Mr. Williams with some of his students in 1999.

Mr. Williams was picked up awards in Powerlifting.

Thirty seven-year-old Cliff Williams is into construction, maintenance, import and export, recycling as well as powerlifting. How does he do it? VINO sat down with this intriguing young man whose ambition is driven by determination.

Mr. Williams first entered into the workforce as a teacher. Fresh out of the then BVI High School now renamed Elmore Stoutt, he began teaching at an elementary school. According to him, it was his god mother ‘teacher Lyn’ who persuaded him to get into that field. “Back in 1992 it was pretty hard to get a job and she advised me why not go and teach,” he recalled. “And surprisingly after some reservations I really enjoyed it and spent 17 years.”

Apart from the elementary school, the young professional did a stint at the BVI Technical Vocational Institute and the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC). During his tenure as a teacher, he taught a wide range of subjects including Physical Education. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the HLSCC.

However, in 2010 he left to take over the family business full time, and for other reasons. “It was sad, because I honestly thought I was a dedicated teacher, and it’s my firm belief that without education you are going down a bad path. But I also stopped because of the ‘system’. When I look at it I have two children, some of the teachers are there because of just a salary. In addition to that, the schools nowadays are facing a lot of constraints.”

Taking over the reins of the family business was a smooth transition because Mr. Williams had intimate knowledge of the trade - W&W Reliable Construction - since he played an active role when he was still in the teaching profession. He recalled it was easy juggling since he could have given instructions to the construction workers what were their responsibilities for a specific project, go to his teaching job and during the lunch breaks, checked up on his workers. “I am the administrator, the boss, the accountant everything for the company. It is a reputable company,” he said with a smile.

Mr. Williams was proud to disclose that his company built one of the restaurants at the Moorings, and more than 100 houses over the past few years. “We are in the process of building four houses,” he added. Furthermore, the young professional is the General Manager of CW General Maintenance and CW Import/Export, and the businesses combined have some 40 plus employees. The maintenance company focuses on plumbing and electrical jobs.

“We did a lot of work in the airport offices, miniature construction work and so on...We get Government contracts and right now we are doing a bathroom for the Ministry of Health for the festival ground in East End. Business is pretty good, I guess because we do stuff very well. Our motto is to strive for excellence, and because of that we tend to get a lot of jobs,” Mr. Williams said with a grin.

Another facet in Mr. William’s business world is recycling and through his company CW Import/Export, scrap metal is shipped all over the world, which makes residents’ scrap his company’s treasure. It was through a partnership, admitted Mr. Williams that got him started. “It’s all because of Lance Brooks. I was sold on the idea because no else does it in the Virgin Islands apart from Clyde Stoutt, who crushes cars,” he said.

So how does the business run? Individuals will call the company requesting the removal of the metal, for a price of course, or employees comb the community for items. But in the end it’s a “win win” situation for both parties involved.

The assertive businessman is also trying to get Government to get into the recycling business. “We are trying to get the Government involved in recycling everything in the BVI because as you know we are becoming a garbage dump more or less. Burning is not going to work most of the time. So we are trying to get into the bottles, boxes...everything. I hope that Government will want to work along with us. When you look around there are bales of steel, it cleans up the country,” he divulged.

On the athletic front, this former record holder in Discus, is preparing to go to Miami for a powerlifting championship. As is common knowledge, he is the Caribbean/North American bench press champion and he is trying to see if he can be part of the team representing the Virgin Islands in the 2012 Olympics in London, United Kingdom.

Ironically, Mr. Williams got interested in powerlifting after realising he could not break Eric Mathias, the national Shot Put and Discus record holder records. Faced with that fact, according to him, “I just started to lift weights and then moved on to power lifting.” For his efforts, the Virgin Islander won a gold medal in power lifting in 2008, an event that was held in Costa Rico.

In 2009, he won gold in St. Thomas and was adjudged third in a bench press competition on Tortola in 2010. He also studied in Puerto Rico where he got his certification in track and field coaching, which he has upgraded to a Level Four – a high grade in the international arena.

The hardworking businessman knows that all his hard work is to ensure that his children and his mother are comfortable. When his father died in 2008, he and his brother were left to carry on his legacy. “Though I do most of the work,” he quipped. He also praised his mother for being a tower of strength, and recalled the hardship the family went through to build the business. “I tap myself on the back after looking back at how we used to live in a one bedroom apartment. My life experiences have made me a better person,” Mr. Williams revealed.

When asked if he will ever get time to slow down, Mr. Williams smiled and replied, “I think so you know. I actually have young people around me teaching them what to do and how to do it, and paying them as they learn. So I can step back and say Vicardo, who is one of my closest guys to do this do that. I can step out for two three months and the job will be done pretty well.”

The self- proclaimed “go getter’s” advice to the young men especially is to “try not to get yourself in trouble. You have to get a nine to five job. I have always told people no matter what you say people will still do things. But at least make sure you work to support your kids. Don’t let the courts have to come and tell you to take care, because remember these are the ones who are coming up behind you.”

A glimpse into the future, one could see Mr. Williams married with “more children” and to step up the game in the recycling business in the VI and ultimately throughout the Caribbean.