Surviving the storm

In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated the Cayman Islands, damaging 85 percent of its buildings and leaving a quarter of them uninhabitable. Local residents turned to Kirk Home Centre for the lumber and other materials needed to rebuild their lives, but the Cayman mainstay was in desperate need of help itself.

“In a time where everyone needed us the most, we had to repair ourselves and help others at the same time,” said Krissy Kirkconnell, the store’s senior buyer. “It was both tiresome and rewarding. We had to store up in two separate locations, which was very difficult on both our employees and customers. Both were very loyal. It helped to see us through our difficult time.”

For two years the Kirkconnells served customers as best they could out of a portion of their warehouse and another building two blocks away—neither of which were air conditioned—before opening the new Kirk Home Centre in October 2006.

One could say it was worth the wait.

The new store is 40,000 square feet—about 25 percent larger than the old retail space—with an adjacent lumberyard and warehouse. Most departments have been expanded and upgraded, including lawn and garden, housewares, giftware, paint, plumbing, electrical, major appliances, lumber, heavy hardware, outdoor living and hand and power tools.

Kirk Home Centre is located on Grand Cayman, the largest of the three Cayman Islands and home to the Kirkconnell family since 1896. In 1963, brothers Eldon and Charles established Kirkconnell Brothers, a supermarket and wholesale goods company. In 1974, they decided to expand the business to include lumber and hardware and changed the name to Kirk Home Centre. Third generation family members Krissy and Brigitte are the only Kirkconnells still involved in the business.

By the early 2000s, the family was starting to cater more to contractors than homeowners, a trend that has continued with the new store. They pride themselves on having an upscale assortment of building products—“from foundations to finishes,” said Krissy Kirkconnell. “We recognize the importance of that segment of the construction industry. There is an expanded section for contractors with more goods on display, as well as a prominent area for doors and windows, including Jeld-Wen and Andersen.”

Kirk Home Centre also carries a broader, more upscale assortment in areas like power tools, housewares, linens and gifts, and has an impressive display of appliances that includes the GE Monogram series. In addition, the store is the only authorized dealer in Cayman for the American Standard line of bathroom fixtures.

Deborah Reed, True Value’s territory manager, Caribbean, said she enjoys working with the Kirkconnell family and was impressed with their resiliency after Hurricane Ivan. “They worked really hard to keep the business going through the rebuilding process, rallying their associates to keep a positive attitude throughout the very difficult period following the hurricane,” she said. “The end result is magnificent.”