As vice president of business development for the Haiti Recovery Group, he says one of the biggest obstacles for his team has been obtaining permission from the Ministry of Public Works to enter damaged properties - particularly those of commercial use - as much of the ownership documentation, if it existed, was lost in the quake.

BBC: Haiti earthquake: One year on

Whirlpool knew something had to give and the roots of its turnaround, Fettig says, came when he and his management team concluded that hoping for a robust recovery was no way to run a business.

FORBES: How Whirlpool Survived A Rough Recovery From The Housing Crash