimising the new approach to the business and so , along with his two sons and a staff member named Teresa Antoine — who still works here — in 1996 he left and created Southern Electrical . This meant he could deliver the level of service and quality of products that he would have wanted to buy were he still a hardworking electrician . The business name is derived simply because it is based in the south of the island and specialises in electrical items .
‘ For the first two years he rented a property provided by the GIDC , which is one of the ways that organisation helped my father to get up and running very quickly ’, Emmanuel Jr says . “ They were flexible in terms of the space and the rent was below market price , so he was able to build the business more quickly ”, he adds . Over his working life , Emmanuel Sr had built up a good relationship with many of the businesses that supply goods to Grenada . This meant that he was able to quickly establish credit terms and take delivery of his first shipment of good quality products , which he sold rapidly to eager and grateful electricians , contractors , and DIY enthusiasts . Cables and copper aren ’ t cheap , nor is the cost of freight and import duties , and the price of merchandising and also of employing staff makes this an expensive venture . It is a real testament to Emmanuel Sr ’ s character that the suppliers were willing to support a new business in this way . Once he had processed a few shipments he was also able to establish credit terms with the banks , which meant he could expand .
In 1998 , with a vision of a hardware store firmly in his mind , Emmanuel Sr committed to the risk of using all his
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