 Hello everyone. This is Issues and Answers, a production of the Government Information Service. I am Primus Hutchinson. On our program today, I'm joined by a gentleman who has quite an intriguing story to tell. He is from the community of Jackwell, the hub of the Orozovalli, and the history of the valley, as many of you would probably know, is one who often has succeeded from a myriad of social challenges, albeit to a much less extent in recent times. This gentleman was able, like many of his time, to battle successfully hurdles of such magnitude that he often ascribed his accomplishments to divine intervention. Today, he is the founder and chief executive officer of a successful construction company, but our interest is not the success of his company, but his resilience, his commitment, tenacity, and philanthropic spirit. The gentleman I speak of is none other than Mr. Steve Jameson of Jim Cobb's Quality Construction Limited. Welcome to Issues and Answers, Mr. Jameson. Welcome, sir. Thank you. Let us start off with your life growing up as a young man. How was it? From the community of Jackwell, we have 14 siblings. I'm the number four in it. And my mother, a farmer, my father, a farmer, we raised in the farming area. And for me, I decided, you know what, I want to do something different. I decided to go to Trinidad when I was 19. In that time, I had a cousin living up there that was married to a Trinidadian. I think the whole idea of, she took me up there really was to take care of, help her to take care of her kids, really. It wasn't an idea she had for me, what she wanted me to develop myself. But you know, Steve Jameson is Steve Jameson. I got a job with a gentleman from Trinidad as a helper. Meeting this guy, for some reason, this guy sees more in me than I even thought. Within the first six months, this guy brings me as a supervisor. In those days, trust me, I was so skinny. If you see me today in my frame, you could see I was bossy back. But I was so skinny. I had the crew of maybe 14 guys and I was the youngest. I want to just hold that thought a minute. Let's get back to the family. You started growing up with your siblings and so on. What was in your mind at the time? I mean, you grew up humble beginnings. You know, you did, you know, just mainly on work here and there in the beginning. Take us from that experience up to Trinidad. Before the Trinidad, well, the 14 siblings, my mother, my father was doing the farming. But on the spare time, they would do, they would bake, they would be selling bread. I do exactly everything my other siblings were doing. There was nothing different from me and them. It's the same food we do. We do everything alike. And your mom and your parents were very strict. And my mother, my father, you know, the story would be sometime on our way. When we go to bed, I would, me and my brothers, we would talk about how we're going to steal a few bread. And, you know, and most time in those days, you have your pyjama, you know, they have pockets. Right. So, boy, we take a few breads, we put it in our pockets. Sometimes we fall asleep and the bread remains in our pockets. So, next morning, when my mother passed, the leaks was, because somehow she got into know that we stole bread. And that was it. That was the whole story. My father was the type of person who I always tell people. My father was the loving one. My mother was the tough one who would say very disciplined, very disciplined. My father was disciplined as well. But my father would allow you. You know, but my mother, boy, I tell you, my mother will, you will get it. You know, so this is how we raise good family. I, I cannot, I cannot recall I do anything different in those days. But did you have an interest in construction at this early stage? Yeah, yeah. Funny that I was like the boy everybody likes in the community. Likeable person. So, in those days, a lot of latrine, they were building latrine. Yeah, that's what it is. I guess, I mean, I get so technical in building latrine. I would think how to put the exhaust for the air to go out. I would, I would design it with particular louver around it, you know. So I got master in building latrine for the whole area where I was living. And for some reason, I missed that. I don't know why I didn't capture it. Yeah, there was this man named like Gilead Anela. They called me names like do-do mama, he love. I had all the loving names and like the bless boy. They treat me even today. Those that are still alive. When they see me to see the kind of smile on their face, the kind of way they blush and because they are happy, seeing that what I changed from where I was today. So I feel like I felt, you know, like a blessing. What about your early education? You went to the Jackmel School? Yeah, I went to the primary school in Jackmel in those days. That's the school I did because of, again, because of the challenge. Most children, most children. Yeah, because of the challenge. My mother have 14 of us to take care of. So that's why I went to school in the primary school in Jackmel. So we're moving from there into Trinidad. You decided. But how did that worked out? Were you contacted by your relative in Trinidad? How did you make that good? Were you not thinking of traveling at all? Were you? Just maybe two months ago I get to know why I went to Trinidad. And the purpose of I ended up being going to Trinidad was exactly to take care of my