CONTRACTOR SUCCESS STORY
Bridgetown Construction, Inc.
attempting to hire casual help which proved to be unreliable, Raymond decided that he would have to learn to repair and renovate the property himself. With his house gutted, he camped out on his sister’s couch and taught himself as he went along. “I made some mistakes,” recalls Raymond, “but I figured it out as I went along. Once it was finished, I got very positive feedback.” This experience inspired Raymond to change careers and pursue becoming a contractor and entrepreneur.
Raymond’s biggest challenge to starting a business was financial, especially trying to launch during the historic economic downturn of 2008. However, encouraged by his uncle – a retired Los Angeles County Building Inspector, Raymond studied for and passed the exam to get his General Contractor’s license and then established Bridgetown Construction, named after Barbados’ capital city which he’d so enjoyed. He started learning how to put together accurate bids to minimize mistakes and inefficiencies. Beginning with plumbing, he then went on to electrical and finish work projects.
Raymond first heard about Alameda's A-1 Housing Bond from a colleague at the City of Hayward and, for several years, he has worked closely with Alameda County’s Contractor Bonding Assistance Program (CBAP), administered for the County by Merriwether and Williams Insurance Services (MWIS). “The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and sincerely interested in seeing small, local, and emerging businesses get a seat at the table by providing us with the tools needed
Raymond Daniels is the CEO of Bridgetown Construction Inc., a small, Oakland-based African-American owned business, certified as an Alameda County Small, Local Emerging Business (SLEB).
A Social Sciences Major at Cal, Raymond was thinking of going to law school when, after graduation he started working as the Assistant Director of the school’s Summer Study Abroad. Through this position, he traveled extensively, finding a particular affinity with Bridgetown, Barbados, because of its relaxed pace and sense of community. Then, in 2002, Raymond bought his first house – a former Section 8 rental unit that had been completely neglected. After getting unfeasible repair estimates from contractors and
Bridgetown Construction CEO Raymond Daniels