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| Caribbean Property Magazine Home / July 2010 / 'Caribbean Retirement Pages : Up Close and Personal, July 2010' | SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND  |
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J U L Y
 2 0 1 0 Issue 42
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| CARIBBEAN RETIREMENT PAGES : UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL The Importance of Being Arnol Carter Clews The following article presents an Up Close and Personal look at a typical young Honduran business man; in this case a gifted artisan who manages his own furniture-making business in El Pino. Following the article is a brief interview. Arnol Emilio and Edgar Robi will likely never grace the cover of Time magazine. They’ll never be invited to a White House gala. Or come anywhere remotely near reaching even the lowest rung of the Fortune 500 ladder. Yet Arnol and Edgar are the very embodiment of the emerging affluence and influence of Latin America. Outside of countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Bolivia, a new wind is sweeping across Central and South America. It carries with it the whispers of true hope, change, pride and prosperity. And they call this wind “Democracia.” Arnol and Edgar make wooden furniture in the tiny town of El Pino, Honduras. No, let me correct that: Arnol and Edgar don’t make wooden furniture; they craft wooden furniture. With the smallest of machines. Mostly by hand. Arnol owns the business; Edgar, in Arnol’s words, is his “mano derecha.” From the earliest morning hours, when I jog in the freshness of the dawning day, to the deepening darkness of night, when I stroll the gravel road to my hideaway home, I see Arnol, Edgar, and their companeros molding and shaping the wood that will one day become beautiful furniture. Their cheery greetings tell a tale of an emerging nation. With well-honed eye, they select the perfect piece of pine, cherry, or mahogany for the cabinet, chair, or dresser they, alone, see in its finished state. With well-practiced hand, they measure twice, cut once, sand, buff, and meticulously caress into place the finished parts that will become the whole. FOR, ARNOL AND EDGAR ARE FASHIONING A DEMOCRACY IN WHAT ONCE WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL “BANANA REPUBLIC.” But, the truth is, whatever piece of furniture Arnol and Edgar are crafting, that’s only the beginning of what they are building in their backyard workplace. For, Arnol and Edgar are fashioning a democracy in what once was the quintessential “Banana Republic.” Like millions of other small business owners throughout Latin America, Arnol Emilio and Edgar Robi are symbolic icons of what occurs when the twin engines of democracy and free enterprise are allowed to propel prosperity. With the yoke of despotism having long-since been shed in Honduras (as it has in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and other Latin American countries) a new ownership class is on the rise.  Their taxes are light, so they can invest and re-invest in their own enterprises. The bureaucracies are kept at bay, so they need not squander otherwise precious, productive hours on filling out forms and cutting through red tape. And they are free to set their own hours and wages, so they can compete in a marketplace unfettered by government’s onerous rules and regulations. The result is that they are the veritable foundation of an emerging nation determined not only to survive, but to extend. A nation committed to turning its rich natural resources, immutable work ethic, and innate sense of rugged individualism into the order of the day and the coin of the realm. A nation that understands that only where freedom reigns will wealth resonate. That’s the importance of Arnol and Edgar. To the casual observer, they are but two sweat-equity entrepreneurs building a business. But to future generations of the new Honduras, they will be two of the Founding Fathers, whose love of freedom and lapidary skills crafted a nation. That may not be Time. But it is timeless. CLC: How many years have you been in the furniture-making business? Arnol: I’ve had my own company for five years. But, before I opened for business, I first spent two years studying the trade at the Technical Institute in La Ceiba. CLC Had your father been in the business before you. Arnol: No, my father was essentially a salesman. He operated his business from a bicycle, working from early morning until late at night to provide for our family. As a child, I realized I wanted a far different life… One that was in an established business. One I could leave to my children some day. CLC: And how did you decide on furniture making. Arnol: Even as a child, I loved working with wood. When I got to school, I spent every hour I could in wood shop, working with my hands, learning how to build and create and make beautiful things for my family and our friends. CLC: So, you went to the Institute, and then you opened your doors. How many employees did you start out with, and how many do you have now. Arnol: I started out small – just me and two others. Today, we have seven in all. The growth has been steady, but sure. CLC: In the US, many small businesses now fail because of high taxes and massive government regulations. Has that been a problem for you in Honduras? Arnol: No, in Honduras, the taxes are low, and the government allows us to work without too much interference. So, we can put our money and our time into building our business. CLC: That’s good to hear. So, how big do you intend to build your business? Arnol: Grande! My goal is 20 employees. And I’m young enough to make it happen. CLC: Thank you. Buen suerte, mi amigo! See you next month on the new Caribbean Retirement Pages. |
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Please give me your feedback on the new Caribbean Retirement Pages at, on my Twitter account: @caribcarter. And don’t forget to sign up for your special “CaribAlerts” emails keeping you up to date on breaking events and opportunities throughout the month. I look forward to hearing from you.
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 Clews Views July 2010  Health And Fitness  |
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