Thursday, March 20 2008

With his custom-made insect screens, owner and founder of Insect Screen Specialist, Khalid Khayyam, also known as the “Screen Man,” is not one to back down from a challenge.

After Hurricane Katrina struck Florida, both he and his wife, Vernesa, his partner in business, were called in by the authorities there to deal with the mosquitoes.

So, the husband and wife team, went to Florida in 2006 and set up a company called, Pest Screen Inc. The local arm of the business was left in the hands of their employees.

“Suppliers asked us to come and help out with repairs after the Katrina devastation, so we went there for a while,” explained Khayyam,

At the couple’s El Socorro- based business, the place is always buzzing with activity. He says his mission, if he could, would be to eradicate dengue fever in TT. Right now, his goal is to keep harmful insects and pests away from his clients’ homes and businesses, he says.

The company’s tag-line, “You Name it. We screen it,” shows just how serious he is about the business. Khayyam says his wife, Vernesa, was the one who came up with the slogan.

“We wanted something that sufficiently described the service that we provided,” he said.

“Our screening keeps away all types of pests - snakes, tarantulas, flies and frogs and we do bat proofing, bird proofing , everything,” Khayyam boasts.

The company is involved in designing specially made insect screens for all types of windows, doors and vents. These include steel windows, louvres, sliding windows, patios, pools and even burglar proofing.

Khayyam explained that the company’s products are made out of aluminium and fiberglass mesh, both of which are sourced in the United States and Canada. “You see, the mesh we use is not the kind that you would buy in the local hardware,” he emphasises. However, while the raw material is sourced outside TT, the screens are fabricated locally, explains Khayyam.

Khayyam says he came up with the idea after he noticed that TT was one of the few islands in the Caribbean that did not have appropriate insect screening facilities.

His experience in the aluminium industry, he says, also provided a suitable base from which to start. he has about eleven years experience in the aluminium industry and was once a former marketing manager at Cantrex Limited, an aluminium company.

Mrs Khayyam explained that their original company, Alumtech, too, did work on aluminium fencing and burglar proofing but the couple gravitated towards the insect screen business in 2002, because it was more innovative and enterprising.

While their Florida business was reaping rewards, they said they returned home to invest their knowledge in the local arm and wanted to keep it afloat. He said that they did a lot of work in Dale County and West Palm Beach, and returned to TT with more work experience and training in screening patios and pools.

All in all, the company employs about six persons but sometimes they required more workers, especially when more orders come in than they can handle, Khayyam explains.

“We do free estimates, there is no waiting period,” says Khayyam. “Large commercial orders — offices, factories and warehouses may take more time, it depends on the size of the space for installation,” he says. A standard size screen costs between $300 and $400, he says, noting it really all depends on the type of window and application unit. A small house can cost upwards of $2,500; a bigger house or business can run between $20,000 to $30,000.

“Remember it’s all custom made,” he says and therefore a great deal of time and effort goes into the design of each screen for every specific space that is serviced. “I can guarantee anybody to call me and we will make a screen to fit their window,” he says confidently.

He also says that once his company completes a screen application, customers are assured that the area will be completely secure against probing pests.

Some screens, he says, perform different functions. For instance, a “solar screen,” which is designed with a PVC coated material mesh, guards against those harsh UV rays that cause skin cancer.

Another called “a block-out screen,” prevents prying eyes from seeing what’s going on inside your house — by completely blocking the space. “People who value their privacy, especially women, may find this screen extremely useful in their homes,” he says.

Then there’s the Pet Mesh or “Super Mesh” which is usually bought by pet lovers to keep their pets well protected inside the house.

He said while the company exported its screens throughout the Caribbean region, TT continued to be their strongest market.

“We get business from all over Trinidad,” he says. Asked about the competition, Khayyam says he is not concerned..

Insect Screen Specialist does not only manufacture insect screens, it also provides pest control services like “fogging,” which involves spraying mosquito-prone areas. He said once a woman called asking for them to come to her house immediately, because she had a baby and the place was full of mosquitoes. Khayyam says that customers like these are his priority.

“It’s something that we are committed to,” he says with conviction.

But the business has also spawned other niche products. For those who want to really take the fight to the mosquito, there is the cutting-edge re-chargeable, mosquito hitting swatter that could easily be mistaken for a lawn- tennis racquet. “It is very powerful and customers say they have a lot of fun with it,” he says jokingly. There is also mosquito hat, priced at $20, for campers and adventurers who want to tackle the outdoors.

(Reporting by Anna-Rose Madray)