Offering the Caribbean a wealth of both marine and onshore piling expertise, Complete Marine Services Ltd Managing Director Sam Verity talks to Endeavour about exciting innovations and what sets his company apart from competitors.

WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL

CUTTING EDGE CONSTRUCTION

www.littlegatepublishing.com

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001 758 485 1141 WWW.CMS-SL.COM

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CMS was effectively rejuvenated and quickly began to develop a reputation for effective problem solving. Coming from a family with strong ties to all things marine orientated, Verity describes CMS as a ‘perfect fit’ for him. With a natural penchant for the engineering industry and a keen eye for creative and proactive solution provision, Verity is moving the company forward at an impressive rate.

From its initial specialisation in marine projects, such as shallow water piling for the construction of jetties, docks and sea defenses, the company has now branched out into onshore piling installations. Working closely with international supplier Tiroler Rohre GmbH (TRM), CMS is in the enviable position of being TRM’s recommended regional installation service for Ductile Iron Piles (DIP). This is no small feat and has come as a result of a number of hugely successful piling projects within the Caribbean, but what made Verity opt for DIP techniques initially?

“Engineering projects in the Caribbean have always cost considerably more than other areas due to the requirement to ship in almost all necessary materials and equipment. Given this expense we began looking for cost-effective alternatives. Working with DIP is much more cost effective and we are able to pass these savings directly onto our clients. Installation of DIP can be completed with

our existing equipment and allows us to utilise sub-contractorsfrom the local comunity, wherever we are working. Most impressive is the speed at which we can move between islands as we operate with a 10 day turnaround for full mobilisation.”

With cost-effectiveness and stringent timeframes always at the forefront of any CMS project, the team assembled by Verity is highly experienced and committed to upholding the excellent reputation that the company enjoys. Though operating with a small core of just 6 permanent staff, this is regularly augmented with local sub-contractors and labourers for larger projects. Having been initially trained by TRM, the piling installation team is now self-sufficient, with hydraulic engineering and fabrication skills firmly under its belt, allowing for fast and effective completions. Experienced individuals are always encouraged to approach CMS regarding employment opportunities, and with impressive growth rates being consistently demonstrated by the company it cannot be long before the size of the core team reflects this.

Discussing client satisfaction measures that are in place, Verity is explicit in his simplistic approach:

“The only relevant criteria, in my mind, is the completion of piling programmes on time, within budget and with them having been

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Sam Verity and Kelsey Kerridge, his construction industry partner, bought CMS in 2008 to secure the equipment and manpower to complete a beach restoration programme in St Lucia. The acquisition brought a fully operational inshore barge and crane intotheir possession and the opportunity to develop a wide range of marine construction services.

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specifically engineered to achieve optimum load-bearing standards. Once construction of the superstructure commences, our work is covered up – forever.”

Despite not being visible, the work CMS undertakes is vital to the completion of many projects, both on and offshore. Providing the foundations for many structures within the Caribbean, architectural aesthetics take a necessary backseat to specific priorities such as stability, budget and time constraints; all of which are key considerations for clients. Despite the relatively modest potential client base within the Caribbean, CMS has secured a number of long-term clients thanks to a potent combination of incredibly high quality of work and fantastic value for money.

With a dedicated team of expert installers in place and a bank of satisfied, repeat clients secured, an effective and reliable supply chain provides CMS with the innovative products and equipment needed to complete projects to standards far above those of client expectations. Choosing to source materials directly from the manufacturers, where possible, CMS treats every project individually and remains open to the possibility of using new products, such as vinyl sheet piling and constantly developing DIP. Alongside supplier manufacturing engineers, installation team members are keen to,

where appropriate, encourage newer techniques and materials to be used throughout the Caribbean, replacing traditional methodology for the benefit of clients and their budgets. This can however be a relatively slow process, especially for the expansion of the DIP market, as conventional concrete and steel piling is still favoured by more conservative local structural engineering consultants.

Looking to the future, Verity has a vision that the widespread acceptance of DIP will allow for considerable company growth and industry development:

“DIP piles have comparable load bearing capacities to conventional piles, are

considerably cheaper to purchase, far easier to transport and handle and can be installed in approximately one third of the time of conventional piles.”

“Manufacturing facilities for concrete piles in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean are located in Barbados and Trinidad but manufacturing cannot be financially justified in the smaller islands so they have to be imported. Piles are heavy and expensive to transport and handle, but by contrast, larger quantities of DIP piles, which weigh only 800lbs per section, can be packed into a 20 ft. container and manoeuvred anywhere with relative ease. DIP piles can be dry-driven

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or grouted, depending on the location, ground conditions and engineering requirements. They are suitable for foundations, slope stabilisation, bridge construction, road stabilisation and the under-pinning of existing structures and can be driven either inside or outside.”

He goes on to further extol the virtues of the piling technique:“The process results in minimum noise and vibration, allowing piles

to be installed in sensitive areas, such as close to existing buildings or machinery, without risking expensive and inconvenient damage. In St Lucia, for example, CMS successfully piled the foundations for a new generator building for LUCELEC, the electricity generator. This was completed within a few feet of an existing generator set where vibration would have caused a very serious problem.”

The merits of DIP piling are clear to see and CMS has set itself the task of supporting existing structural engineers in their acceptance of new, innovative products and installation techniques. As this endeavour proves successful, CMS is set to enjoy continued dramatic growth, while offering increased employment opportunities to the local community, something that, as an ethically driven, family organisation, is of the utmost importance.

“ Engineering projects in the Caribbean have always cost considerably more than other areas due to the requirement to ship in almost all necessary materials and equipment. Given this expense we began looking for cost-effective alternatives. Working with DIP is much more cost effective and we are able to pass these savings directly onto our clients.”