SLYOU Magazine issue 4 | Page 43

To celebrate its thirtieth year in business in 2020, building maintenance and custodial services company, Lewis Industries Ltd., recently rebranded as part of the company’s plans to raise its already sterling profile. Thecla Fitz-Lewis, Director of Operations/Human Resource Development, says the rebranding was essential to reflect the company in its true light: its reason and objective for being in business. The business, she says, has come a long way and the company felt it needed to make a few changes. “Our new logo reflects the fact that our company is well equipped to undertake cleaning at the residential, commercial and industrial levels,” Fitz-Lewis told SLYOU Business Magazine. “We also want people to know that we’re an environmentally-friendly company, which is reflected in the green leaves in the new logo.” Lewis Industries Ltd., located in the Corinth Industrial Estate, was established in 1990 by Andre Lewis – Thecla’s husband – and a few other business partners after a previous business was no longer viable. According to Lewis, after returning home to Saint Lucia from the United States in 1988 where he had spent eight years, he and his brother and sister started a block- making business, capitalizing on the booming construction industry at the time. The Wyndham Morgan Bay and Club St. Lucia hotels were in construction, so there was a ready market for their concrete blocks. But after the block-making business became unsustainable, Lewis teamed up with a few partners to start the cleaning business in 1990. The business prospects seemed very tempting: the Government Buildings on the Castries Waterfront had just been constructed, a positive sign that things were improving in the country. Besides, back then there were only two other cleaning companies on the island. “Initially, the plan was for us to sell the cleaning chemicals and equipment to customers,” Lewis told SLYOU Business Magazine. “However, it became difficult for customers to actually do the cleaning required. That made it a hard sell for our products. So the only way to actually get any business was for us to do the cleaning ourselves. Thirty years later, we’re still cleaning and selling our products.” In 1993, Lewis Industries Ltd. landed its first major contract – the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) – with responsibility for cleaning both the Vieux Fort and Vigie terminals, with La Place Carenage coming on stream afterwards. The company also got some business from banks, hotels and other business- places. Then came the contracts for major festivals. “The company has grown by leaps and bounds and we’re now thirty years in business,” Lewis reflected. “It’s not always been easy and we’ve operated from various locations, including several years at Union Industrial Estate, before settling at our current location at Corinth in 1999.” While Lewis Industries Ltd. has been an industry trailblazer over the past thirty years, Lewis admitted that staff turnover is high because the nature of the job attracts a certain stigma in Saint Lucia. People tend to think that working in certain industries is not prestigious, he told me. However, he readily pointed out that one has to be qualified and committed to do this type of job because competition is stiff. Today, Lewis Industries Ltd. offers a wide range of services: • Janitorial Contracts • Floor Care Maintenance • Carpet and Rug Cleaning • Resilient Floor Polishing • Floor Stripping and Sealing • Stone Floor Polishing • Post-Construction Clean-up • Concrete Floor Coating • Microbial Mediation (Mould, Mildew and Rust) • Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning (Sofas, Drapes) • Steam Cleaning and Pressure Washing • Timber Floor Sanding & Finishing • Sanitization Systems for Restrooms The company also offers the following hospitality supplies: • All Restaurant and Hotel Supplies (except food) • Refrigeration Units • Cooking Equipment • Housekeeping Equipment • Kitchen Equipment • Bar Equipment • Garden Equipment • Floor Coverings • Paints and Coatings • All Cleaning Compounds • Door Mattings Lewis Industries Ltd. is also an authorized distributor for KAIVAC No-Touch Cleaning Machines. When the company started back in 1990, its logo was a man with a mop and its tagline, ‘Leave the dirty work to us’. Today, Lewis Industries Ltd. is a strong brand making the bold statement that it does more than just cleaning. “It has been a roller coaster” Lewis said, characterizing the company’s journey towards its milestone. “Thirty years is definitely a long time to be in business. But we’re looking forward to the continued growth of the business.” In 2020, Lewis Industries Ltd. intends to offer training in its services to various sectors and undertake philanthropic initiatives. • Rust Prevention • Glass Cleaning www.slyoumag.com | February - April 2020 SL-YOU | It’s All About Business 41