City Services Ltd has acquired two large pieces of land in Grand Bahama and begun immediate construction of the new company headquarters - a possible sign of even bigger things to come.
The five acres of land, purchased by City Services from Freeport Commercial and Industrial Limited through the joint efforts of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and local brokers, is a "big step", according to Peter Turnquest, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.
"They are ambitious for the future," he told Guardian Business.
"Anytime an entity sets up a permanent footprint is significant.  It means there is a positive move for the economy and opens the door for further construction projects in the future.  These things never happen in isolation and we invite others to join them."
The headquarters is slated for completion by the first or second quarter of 2012.  It will span 29,000 square-feet and house more than 25 staff members.
City Services, an up-and-coming civil contractor, is responsible for several major projects on the island.
The contractor is currently working on a $50 million portion of the Cruise Ship Terminal in Freeport and $100 million worth of work on the Ginn Development on the West End of Grand Bahama.
City Services also built the movie sets for two installments in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Joseph O'Brien, the Managing Director of City Services Ltd., praised GBPA for working with its licensees
to bring about their latest development.
"We are extremely pleased with the efforts of the Port Authority and Sarles Realty for conducting this transaction expeditiously and as seamlessly as possible," he said.
James Sarles, the President at Coldwell Banker James Sarles Realty, added that "people around the world" were looking at Grand Bahama from an industrial perspective.
He also described the acquisition as a "win-win for all" and "a start of good things to come".
In difficult economic times, these kinds of developments are especially important, he felt.
Ginger Moxey, the Vice President of GBPA, echoed his sentiments, saying the purchase shows the company's commitment to the island economy.
It also illustrates the Port's "open door" policy.
"Our multi-million-dollar expansion project shows we are bullish about Freeport's future and dedicated to the community," O'Brien added.
"Our company has built a strong reputation of reliable, on-time services in Grand Bahama and with the extention of our ever-growing marine services, we like what we see for our company's future on Grand Bahama."

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