Friday, February 22, 2008Quality of Life

Susanna HennighanDavid Johnson and his development of Oil Nut Bay

When David Johnson went shopping it was for something big, a venue for what he calls the rest of his life’s work. Johnson is the chairman and CEO of Victor International, a development group, creating lifestyle communities where the quality of life trumps the density and scale of development.

The shopping spree took Johnson and his wife Pam to 13 different Caribbean countries-even meeting face to face with Fidel Castro in Cuba. Though they were impressed with a number of these countries, he ultimately decided to set up shop on the boulder tossed landscape of the British Virgin Islands. Johnson and his wife announced the purchase of Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda, in October 2006. The decision to buy Biras Creek was both spontaneous and carefully studied. Carefully studied in that The Johnsons had been looking at properties in the B.V.I. for several years and had already determined that the B.V.I met their guiding principles for investment: it has unparalleled natural beauty, high- integrity government, and good transportation and communication links with the rest of the world. They were also convinced that the B.V.I. had the right approach, and its real estate market was stable and predictable. The spontaneous factor was that while Johnson was in London, David received a call from Derek Dunlop of Smith’s Gore B.V.I., who told him that Biras Creek was for sale.

A few days later, after a whirlwind series of meetings with family, the team at Victor and the staff at Biras Creek, the deal was done. The Johnsons were now owners of a 30-year-old exclusive boutique hotel on North Sound, Virgin Gorda. Johnson knew that Biras Creek was a well-respected hotel, whose name, when mentioned in an experienced circle of travellers would be the perfect route to a conversation about fine getaways, natural beauty and guarded serenity.

What the Johnson’s didn’t know is that his piece of paradise lied near to property at Oil Nut Bay, a property for which Victor International would enter into a jointure venture development agreement on December 6, 2006. Now, neighbour to property owned by the company he directs, Johnson and Victor International wasted no time preparing Biras Creek for the upcoming tourist season. “Biras is a long term investment,” Johnson says. “I don’t do anything that’s not long term. I work because I love it and because I’m passionate about it, and because I want to leave something that’s better and make a difference. We’re not here because we want to change the B.V.I. We’re here because the B.V.I.’s already great. We feel we can contribute to Biras and make it better by bringing the polish back,” he said.

That polish cost $1million. Biras got a facelift with new furniture, landscaping and fixtures. The upgrade was needed to inject new life into this resort, that attracts more European guests than any other resort in the B.V.I and one which boasts to be all-inclusive; personal pedal bike and Boston Whaler included for property exploration. With the upgrade now completed and with frangipani in full bloom on the property, Biras Creek re-opened its doors to vacationers. The little touches continue to secure the quiet feel of Biras Creek, in fact no children under eight years of age can be seen as Johnson or “Mister D”, as he is affectionately called, drives the four-seat club car authoritatively along an unpaved road that overlooks Oil Nut Bay.

From his life project to his new plan, Johnson is already pregnant with vision for Oil Nut Bay and when he gives birth Victor will become proud parents to a whole new world. “God gave me the talent to see not just what is, but to look past that and to see what the potential is,” he said. “A typical developer looks at a piece of land and questions, ‘How much will government let me do? I want to do 25 percent more than that.’ I’ve always looked at it instead as, what does the land want to be? How do I preserve and enhance it by leaving it better than it is?”

It is this kind of thinking that makes Johnson and Victor captors of a reputation for being both luxurious and environmentally responsible developers. Johnson himself is involved with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a U.S. based organization that does research on and advocates for the responsible use of land. In 2003 ULI awarded Johnson with an award for excellence. “Environmental sensitivity starts with a vision that is in harmony with the land,” Johnson says. “It is also making tough decisions to preserve natural aspects of the land,” he said, noting later that two salt ponds- one at Biras Creek and one at Oil Nut Bay- will be preserved.

About that other property, Oil Nut Bay, well, Johnson is letting his environmental and luxurious imagination run wild. When Business B.V.I. visited Oil Nut Bay last summer, construction crews were cutting roads and clearing land in the Bay. One of several docks was already complete and the first beachfront cottage, Johnson promised would be completed by December 2007. The future that Johnson sees at Oil Nut Bay is an upscale lifestyle community, accessible only by helicopter or boat.

The development, which is actually a partnership between Victor and Charlene and Norman Henderson of Virgin Gorda, will also have 88 units on 400 acres of land. Units will range from quaint beachfront cottages clustered around resort amenities on Oil Nut Bay, while others will be sprawling hillside homes on up to four acres of land that offer breathtaking views of the Bay. Land between that allotted for development will be left untouched and protected by a conservation trust. When it is complete, Johnson says that Oil Nut Bay will be the gold standard for upscale,        environmentally sensitive developments in the  Caribbean and as all things, grand, as it is in Oil Nut Bay; it will come at a cost of between $400 and $500 million.

“There’s a marketplace that recognizes quality,” he said. “Our philosophy is to design something that really does not exist anywhere else. We feel we have the talent to create a unique vision, implement the vision and then operate it and enforce the guiding forces of that vision.” His vision includes his employees. “Employee satisfaction is important at Biras.” Johnson says, “As important as customer satisfaction.

Last June, he announced that four BVIslanders were promoted to management positions at the resort: Anghel George to Chief Financial Officer, Cleo Bradley to Rooms Division Manager, Jermaine “Monk” George to Executive Chef, and Devon Liburd to Food and Beverage Manager. Employees and customers accounted for, he also acknowledges that success of the vision for Biras Creek or Oil Nut Bay does not rely solely on what he does at either property but also requires the entire community’s commitment to excellence, especially excellent customer service.

“The B.V.I must deliver the goods. I work for the customer everyday and so does anybody who touches tourism,” Johnson said. “I can build the world’s greatest property at Oil Nut Bay, but it’s the people that make the difference. It’s every person who comes into contact with that visitor.” To the B.V.I.’s credit, Johnson says that though he has been here for a short time, the B.V.I. has exceeded his expectations. “I think that people of the B.V.I. believe that not only are we [the B.V.I] good, but we want to be great. There’s a big difference between good and great. Whether that’s in the financial world or the tourism world, there is a fundamental morality and passion that we’ve been thrilled to find.

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