Museums: Roth Construction Builds in Equatorial Guinea Blooloop

An American construction company has begun a massive construction project in Cogo, Equatorial Guinea reported the Victoria Advocate Wednesday.

The Advocate, Texas’ second oldest newspaper, reported Wednesday morning that the Victoria-based Roth Construction is set to build the "presidential library and conference center for President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo."

According to the Advocate, "Steve Roth, the company’s president, presented the project to about 60 people Tuesday at the Victoria Economic Development Corp.’s Victoria Partnership meeting. The opportunity came while Roth was doing a project for another man in that part of the world, he said. Through some networking, Roth came in contact with others who presented him with the offer."

Roth Construction is reportedly teaming with Houston’s PageSoutherlandPage on the project.

The finished project will be a library and museum that details the country’s history and displays its archives. A humanitarian and peace building will sit nearby.

Roth told the Advocate that, "workers stay in a camp modeled after those the oil industry uses, Roth said. They have single-man pods, shower, bathroom and dining facilities and a rec room. Crews rotate on a 90-day cycle, but those who stay on longer will get a trip home every three months. So far, so good, he said. The crews have been well-received."

According to Roth, "they like Americans there. They embrace the American culture and people."

Roth also said that "the library project will come in at between $60 million and $120 million and should be complete by the end of 2010."

About five months ago, Roth Construction was asked to begin preliminary plans for developing Cogo. The country will run out of oil and gas reserves someday and wants to have an alternate plan. It hopes to bring in five-star hotels, entertainment venues, condominiums and more to make the site more of a tourist attraction.

Whatever results, it appears Roth Construction has much work ahead. Plans are under way to get a full-time office set up in Africa for the projects, Roth said.