cousin's children. But she never told me that she came down from Trinidad to bring another one, which is another cousin to take her to Trinidad. But when she came to St. Lucia, the young lady was pregnant. And for some reason, she got she was hesitating to go. So at the same time, I guess I was vulnerable enough. I was there. She just picked me up and say, let's go. And I thought it was an opportunity for me as well because what I was doing in St. Lucia, like the latrine and the little things, I mean, I know I can do better. I can do a lot better. So hearing about Trinidad would be a fantastic idea that it would help me to develop to which way I am. Again, I always believe that the education side of me, that I didn't get this opportunity to be who I wanted to be. So I always want to grow to be better. So getting the opportunity to go to Trinidad, I say, boy, you know what, that chance I will get to go to school. And that's how I end up going to Trinidad. So tell us a little bit about the experience. You started telling us about the construction phase. I mean, in a matter of six weeks, you happened to be within record time, I was a supervisor on a site with about 14, 12, 14 men. And I was the youngest. And I was, in fact, I was green. But when comes to business, I all from very young age, I take business serious. I am the owner of the construction company. See something in me where as you believe, I will have him to lead them. So very early age, I become supervisors and I was handling a crew of men. What age was that around the time? Like I was 19. I was like 19. Okay, we'll take a short break. That will give you enough time to think of all the other developments surrounding your personal life and so on. This is issues and answers. We'll be back in just a minute. See you at a good time. I did. The food was amazing. I'm definitely going to come back here. I hope you enjoyed it. I did. So what's what's it like tomorrow? Tomorrow we have a meeting, we have a matter to discuss. Oh really? Yeah, we have a matter to discuss. What's what's it about them? I can't tell you confidential. I understand. You may put on some music. You may put on some music. No, I need you to slow down. You're driving too fast. Speak up and speak out if your life or the lives of others are in danger. Drive safe or drive alive. Welcome back. This is issues and answers. My guest is the executive, chief executive officer and founder of Jim Cobb's Quality Construction Limited, Mr. Steve Jimson and he's telling us all about his life experiences, challenges and developments and so forth. We're on your experience and you as a young guy, 19 year old, as a supervisor and how was the response your co-workers and your subordinates and so on? Always being a serious person, not bullshitting, not taking stories. I did very well because my level of tolerance for nonsense was almost to zero. So and I know what I wanted. So because of that, very early, I did well as a supervisor. Now being a supervisor with this particular company, maybe for a year, I get I was so knowledgeable in the field of construction, I start getting private projects in Trinidad to start building on the, like you build a two-story building, the ground floor, which have a slab over it already. I get several of those projects to. Without any formal training at all? Without any, well since I was a supervisor, that means I had known something. Something. But I didn't have nothing. Constructing or such. Okay. And people really trust me and if you have to go to Trinidad and you go around those projects that I did in Trinidad, you might be, say, well, from a very tender age, this guy likes to do things well. Because trust me, I don't sleep. If I did something wrong, I don't sleep. You want it correct? Yeah, it bothers me. And I don't understand how people are doing things and they're just doing things because they're supposed to have a method of how you do things. And the person who's spending their money, go to the bank and take their money and give to you, expect the best of what you're doing. Very true. But somehow in that industry, you find a lot of people just taking it as a joke. Now, you've been doing well in Trinidad and you decided that you should return home. Why didn't you decide whether you remain in Trinidad and take advantage of the possibilities? I'm one of those who believe that my island, I love here. I love St. Lucia. And I believe if I am knowledgeable, I should share that with my country. If I can do so well for other people outside of the world, I think I should explore that in St. Lucia. The challenges have been here, but yet still I have gotten good opportunity to go overseas and work. As far as Bulgaria, I got good opportunities to move out from St. Lucia. And yet still, I'm in love for St. Lucia. Yeah, and I love, I love, I love seeing that I'm in the Boulevard, you passed and said, Jameson did a job for me 10 years ago and it's pointless. It's the same way he built it today, 10 years, no cracks on my wall, nothing. That gave me joy. Okay, so how long you stayed in Trinidad before returning home? Three, three and a half years. Okay, so tell us, well, tell us about your experience now that you're back home. Yeah, um, when I get back to St. Lucia, my mother, Fanny, Florey Jameson, my father, Joseph, Joe, um, when I came back, they realized, they're both alive now? No, my father passed, but yeah, but my mother still there. Even