Leaders at the Bell with Asher Mellul, CEO at American Claim Capital, Nov 05, 2025

Asher Mellul, CEO of American Claim Capital, joins FEMACRO to discuss the financial and reconstruction opportunities emerging from Jamaica's devastating hurricane, which decimated roughly 50 percent of the island in what represents a $7 billion disaster. The hospitality and tourism sector, Jamaica's economic backbone, requires immediate reconstruction efforts that the island cannot handle independently, creating substantial demand for US-based contractors, skilled trades, and construction materials. Mellul emphasizes that Jamaica lacks the capacity and bandwidth to rebuild on its own timeframe, necessitating significant importation of labor and resources primarily from the United States, Brazil, Turkey, and The Dominican Republic.

The CEO identifies three primary investment opportunities for institutional investors seeking uncorrelated returns. First, construction services face unlimited demand as local capacity falls dramatically short of rebuilding needs. Second, bridge capital represents a compelling opportunity given the one-to-three-year gap between when reconstruction must begin and when insurance proceeds or bond funding becomes available. Third, materials manufacturing offers substantial potential as US manufacturers currently operate below capacity due to slow domestic construction markets. Mellul's firm specializes in providing interim financing by funding contractor invoices while insurance claims progress through the assessment and payment cycle, effectively accelerating reconstruction timelines while generating returns independent of traditional market correlations.