BY AINSWORTH MORRIS

Career & Education writer

REBUILDING an establishment from ashes is something Orville Taylor says demands motivation, determination and hard work.

Taylor, owner of Baldie’s Lumber Yard located in May Pen, is familiar with this effort, as six years ago, a neighbour’s fire burnt to ashes all his wood-carving machines, cutting machines and inventory valued at millions of dollars, forcing him to start all over.

Then, Taylor had moved from selling lumber in the back of a truck, to building Baldie’s Lumber Yard — a woodwork shop which supplied to carpenters half-finished furniture parts from raw lumber such as pre-finished bed base legs, night tables, chests of drawers and staircase rails.

“It’s a painful situation to remember, because I had almost every machine I needed except a wood threader. All my machines, spare machines and finished products went up in flames,” said Taylor, a member of the ISupportJamaica campaign recently launched by the Jamaica National Building Society Small Business Loans Limited.

But giving up was not an option.

“When that fire happened seven years ago, I had many visits and offers of help. But only one person from a neighbouring hardware store gave me some wood to start back. I had to help myself,” he said.

“I remember rebuilding during Hurricane Dean and the hurricane came and destroyed it,” Taylor added as he recalled his emotional journey as an entrepreneur.

Being a true fighter for survival, he said he pooled his own resources and took small loans from JNBS Small Business Loans Limited.

“Since then, I have borrowed over 20 loans from JNBS. The loans have helped me to build back the business. I have been borrowing from JN for seven years and I recently got a certificate of appreciation,” the determined businessman said.

Today, although his establishment is still only partially roofed due to the fire, he says business is booming and if he had given up and not started again from scratch, he does not know where he would be today.

“I got more raw materials. I also got the one main machine I never had before the fire — a wood threader. With a wood threader, I do not burn so much lumber, but thread them up and sell them as saw dust. Right now, I cannot produce enough saw dust for my market,” he added.

And what’s his next major move?

“I’m also thinking of selling caskets. I have some made already. I want to do everything with lumber.”

He encourages prospective entrepreneurs to work hard.

“Don’t wait for handouts. Dust yourself off and work. Many people promised me help and they never fulfilled their promise. If I waited on them, I would not have been where I am now. Work with the little that you have.”