my intention was, because I'm not known in St. Lucia, to go and look for work, my mother insists on my father, you not going and work for somebody, but just by hand, I'm talking what I did in Trinidad. They insist I'm not going to leave the house, one look for employment. They gave me a small house, and they asked me to, the things I learned, because I used to do cupboards and, you know, fairly elastic things, I would, I would do, um, take a board, maybe 12 by 12, and run nails through it, and run thread through it, and create a bird, create, yeah, yeah, so very talented, and they gave me that house, and that's where more knowledge came in, because I was self-employed in there. Okay, so from there, what, what happened? So, I'm always believing, doing well. It's just natural. I always believe, and I always believe the second job is a more interesting job than the one that I just finished, so I'm always looking forward to do better. After this thing, I got, I got a job with, with, with care. Care was building, I think, which one? Care was building sandals, I think. I got a job there as a, as a supervisor. When Care finished the project, most of the tool, no, sorry, it was Higgs and Hill, I worked for, um, building the power station in Caldisa, that's the new power station, um, I was working with them, and then I was the scaffold erector for the company. I started as a scaffold erector for the power station. By the time the project was halfway, I was so good in what I was doing, they decided to move me away from the scaffold erector, give me more men, but have me to see more things. So, I started all the big, um, commercial doors and, and the elevator doors and all these doors. I was the one responsible to put them up. I know you, you, I mean, you have numerous experiences and, and, and so on, but starting off your business, I, I, I, from my own experience, I can recall you establishing an office in Marigold. Yeah. Yeah. You want to tell us a little bit about that? The office in Marigold, um, well, if you, if you're in business, you need a place where people can find you. Hence the reason I decided to start my first office. I got the piece of land from, from, um, Mr. Albert, who's the fireman in that corner there, and I built this office there. The idea was to sustain myself because in Lucia, sometimes you need something and you cannot get it. So, instead of every one thing you, you, you're looking for, you have to run through the hardware, I built the office a little size, a little sizable that I will buy more. So, if I want one thing, I buy five. So, tomorrow if I need it, I have some. So, we, we built a small hardware together with the office, and that was a brilliant idea. That perhaps may have led to your first, um, um, experience as, as, as a, as a construct, a builder and so on. Um, I, I, I, I, I'm not sure, but perhaps you can guide me. Um, the Jackmel Church, um, we need to take a break, I've been told, but let's focus when we get back on the Jackmel Church. This is issues and answers. Stay with us. We'll be right back. One of the eight university recognized rights of the consumer is the right to be heard. This means that every consumer who is dissatisfied with a good or service has the right to lodge a complaint to the provider of that good or that service. This should be the first point of lodging a complaint. Ensure that the receipt, as proof of the transaction, is available. Welcome back. This is issues and answers. Our guest is Mr. Steve Jimson of Jimco's Quality Construction Limited. Um, we, the Jackmel Church, I think that this might have been your first project. My first major project? Major project. Okay. The Jackmel Church was in the range of, as the Catholic Church, the Holy Family Church, was in the range of, I think, somewhere like $600,000. That was at the time that would be the biggest project I ever did. Um, Father Centrose, who's a very good friend of mine today, I love him today, just like I love him yesterday because of what he did. Father Centrose trusts me and he, from what he's seen and he hanged, he believed that I was the right suitable guy to do the project of that nature. Okay. The project was a very challenging project. You know, um, that Cento Mayor, yeah, the mural. The mural, inside it. We extend the project by a couple meters on both sides, create a new, first had a new wall, yet still we had to maintain the mural inside without damaging it and make it part of the, of the new project. I think when that's done, both Cento Mayor and Father Centrose gave Jim Cobb, at that time, Jameson Construction Enterprise, um, create a bit of phrases of how we handle our, our self on that. But that was a very successful project. But have you had any other project done in the Jackwalk, as far as giving your services, excuse me, to the, to the community, community. What, what are the services as a, as a, as a boy from the, from the, I think we did small, small, small works, like cupboards and, and small thing. In fact, I, which I, which I didn't tell you, but Jack, the first project I did in Jackville was, I was a farmer, how I was working with Moses Henry, um, farming. And that was the first work I did. After the farming, then I realized that the farming wouldn't sustain us. Then I go to the, to the construction. You also established an apartment, um, in the community. That's very, very good, very commendable. Um, tell us about a little bit about