The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Hardware and building materials suppliers yesterday reported no increase in business despite the weekend tropical storm threat posed by “potential cyclone nine”.

Brent Burrows, CBS Bahamas (Commonwealth Building Supplies) general manager, told Tribune Business: “There has been a trickle. There has been no rush of business, not in that [hurricane preparedness] area, but there has been a trickle and nothing really significant.

“That’s normally how it works. Everybody waits until the last minute because I think they don’t anticipate this storm being very intensive, and people are not taking it seriously I guess. But we have not seen an increase in hurricane business, to be honest with you.”

Anthony Roberts, the City Lumber Yard’s general manager, said: “So far we have only seen minimal activity that I would directly relate to a hurricane in some of the hardware-type items like barrel bolts and those sorts of things. A little bit of plywood, but so far I have not seen any surge in that respect.

“Everyone is watching really closely. Where it is not a hurricane yet, and there is still a little bit of time, people have adopted a wait another day and see. That’s my take. I don’t think there is any country that is touchy about hurricanes like The Bahamas is right now, and with everything else going on we can sure use a pass.”