By Susan Smith, Staff ReporterPHIL'S HARDWARE Limited is expanding its operations in Twickenham Park by relocating the business to a new seven acre complex.
Managing Director, Basil Phillips, said this is to meet the increase in demands by its customers as well as the need to centralise its warehousing. The expansion is expected to be completed by Christmas.
"Our clientele has increased so much that our present accommodation is now too small to encompass the number of items we need to carry," he said. "We need tremendous space to carry new ones and a wider variety. We want to centralize our warehousing for better organization.,"
The expansion takes place next door, on the property formerly owned by Finsac.
The property measures 280,000 square feet and can hold more than three times the current storage space.
Mr. Phillips says the new complex will be just like the one on 66 1/2 Constant Spring Road but will store stocks for both locations. It will also have a wider range of services and additional employees.
In fact, the staff complement is slated to grow by 25 per cent, when the complex becomes available for business. At the moment, Phil's employs one hundred and fifty persons.
PURCHASE PRICE
Mr. Phillip did not care to divulge the cost of the property but admitted the purchase price was a little less than modest.
"It costs plenty but we will not put a figure on it let people guess for themselves," he said.
However, a reputable real estate agent in Spanish Town estimates the property at $30 million.
Wednesday Business understands that no plans have yet been made for the existing structure.
Mr. Phillips has also purchased another property on the other side of the hardware, and intends to operate a different type of business there.
"We bought it this year," he informed, referring to the property which was at some point owned by Ricketts and Coleman. "We plan to go into household items, manufacturing our own blocks, steel and other products related to the hardware business."
An expansion of the hardware business to other areas of Jamaica is not forthcoming in the near future, he said.
Phil's has been a leading name in hardware for over 21 years in Jamaica and operates at two locations, Constant Spring Road St. Andrew and Twickenham Park, Spanish Town.
They provide products for building interior and construction and currently manufacture zinc at the Twickenham Park branch.
