Last summer, Lafito Industrial Free Zone’s anchor tenant, Reliable Sources Industrial (RSI) selected Estrella S.A. as lead contractor for the construction of its first manufacturing facilities outside of Asia. When completed, RSI will occupy over 30,000 square meters of industrial manufacturing facilities & nearly 7,000 square meters of residential space at Lafito Industrial Free Zone (LIFZ).
“It has been an exciting year, and the best is yet to come. Estrella’s construction mobilization started just as we were finalizing the construction of our 24 MW HFO power plant. In three (3) short months we’ve seen tremendous progress with all the foundational work nearly complete. At the start of the new year, the crew will start assembling the steel structures and we will finally start seeing the development come to life!” -boasts Mrs. Andress Appolon, GM of LIFZ.
In this first phase of construction, Estrella will build RSI’s main 12,500m2 warehouse, its first 15,000m2 workshop, a 1,800m2 utility building and a 3,800m2 cafeteria. Phase II, scheduled for 2020, will include a second workshop and a printing facility. Estrella S.A. plans to complete the factory facilities by September 2019 and the residences by November of the same year.
“We are eager to get to work so we have worked with Estrella to complete the Cafeteria by this summer. We will use this first building to complete Level Two training of our first cohort of employees. This will allow us to be ready to fill orders once we move into our manufacturing facilities next Fall” explains Chris Yu, Chief of Staff of RSI CEO, an lead executive for RSI’s expansion strategy in the LAC Region.
When fully operational, RSI plans to create 5,000 new jobs. In fact, the company has already hired a handful of Haitian professionals who have studied in Taiwan, speak Creole & Mandarin fluently, and are currently dispatched throughout their facilities in Asia receiving the training they will need to come back home as middle-managers.
GB Group, a diversified group of industrial and trading companies which operates LIFZ, is thrilled to see this cornerstone development take shape.
“This is an exciting opportunity to add real value to the local economy. This partnership will mean that Haiti will not lose this talent. In fact, we are creating a reason for them to bring their knowledge and expertise home. At Lafito, they will be able to transfer that skill-set to the local workforce. This is the type of winning strategy we believe in at the GB Group and why we have worked tirelessly to make Lafito Global a reality.” adds GB Group Chairman, Reuven Bigio.
LIFZ, which is located within the integrated economic zone of Lafito Global, offers world class infrastructure to support global manufacturers by providing all of the services necessary to have highly efficient production facilities. Strategically located 1.5km from Port Lafito, the most modern and efficient port in Haiti, RSI will benefit from the significant investments in infrastructure and synergies that make Lafito Global the premiere location for manufacturing in Haiti.
Founded in 1972, RSI is a world-class athletic apparel manufacturing and services leader. RSI has factories located in 5 countries, employs over 10,000 associates, and produce over 50 million units a year, including cutting-edge premium activewear products. The company has built a reputation for delivering innovation, reliability, and accountability to its clients and partners, and is a recognized leader in corporate social responsibility in the countries where it operates.