Broward building firm to reconstruct Iraq

Art Bond, who claims to make “the strongest buildings in the world,” will take his expertise to Iraq in October to help reconstruct the war-torn country. Bond, who owns a tiny company in Fort Lauderdale with six employees, foresees billions of dollars worth of business in Iraq. He has built hurricane-resistant classrooms in Broward County and houses in Boynton Beach, but business has been slow because of the housing slump. So he has gone abroad to Africa, Central America, India and the Caribbean to promote his patented design, featuring three tiers of steel mesh layered with the kind of sturdy spray-on concrete used in swimming pools. The U.S. Commerce Department tapped his company, Bond Building Systems Inc., to join 14 others – some of them Fortune 500 behemoths – on a trade mission to Iraq. The battered country, awash in oil profits, has budgeted $80 billion to build housing, military installations and

other infrastructure. Looks like Bond will get a piece of that action. He will meet with Iraqi construction companies and government ministers to sell his techniques and materials. “We are the only one selected from the housing industry,” Bond said. He calls his buildings “Legos on steroids,” capable of surviving earthquakes, hurricanes and bullets. “An AK-47 (high-powered weapon) won’t do anything to these buildings.” Bond said his houses in Boynton survived Hurricane Wilma without a dime’s worth of damage. U.S. officials are facilitating the reconstruction of Iraq but leaving it up to American companies and Iraqis to work out their business deals. “This mission brings business expertise into the country at a critical time, and will enable U.S. companies to position themselves to enter or expand their presence in Iraq,” said Francisco Sanchez, undersecretary of Commerce.

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Broward building firm to reconstruct Iraq

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