Some nights define a company’s legacy. For Construction and Industrial Equipment (CIE) Ltd., this was one of them.
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| The Trophies |
At the Saint Lucia Business Awards, CIE did more than attend. It dominated the stage, walking away with three of the most prestigious honours of the night:
- Export Achievement of the Year
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- Business of the Year
It was a clean sweep that told one powerful story: CIE is no longer just building projects — it is shaping the Caribbean’s industrial future.
Export Achievement of the Year: Building Beyond Borders
CIE’s export award recognizes one of Saint Lucia’s most remarkable modern success stories.
Rayneau accepting an award
In just three years, the company has transformed from a national construction leader into a regional export powerhouse, delivering full-scale project ecosystems across the Caribbean. From Montserrat’s EC$102 million National Hospital, to Grenada’s St. David’s Catholic Secondary School, to the Molinière landslip reconstruction, CIE has proven that Saint Lucian expertise can compete — and win — on the regional stage.
Powered by quarry-to-concrete integration, a Hyundai equipment fleet, and in-house marine logistics, including its 330-foot barge Bokech, CIE exports more than materials. It exports precision, timelines, and confidence.
Export revenue has surged by over 60% since 2022, with overseas projects now accounting for more than 40% of total turnover. But just as importantly, CIE exports people development, training local subcontractors and embedding community capacity into every project it touches.
As one citation powerfully stated:
CIE exports inclusion, innovation, reliability, and industry leadership.
Entrepreneur of the Year: The Vision Behind the Machine
At the heart of CIE’s rise stands Rayneau Gajadhar, named Entrepreneur of the Year for embodying fearless vision, resilience, and people-centred leadership.
Rayneau and Joshi
His journey did not begin with ease. It began with failure, setbacks, and closed doors. Yet every obstacle became fuel for reinvention. From one truck and a dream, he built an integrated enterprise spanning quarries, asphalt and concrete plants, RCIP hardware stores, Hyundai dealerships, marine logistics, and one of the largest construction fleets in the OECS.
But his greatest investment was never equipment.
It was people.
Through the Rayneau Training Institute, hundreds of young Saint Lucians — many from disadvantaged communities — have gained skills, careers, and confidence. His philosophy remains simple: when staff grow, the company grows.
Accepting the award, he captured the spirit of the journey with humility and humour, thanking his team for bringing him to a ceremony he did not even know he had applied for — a moment that underscored how deeply collective CIE’s success truly is.
Business of the Year: An Operating System for National Development
Winning Business of the Year cemented what many already know: CIE is not just a company — it is an industrial ecosystem.
From quarries that shape skylines, to asphalt plants that pave new futures; from hardware networks that stabilize supply chains, to marine assets that give the region control over its logistics — CIE has architected a model found nowhere else in the Eastern Caribbean.
What began as individual determination has matured into a multi-sector powerhouse, delivering hospitals, schools, highways, bridges, and export-ready infrastructure across the region.
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| A small group of CIE staff in the awards stage |
Accepting the award on behalf of the company, a CIE representative summed it up perfectly:
“This award shows how much Mr. Rayneau Gajadhar invests in and values his staff. I am just one representative of the many people working on our sites — those here tonight and those who are not. This recognition belongs to all of them.”
And in true CIE fashion, the team was called on stage — because this success was never about one person.
A Triple Win That Speaks Volumes
Three awards.
One company.
One clear message.
CIE’s triple victory signals a new benchmark for Saint Lucian and Caribbean enterprise — one built on integration, innovation, discipline, and people-first leadership.
It proves that regional companies can think big, execute bigger, and still stay grounded in community, training, and shared success.
CIE did not just win awards.
It redefined what excellence looks like.
And the Caribbean is better for it.
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