how you went about what you, you could have built this apartment anywhere else in, in this country. Again, it's love for, love for country, love for area, love for where you come from. Lots of people tell me, if you have this apartment in the north, you would be making so much money. But what happened to Jackmill? I mean, I want to see Jackmill have life. I want to see Jackmill looking good. So you drive up the road, you see this apartment, wow, that's a nice apartment. Instead of everybody seeing Jackmill like a, a down, a low, if God bless me and I have money, I would really do something nice in Jackmill. That's well taken. Um, let's, let's fast forward a little bit about your experiences with some of the other projects, I mean sandals, um, your management team and so on. Let's quickly run through this because we, the time is, yeah. Again, um, it's the blessing. I believe and bless. I believe from coming out from a family of, of 14 of us and I did extremely well by hiring, even my father was working for me, my mother worked for me, my father worked for me, all my siblings has been working for me. And I know we did the same thing. We came from the same background, we did everything the same. So I feel unblessed. And your, your business focus, so the, the potential in you and you, you made it, you made the front page of business focus. Of course, yes. And how did you feel about this? Very good. Very good. But let's go back to, to the establishment and people I have working for me. Um, I was from our office in Marigo and now we are, we are in Kaldesat, opposite Massey supermarket and, and West Indies shipping, somewhere in that area there. Um, our office have about 12 staff from accountant to project manager, engineers, you name it. We, we have had a good time working for some serious business people around, such as Mr. Sherry Key that I'm doing one of the most outstanding building in St. Lucia today, I should say. We work for Sandals, we did some massive project for Sandals. We did the Sunset Bluff for Sandals that, that was in the 2000, 2000, which I was quite a young man still. Um, and it came out successful. We have a guy, Mark Harding was the project manager for Sandals and Mark would tell you today how he take Young Steve and the result of Young Steve. So he feels so proud of me today by what he have seen and what he keeps seeing. We, we've not touched on some of the challenges I mean, starting a big business of, of this magnitude and getting through this. What, what, what have been the, the challenges and successes, you know? Let's go on challenges. Um, most times I believe that for some reason the locals not getting it what they should. Even though you have all that beautiful project you have done, but when you go to the bank, like I always say, I could go to Miami, take a guy on the street, um, give him a suitcase and send him to the bank. He might get a better result from the bank than me, who's the CEO for the company. Or I just go and, you know, true get a guy from the street in Miami, dress him and send him to the bank. He might be getting the money that I want to get. So most time we don't feel that I'm there looking at us the way we should. We're not getting the kind of opportunity. So something I could have done maybe within five years from this level to that level, it might take me 10 years because I have to work harder to achieve it when the bank maybe would not trust us to give us their money. Because from the level we are today, I believe that for me, sky is the limit. There is no such project that we cannot do, but yet still you see in that people are doing project that they're not, they cannot even handle the project, what they get in the opportunity to get the project. How happy are you that you've contributed to Saint Lucia's development? I'm the happiest man you can find. Looking at, walking around, seeing my projects, seeing the people that we develop and this is something contributing to employment. Yeah, but I'm one of those who take the most young men from the, from the morn and train them to be contractors. If any, I always tell them, if anything happened to me tomorrow, when you all go to, like I died, you always go to that Saint Lucia and you all will laugh, have a good laugh and say this guy was something else because of how I train them and all of them today are contractors and my business going on smoothly without those that I train. Often they will come, depend what I'm doing they will pass and see me, but my business is going well without those that I train. Those I train, I believe I train you, you've got enough move. Mr. Jimson, we've come to the end of our discussion, but just briefly, quickly, what would you like to say to the solution public and just wind up quickly? Yeah, especially my area in Chackmel, I wish that we, these young people, they will look at them closely because I think they need opportunity. All the boys we have that doing all the bad things is because of lack of opportunity, lack of making them feel that they are important. I think our, we need to, sorry about that, but we need to wind down, we appreciate so much you taking the time to be with us, Mr. Jimson, and all of your accomplishments and challenges I've been speaking with Mr. Steve Jimson, the founder and chief executive officer of Jimscorp Quality Construction Limited. This has been issues and answers. I'm Primus Hutchinson, thank you for viewing.