Jamaica’s rebuilding effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa must go beyond simply replacing damaged structures and instead focus on giving ordinary Jamaicans access to affordable, resilient, and modern construction solutions, according to Montego Bay Deputy Mayor and Build Expo Jamaica Chairman Dwight Crawford.

“Ten years ago, we had a bright idea that the building industry had great needs, and what we found was that persons were being [overcharged], information was not accessible, and building systems were not available,” said Crawford, who was speaking during Tuesday’s launch of the Recover and Rebuild Jamaica Expo 2026 in Montego Bay.

The two-day Recover and Rebuild Jamaica Expo, which is scheduled for July 11 and 12 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, is being positioned as a practical recovery platform that will bring together homeowners, businesses, government agencies, financial institutions, contractors, architects, engineers and suppliers under one roof, where customers can access critical information and material for building homes and commercial corridors.