Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) Guyana Inc. is expanding its reach to customers and potential customers with the launch of its website.
“It is important that information is passed on to consumers, and that they are aware of how to correctly utilize the product that we sell since it is extremely popular in construction works,” Eric Whaul, TCL Guyana marketing representative, said at a press briefing held yesterday for the launch of www.tclguyanainc.com.
Local infrastructural development, including the construction of new buildings and bridges, utilizes cement to a significant degree. Over the years, Whaul said, the sales in cement have expanded significantly as more and more consumers have turned to cement as their building material of choice. And most houses built today, he noted, are done using concrete.
Among the information that can be found on the website is the company’s background information. Whaul stressed the importance of customers and potential customers being able to know what the company does, and also about the type of product that it offers.
The website also contains the names, numbers and addresses of the company’s distributors on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), the Essequibo Coast as well as on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). “We even have distributors situated in the Rupununi,” Whaul said. The company is also seeking to have the “Google Maps” feature available to provide the exact location of both TCL Guyana and its distributors, he added
In addition to addressing the issue of sourcing cement, Whaul stated that the website will be providing information on the proper use of the product. The website provides information on the correct way to wash bricks to be used with the cement, as well as how to mix and store, and on the curing of concrete structures. There are also comprehensive explanations addressing block making and safety precautions to be taken when using cement.
Also, customers will be able to use the site to send messages to the company asking specific questions, technical or otherwise or report any problems that they might be encountering.
Whaul assured that all queries and/or complaints received from customers would be addressed and at no cost. He further stated that he foresaw positive feedback from the development and that there is even more in store where the website is concerned. He noted the company’s intention to partner with media websites, so as to reach out to a wider array of consumers and potential customers. He indicated that Stabroek News, Kaieteur News and Demerara Waves are all entities under consideration for this partnership.
Meanwhile, asked about the relatively recent increase in the price of TCL’s cement, Whaul attributed it to the high production cost of the cement. Although retailing at a cost of about $1875 to $1900 a bag, Pozzolan Cement is easily the most expensive in the market, Whaul noted that TCL Guyana has remained the number one distributor of cement in the country, laying claim to about 70% of the local market.
TCL Guyana Inc. is a member of the TCL Group, which is the leading producer and manufacturer of cement and ready mix materials in the Caribbean. Apart from being one of the largest distributors of cement in Guyana, TCL Guyana is also the only local distributor of Pozzolan Cement.
