Palm Beach.-- "It started as a regular love affair," says Edmond Karam Jr. "My father, Edmond Karam Sr. fell in love with Aruba and decided to buy a condo as his vacation home here," he adds. At the time, in the early 90s the Mill Condominium project was starting to take shape and Karam Sr. who was living in Venezuela became a proud condo owner.
He visited frequently and loved to stay at the property yet he was often saddened by the financial difficulties it was experiencing. Then he decided to spring into action and save his vacation-dream by buying the project out right. "My father," reports Karam Jr. "wanted to see this development emerge from bankruptcy." "He obviously thought it will be a good investment and originally intended to keep the condo concept going," he reveals. Yet fate had a different plan, and as a result of a sluggish real estate market, the Mill Resort & Suites was born, the property was turned into a thriving, friendly, family-style resort.
The new company enjoys input from the entire Karam family including Luis Karam and Julian Karam, both living in Florida, both very qualified in the finance and operation fields. With Karam Jr. at the helm, the family in conjunction with local management turned things around quite nicely. General Manager Glyn Morgan helped the transformation of the failed operation into a real Aruban success story and Sales and Marketing Director Marvel Vilchez, positioned it profitably in the tourist market.
"We are grateful to our work force," Karam Jr. states, "they were willing to work hard and accept guidance while all along believing in the product and in our joint-ability to make the necessary changes." Even hurricane Ivan which dumped some unexpected rain on the island and flooded 41 of the resort's first floor rooms did not dampen the staff's enthusiasm. They just rolled up their sleeves and rebuilt.
The Mill Resort & Suites will be re-opening those damaged rooms towards the end of the month and will within two years finish an ambitious renovations project including the pool, a children's playground and a possible dyke to fend against future storm eventualities.
"High occupancies, great ambiance and congenial service are signature features at the Mill Resort & Suites," Karam Jr. concludes. The developer will be staying on the island for a while to introduce a user-friendly accounting system and to work on employee benefits. While he is a resident of Florida, his heart lives here.
