From Omaha to Mecca

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Got a dispatch from Burlington Capital the other day, Omaha
based investment firm with just outstanding Omaha people, as you
I'm sure know if you follow this at all, and
the dispatch was about what it looks to me like
an enormous investment or partnership with development in Saudi Arabia.

(00:23):
And we're pleased to be joined for a few minutes
this morning by Burlington Capitol Chairman of CEO Lisa Roskins. Lisa,
good morning, Good morning, how are you well, It's great
to have you back here. The first thing that occurred
to me is this in any way related to President
Trump's trip over there and all of the deals he
was making in the Arab nations.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
You know, the timing is related, but actually we've been
working with these people since November of last year, doing
our due diligence and getting to know them, so it's
been in the works for quite a while.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
What does this do if anything? I mean, it sounds
like it's potentially a great deal for Burlington and it's
investors and shareholders. Does this have an economic impact positive
for America?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Well, I guess it's really more of an effort for
us to reach across the airwaves, I guess, and help
another country rebuild their infrastructure. So, as you know, Mecca
is a very important city in the Muslim religion and
they have a challenge handling all the people that want

(01:31):
to make pilgrimages, and we thought this was a good
sort of first step for us in the region and
seeing how we could help them make life simpler and
safer and provide more affordable accommodations, because that's of course
our thesis with housing in the United States is affordable
moderate income housing, and so this provides safer and better

(01:55):
housing for people making their pilgrimages in that middle in
come bracket.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Interesting, do you have any because this always comes up well,
whenever we talk about Saudi Arabia, Guitar certainly other countries
in the region, it always comes up about the way
they conduct business in general relative of human rights. Do
you have any heartburn at all at LEASA over working
with these folks, you know, And.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
One thing I would clarify is it's easy to lump
countries together, but I would say that the vectors that
they are going in is very different, and the group
that we're working with in Saudi Arabia are really good,
solid people. They're very well respected beyond the region, not
just in the region, and that is something that we

(02:44):
had talked to them about, is how are you going
to be taking care of your workers and what are
you going to be doing to make sure we as
US investors and our partners are comfortable with this. So
I think it's like anywhere. There's people in the United
States that make really good care of their employees and
their people, and there's people who don't. And I think
Saudi Arabia is a country that's really starting to pay

(03:06):
a lot more attention to that when.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
You go over there. How much security do you need?
American business people, you hear and read about it all
the time. You know, they are targets of terrorist attacks,
targets of the kidnappings and that sort of thing. Number One, Lisa,
do you have a security detail? And do the governments
of the United States and Saudi knock off the music satire?

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (03:32):
Do the governments in the United States in the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia are they aware of your business dealings
over there?

Speaker 2 (03:39):
That's kind of an interesting question. I think I'm off
the radar enough that I'm probably not a likely target.
I don't have a security detail, although you're welcome to
come along and be my bond growth you got it
all feel so much safer, No, I don't. I actually
feel very safe over there. I do travel with a

(04:02):
business partner that knows the region really well. That's making
introductions and making sure I don't do anything stupid in
and of myself. But I travel by myself comfortably. I
hop in an uber and meet people at meetings. I
really don't have. Maybe I'm naive about that, but I'm not,
you know, sort of famous or important, so I'm not

(04:24):
probably something you would consider a high value target as
far as whether they're aware. You know, I'm not naive
enough to think that everybody doesn't know what everybody's doing
in the modern era, So I don't make anyone aware.
I just show up with my passport and go on
about my business.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
Just another minute here with Alisa Roskin's chairman and CEO
of Burlington Group. Do you have this may be proprietary?
I didn't see a dollar figure attached to this project
and the release that I got. Can you share that
with us?

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Because the private nature of our investor partners in it,
I cannot, But we are we are a strategic partner
with the group that's sponsoring the Albushra investment, and what
they if they have us working with people in the
United States who are interested in becoming a part of
the investment. So I can't state that because we have

(05:18):
private individuals investing alongside of us.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
Well, good luck to your investors and congrats on the deal, Lisa,
thanks for the time.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
Sure, thank you for your appreciate you coming on.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
Does this mean you're up for US trade representative if
things don't work out with you Ambassadors?

Speaker 2 (05:35):
I have a few just fine, and they're better at
their jobs and I am I'll stick to my day job.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
Okay, very good, Lisa Roskins kfab's Warning News