Haiti Business Development
LSM OPERATES CONCRETE PRODUCTS, CONSTRUCTION, SOLAR, AND AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESSES IN HAITI FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING VULNERABLE CHILDREN THRIVE AND BLESS OTHERS
LSM operates multiple sustainable businesses in Haiti for the purpose of creating revenue streams to support LSM’s ongoing work to help vulnerable kids, as well as to provide sustainable jobs to local Haitians and the young adults from our Homes of Hope. LSM’s sustainable businesses raise the bar for what commerce in Haiti can look like by providing great products and service. Revitalizing local commerce and inspiring high standards for service are key to lifting communities.
In a country where an estimated 80% of adults do not have consistent work, our sustainable businesses are reducing the need for outside aid by creating community-conscious long-term solutions that empower local talent and inspire local creativity.
INDUSTRIAL PARK
LSM operates a 10-acre Industrial Park which produces machine-made, high-strength concrete blocks for construction, as well as stone aggregate, and precast concrete products. In contrast, the lower-quality concrete blocks often used in Haiti quickly crumble in the face of hurricanes and earthquakes, common in the region. Beyond just providing jobs and advancing LSM’s mission, our Industrial Park is literally saving lives. Our Industrial Park uses solar power and other renewal energy solutions.
CONCRETE BLOCKS & AGGREGATES
When Haiti was struck by an earthquake in 2010, many deaths resulted from buildings and homes collapsing. Unfortunately, due to rampant poverty, Haitians must often improvise and cut corners – but the past has shown us that the cost of using weak blocks is more than monetary. Unlike our competitors in the region, we produce concrete blocks that meet building specifications here in the U.S. – saving not only money but lives. Best of all, profits are used to help vulnerable children in the region.
BUSINESS OFFICE
We also have a 10-acre Business Office in Les Cayes, which serves as a research and development center for new sustainable business startups, as well as a permanent storefront for several of these businesses. These offer sustainable jobs in the Haitian community, and one hundred percent of the profits from these businesses are used to help vulnerable children.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Research and Development, a division within our Business Office, provides a laboratory for future business ventures where we develop new products, new sustainable business models, and new renewable energy services.
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INTERNAL BUSINESSES
CONSTRUCTION
LSM’S Construction and Maintenance Teams have tackled projects ranging from building Homes of Hope and offices to digging wells, constructing bridges and walls, and installing solar panels and other renewable energy solutions. Any time we begin a new innovation in Haiti, LSM Construction is the team we count on to make our vision into reality from digital blueprint to grand opening and every step in between.
AUTOMOTIVE
We serve numerous Haitian communities through LSM’s Technical Institute, Industrial Site, Business Office and 20 Homes of Hope. Most of these fall in a 15-mile area, but travel is extremely difficult, involving passage across shallow rivers and over rugged mountain paths. It’s crucial that we keep all pieces of our Haiti operation in sync, and reliable vehicles are, in a way, the glue that holds it all together. The maintenance of LSM’s 60+ vehicles falls to this highly skilled and dedicated team. This operation is internal only.
ELECTRICAL & SOLAR
In a country where the powergrid isn’t always reliable, the advancement of solar power and other sustainable energy sources are extremely important. We started by providing solar power to many of our facilities and Homes of Hope, and now we offer our services in the larger Les Cayes community. We also contract with local crews on general electrical work.
EQUIPPING BUSINESS LEADERS OF TOMORROW
After graduating from high school, many Home of Hope children will begin their advanced studies at LSM Tech. Much like a traditional college experience, they live on campus. For their first 2 years, they take core courses and focus on personal development. Following that, they can enroll at local universities or remain at LSM Tech to complete a technical degree. While at LSM Tech, they also receive supplemental instruction including occupational skills in areas like automotive repair, sustainable energy and biblical training.
COMPLETED BUSINESS PROJECTS
In 2018, LSM opened a grocery store in Haiti. We operated the store until 2020, when we sold the business to one of our employees, Erve Joseph, who runs the store to this day. During LSM’s time managing the grocery store, we provided the Les Cayes community with aisles of fresh fruits, vegetables, and dry goods, as well as refrigerated and frozen foods sections – which are very rare in Haiti. Other elements of the store’s operation that were rare to Haiti included our continual effort to maintain a consistent inventory from day to day, our staff’s penchant for courteous customer service, and even something as simple as air conditioning. Our overarching hope was to raise the bar of excellence for the retail experience in Haiti.
In addition to LSM’s Haiti projects, did you know we also have Business Development efforts outside of Haiti?