{"id":152320,"date":"2017-01-25T19:33:58","date_gmt":"2017-01-25T12:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/construction-phuket\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T23:43:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T16:43:17","slug":"liberto-construction-phuket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/liberto-construction-phuket\/","title":{"rendered":"A life, step by step"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

“Take a look,” Liberto says, handing me an old photocopy. “That’s me, twenty-two years ago.”<\/p>\n

In the faded black-and-white photo, I see a man with a youthful face, a broad smile, and bright, passionate eyes. Yet Liberto was already forty-seven when the picture was taken. It\u2019s hard to believe those eyes still held so much innocence after fourteen long years in the Saudi desert, building palaces and nuclear shelters for the royal family.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”205394″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes” css=””][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]The picture had accompanied an article in\u00a0Gavroche\u00a0<\/em>, where journalist H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Vissi\u00e8re interviewed Liberto, just as he was breaking into the Southeast Asian construction market. Was it Thailand, I wonder, that had brought such light back to his eyes?<\/p>\n

\u201cI first came to Thailand in the early 1980s,\u201d he recalls, \u201chunting for workers for my construction sites in Saudi Arabia. Back then, the majority of laborers in the Gulf came from Thailand.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pauses, as if transported back in time…<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I got off the plane, all I saw were smiles. People here showed a kindness and patience I\u2019d never experienced, especially toward a \u2018farang\u2019 like me, who couldn\u2019t speak their language. Hardly anyone spoke English back then, let alone French. But somehow, with enough smiles and gestures, we managed to understand each other. Thailand in those days really was a paradise\u2014so different from anything I\u2019d ever known.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]In 1984, Liberto took a leap of faith. He moved to his wife\u2019s homeland, Thailand. While still overseeing his projects in Saudi Arabia, he spent two weeks every couple of months here, recharging his spirit among loved ones.<\/p>\n

Seven years later, he laid the foundations for his first company in Bangkok: Indo Construction & Engineering. Forty loyal Thai workers came with him from Saudi Arabia, joined by expat friends from the Emirates who had settled in the capital. On June 2, 1994, weary of war and the rise of extremism in the Middle East, Liberto finally left Saudi Arabia for good.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”204943″ img_size=”600×600″ css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_title=”Arabie Saoudite”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Liberto in Saudi Arabia in the 80’s” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23C04000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=””][vc_masonry_media_grid style=”load-more” css=”” btn_color=”turquoise” grid_id=”vc_gid:1748513529016-89302ebed9c3d82e222db5006214f344-8″ include=”205388,205298,205346,205310,205376,205292,205370,205364,205358,205340,205352,205334,205328,205382,205322,205316,205286,205280,205304″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Twenty-two years later, Liberto Heraz-Gomez is a respected figure in Phuket. He leads three construction companies, each with its own specialty, but hasn\u2019t let success go to his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in a family of laborers. My father and brother were bricklayers, so I just followed in their footsteps. As a kid, ten-hour workdays were normal. As an adult, it got even tougher. I know the value of hard work, what it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiles, his voice steady…<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I know who really knows how to work. Take the Thai laborers who were with me in Saudi, and who are still with me here: sometimes you might think they’re not doing much, or that they’re too slow. But try keeping up with them for a day.<\/p>\n

You wouldn\u2019t last! They keep going, rain or shine, under that unforgiving sun. The truth is, all those towering buildings in Bangkok, those palaces in Arabia\u2014they owe just as much to Thai hands as to architects or engineers in air-conditioned offices. Most of these guys come from Isaan, but nowadays you\u2019ll also find many Burmese, Laotian, or Cambodian workers. Even so, Thai labor remains vital, and it\u2019s what keeps this country moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, his three companies employ several hundred people.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The original core group of forty workers has grown\u2014brothers, cousins, wives, children have all joined in. They\u2019ve been joined by skilled professionals\u2014architects, designers, engineers, graphic artists. Together, they form a big family, thriving on teamwork and good cheer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first company, I.C.E., was founded in 1991,\u201d explains Liberto. \u201cWe handle everything needed to plan a building project, here or for export. That means we cover every detail: architecture, plans, material specs, a full brief. Clients can then take the package and build wherever they like.<\/p>\n

The second, Indo Construction Phuket, was started in 2005, and manages all the projects right here on the island.<\/p>\n

And the youngest, 3LH, is just two years old\u2014dedicated to design and furnishing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo your companies now handle every stage, from the drawing board to handing over the keys,\u201d I point out. \u201cIs that about keeping control, avoiding outside dependency?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to keep disruptions to a minimum, and keep projects running on schedule. If a job runs late, the daily penalties can be brutal. If that ever happened, I\u2019d have only myself to blame.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]\u201cIs this your own way of putting King Bhumibol\u2019s self-sufficiency philosophy into practice?\u201d<\/p>\n

Liberto\u2019s expression grows thoughtful.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cKing Bhumibol was a builder-king. He shaped Thailand into what it is today.<\/p>\n

Before him, there were no major dams, no reservoirs, no extensive irrigation canals linking the entire country. He always believed that his people should be able to feed themselves\u2014to be as independent from foreign markets as possible. And when you look at what\u2019s happened in some neighboring countries, you realize just how right he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shows me the black ribbon pinned to his sleeve.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my symbol of mourning,\u201d he explains quietly. \u201cI have huge respect for King Bhumibol. In a way, it\u2019s thanks to his wisdom and vision that I could settle here and build a life. So yes, maybe the way I run my business is inspired by his philosophy.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1748429139851{background-color: #000000 !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”204951″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]\n

H.M. Le Roi <\/span>
\nBhumibol Adulyadej<\/span>
\n5\/12\/1927 – 13\/10\/2016<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]I ask him: If he could do it all over again\u2014go back forty years\u2014what would he do differently?<\/p>\n

Liberto reflects, a gentle smile on his lips…<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t change much,\u201d he confides. \u201cMaybe I\u2019d try to move to Thailand before I turned thirty. That\u2019s one of my few regrets, arriving here a little late. Another regret is not being around to watch my first four children grow up. I was always out on site, seven days a week, from dawn to late at night. In this business, family life is almost impossible.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”204836″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” css=””][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css=””]He sits up a little straighter, his gaze brightening.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I got a second chance. With my youngest, my fifth child, I\u2019m finally able to enjoy fatherhood. These days, I start work later and finish earlier, so I can take him to school. We talk a lot\u2014I try to teach him about life, about the real value of money, so he doesn\u2019t grow up imagining that everything just falls into his lap. He already knows that without work, you\u2019re nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking out the window, you can see the bustle of daily life: workers\u2019 homes and workshops clustered around the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day, my son sees the teams at work, building furniture, heading out to jobs, coming back in the evening exhausted, but always with a smile. That\u2019s the best kind of education there is.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pauses, absent-mindedly tracing a callused hand over the table, then says quietly, but with the unwavering conviction of a builder:<\/p>\n

\u201cA life isn\u2019t just something you dream about. You build it, brick by brick, together with the people around you.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Take a look,” Liberto says, handing me an old photocopy.”That’s me, twenty-two years ago.” In the faded black-and-white photo, I see a man with a youthful face, a broad smile, and bright, passionate eyes. Yet Liberto was already forty-seven when the picture was taken. It\u2019s hard to believe those eyes still held so much innocence after fourteen long years in the Saudi desert, building palaces and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":204810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1868],"tags":[1609,1610,1507],"class_list":["post-152320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate","tag-indo-construction-en","tag-liberto-heras-gomez-en","tag-thailande-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152320"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205893,"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152320\/revisions\/205893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franco-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}