Leadership summit in Grenada

A Grenadian family-owned and operated US-based company involved in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects has chosen to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its founding with the hosting of a summit in Grenada of top American engineers now on the island.

“The summit brings together senior executives of our leadership team, all of them visiting Grenada for the first time. We thought it was a fitting way to celebrate our 30th anniversary and to do something here that could benefit Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique,” said Claudia Samuel, Chair of the board of directors of Samuel Engineering and Samuel EPC, simply referred to as “Samuel”.

Her husband, Everod V Samuel, a registered professional engineer, who attended St George’s Anglican School and Grenada Boys’ Secondary School (GBSS), is the chief executive officer (CEO).

Both husband and wife, who are ex-teachers of the Anglican High School (AHS), celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on 8 June.

Claudia Samuel — a former student of the St Paul’s Model School, AHS and GBSS — started the company in May 1996, primarily as an electrical engineering and automation design firm.

At the time of establishing the company, Claudia — who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado — was pregnant with her 4th child in 5 years, and said she wanted “a way to keep her engineering skills current while caring for the children.”

The 4 Samuel children received bachelor’s and advanced degrees in diverse fields, such as electrical engineering, civil engineering, business management and medicine.

Today, 2 of those children work at Samuel; one in the role of Manager of Corporate Standards and Training, and the other as Manager of Proposal Development and Marketing.

In 1996, when Claudia Samuel started the firm, her husband, Everod, was the Vice-President of Engineering and Project Operations for the USA headquarters of a very large engineering company. He left the company in 2000 to join his wife at Samuel and began converting it into the full-service engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction firm it is today.

“That decision — to place intense and focused energy on Samuel Engineering initially and later Samuel EPC — was the greatest career move of my life,” said Everod Samuel, a 4-time national Grenada cycling champion, who has represented the country in both cycling and swimming competitions. He left Grenada in 1981 to pursue studies at Howard University in Washington, DC, where he graduated with honours in engineering.

CEO Samuel completed further studies in electrical engineering with a power systems emphasis from the University of Colorado, earning a Master of Science degree, and later received an Executive MBA also from the University of Colorado.

The 4-day summit of Samuel begins Monday, 16 June at the Grenada Radisson Hotel and continues through Thursday, 19 June.

The visiting participants of high-level executives are arriving in Grenada on 13 and 14 June. Among the executives attending will be 2 company presidents, chief engineers, senior directors and other key business managers. 3 of the 4 children of Everod and Claudia Samuel will also be in attendance.

“This summit celebrates 30 years of our company, which has won more than 50 industry awards over the years,” said Everod Samuel, who passed the most GCE O’ Level subjects at GBSS in 1978 as a Form 5 student. “Since our founding, we’ve remained committed to delivering top-tier engineering and design solutions across various industries. Today, our team includes over 600 full-time engineers and technical professionals with an average of 21 plus years of specialised experience across multiple disciplines.”

From its headquarters in Denver, Colorado, Samuel, a recipient of the “Engineering Company of the Year” award and a 4-time winner of a “Top Workplace” award, has expanded to 6 office locations across the United States.

“This expansion has allowed us to serve our clients better worldwide, with a comprehensive suite of core services to support projects from concept through completion,” the CEO of Samuel said. “We use know-how technology and innovation to deliver cost savings, higher efficiency and productivity, in a safe and environmentally responsible manner; and, each service area is tailored to deliver efficient, high-quality solutions that meet the specific needs of our clients and project stakeholders.”

Outside of the summit, the executives will spend a generous amount of time, before and after the meeting, travelling around Grenada.

Edwin Frank, owner and operator of Edwin Frank Tours, and a former GBSS classmate of Claudia, has been awarded the contract to chauffeur and show the visitors around the island.

The visiting members of Samuel Engineering and Samuel EPC’s leadership team will leave Grenada between 23 and 25 June. Everod and Claudia Samuel depart the island on 26 June.

“We look forward to making such visits to Grenada a tradition that can bring valuable awareness, financial benefits, and enhance reputation and respect for the island,” Everod Samuel said.

Further information on the summit and Samuel Engineering and Samuel EPC is available at 303-947-8769; email: [email protected]

Samuel Engineering and Samuel EPC