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It took 12 years of sitting behind a desk for Chris Armstrong to realize he was not really interested in a desk job. “When I decided to go into construction rather than design, I was influenced by a couple guys out there in construction,” recalls Armstrong, managing director of Shelbury Construction Inc. on the island of Barbados. 

Those people have since retired, he says, but just seeing how they worked affected him. “I yearned to be more creative than sitting behind a desk designing structural members,” he asserts.

A native of Barbados, Armstrong obtained his degree in civil engineering in London. “I worked up there for a year and then I came home after that,” he relates. “When I first graduated, I was employed as a design engineer for about 12 years, and having done that, I decided I belonged in the field and not in the office.

“I got a bit bored with design work, and I worked project management for a few contractors before forming my own company in 1994 in Barbados,” he continues.

Shelbury Construction Inc. is a subsidiary of Contract Services Ltd., which provided engineering and project management services to contractors and clients just before the formation of Shelbury Construction.

Armstrong prefers residential to commercial construction. “I like dealing with homeowners and the satisfaction of a successful job, when everybody is happy and you’ve created something really nice. Whereas commercial is run-of-the-mill stuff,” he says.

“I like the creative component of doing residential and creating something nice at the end of it. I live on that.”

Armstrong is better at leaving office work to others. “I do what I have to do in the office, but I much prefer being out there dealing with clients and getting work done,” he emphasizes. 

His leadership philosophy is simple and direct. “I like to think that the guys that work for us look upon the company as a big family,” Armstrong says. “We look after each other, and it’s a very friendly atmosphere to work in. I’m not a dictator. People who work for me consider me an equal. We’re all one big family working together for a common goal.”

That residential component is present in the latest project on which Armstrong is working – Ocean Two. This four-star, seven-story condominium hotel is located on Dover Beach on the south coast of Barbados. The 72-unit project was started in February 2008 and is scheduled for completion in July 2010. 

The reinforced concrete structure has an exterior finish of painted, smooth walls. Its features include its own beachfront and a pool along the sea frontage with a swim-up pool bar, conference facilities, a gym, a rooftop pool, a restaurant, bar and spa. Not an isolated resort, Ocean Two is located in a vibrant nightlife district. “I don’t see people hanging around the hotel,” Armstrong surmises. “People will party at night.”