General Manager of the state-owned Gravel & Concrete Corporation Arthur Ollivierre has confirmed that one of the Board Members who runs a multi-million dollar construction company does not purchase any of its ready mixed concrete for use on his project, from the statutory body.
THE NEW TODAY asked Ollivierre on Tuesday about reports circulating among his staffers that businessman Dr. Anselm La Touche who runs Creative Designs & Building Construction Co Ltd and was appointed to serve as a Board Member after the change of government in 2022 does not purchase ready mixed cement from the statutory body.
“Yes, there is a Board Member, I don’t know what his reasons are but he doesn’t buy concrete from us,” he said.
“I have noticed that the gentleman does not purchase Ready Mixed Concrete from Gravel & Concrete and the workers in the Ready Mixed Department said Mr. Ollivierre this gentleman does not buy a bucket of concrete from us and he claims that our concrete is substandard.”
According to Ollivierre, La Touche has not told him that personally but he understands from some of the workers that the businessman is claiming “that our quality was of a sub-standard to who he presently buys from.”
He said that he raised the alleged contention of La Touche with someone who is engaged in the testing of Concrete and that individual refuted the assertion of the leading construction builder on the island.
“I raised this with a gentleman – one of the other guys who does testing of concrete – I said, well listen – I heard so and so (La Touche made the claim) and he said, Mr. Ollivierre this is crap – this man (is) talking crap – and that is his line – testing of Concrete and that kind of thing,” he remarked.
The Gravel & Concrete boss also said he raised the LaTouche issue with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gravel & Concrete, Sylvester Quarless who holds the position of Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.
“I said (to Quarless) look this is the situation and this is how the workers are thinking (about La Touche) and he (Quarless) said, you know everybody has their preference –people look at things differently.”
Ollivierre was also asked the question of whether La Touche in his capacity as a Board Member of Gravel & Concrete had offered any suggestions on how the state body can improve on the quality of its Ready Mixed Concrete.
“I haven’t seen any recommendations coming from him so I can’t say,” he said.
La Touche has been identified as one of three current Board Members who have been absent from meetings of the state body for the past three to four months.