It's no secret that The Bahamas depends on foreign direct investment (FDI). Successive governments welcome it in the hopes it will bring an economic boost.
But in the eyes of the investor, many claim the process can be "tedious" or "extremely difficult". In other words, it's no walk in the park or a dream vacation. But Melissa Alexiou looks to bridge the gap between developers and the government through her company, Waypoint Consulting Ltd.
She describes her company, which specializes in project management and environmental consulting services, as a "developer's concierge".
In this week's edition of "Da Plunge", Alexiou, who is the company's director, shared that she formed Waypoint Consulting Ltd. in 2012 because she saw a gap between developers, the government and the local workforce.
"I find it's very difficult for foreigners who are coming into The Bahamas and are looking to invest to know how to find and assess local Bahamian contractors, architects, lawyers and other related specialties. These are all services that I can help with," she said.
"I want my company to be a point-to-point source for project administration and communication, someone that can recommend Bahamian firms to assist and ease the development process."
Melissa noted that response to the company has been positive despite only opening its doors for business in January.
"I believe there is definitely a need for increased communication in the development process and for someone to help navigate developers through the government's approval process," she shared.
"While there are other small consultancies out there, I don't believe they offer the right combination of project management and environment consulting services. I see the company as a niche consulting service that before was not yet available in The Bahamas."
With a master's degree in environmental science and a certification as a project management professional (PMP), Alexiou has extensive environmental consulting experience. She has previously assisted with environmental services, including environmental impact assessments and environmental management, for a range of development projects including private island development, subdivisions, and transportation infrastructure projects in The Bahamas.
"I have worked in the consulting industry for over eight years. A PMP certification cements that I can do this work along with my consulting background in environmental services because I understand the local and socio-economic environment. We can advise developers what will and will not likely work in The Bahamas," she pointed out.
As she looks to grow her business, Alexiou said her ideal project would be a mid-size development approximately 200 acres in size with a variety of land users: residential, perhaps boutique hotels with a marina or golf course. There is also an increasing need to integrate alternative energy production with smart building design to embrace the natural climate of The Bahamas.
"Whether your project is for a marina, golf course, resort community, subdivision or private island, we can provide the necessary personnel with the expertise and knowledge to get the job done," Alexiou added.
Waypoint Consulting Ltd. is a company that is dedicated to facilitating project development throughout The Bahamas and will keep a project moving forward from project initiation though construction.
For more information, you can log on to: www.waypointconsultingbahamas.com or call Melissa at 362-6540.

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