The Trinidad Cement Company (TCL), through a collaboration with its parent company, Mexican building materials company Cemex, yesterday commissioned a concrete plant that represents an investment of over US$1 million and currently employs 35 Guyanese directly.
At the commissioning of the facility at TCL’s compound on Lombard and Princes Streets, TCL Business Manager Roger Ramdwar said the plant now gives the company the necessary tools to embrace the ongoing positive transformation of Guyana.
“In this majestic land of many waters, it has been a real honour for the TCL Group, now owned by the global building solutions company Cemex, to have had the opportunity over many decades of traversing those waters to offer cement products of the highest quality, tailor-made to fully satisfy the needs of this rapidly evolving market. Whether supplying cement for the use in the realisation of each Guyanese’s dream of having their own home or working closely with our local contractors in supporting concrete projects spanning the global private sector to the rural public sector, TCL Guyana has been and will continue to be here, with the same unparalleled cement offering that you’ve come to trust and ask for by name,” Ramdwar said.
He emphasised that given the company’s strong commitment to an ever-enhancing contribution towards the growth of Guyana, it felt strongly that now was the time to expand its offerings and birth a concrete division.
He added that the plant will provide a range of cutting edge concrete solutions and is also ideally equipped with an on-site laboratory facility that is also backed by a state-of-the-art international research and development office in Switzerland. “Our concrete plant will be masterfully operated by a very vibrant, results-driven, well-trained and all- Guyanese team. We are confident that with our new robust portfolio of offerings, comprising of both cement and concrete, we are now well outfitted to embrace the ongoing positive transformation of this gem that is Guyana,” he said.
While he did not state the cost of the investment during his presentation, when questioned after the ceremony Ramdwar said over US$1 million was invested and also that the plant directly employs 35 Guyanese and has more than 20 contractors working with it indirectly.
Head of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GM&SA) Shyam Nokta also made remarks at the commissioning and he encouraged the company to explore the option of manufacturing cement locally as well.
“I would like to encourage TCL to also look at opportunities of manufacturing cement here in Guyana. We know it is possible. There have been some trials and perhaps there are some challenges we need to try to address as a country but also as innovators. And I think TCL over the years has proven itself capable of successfully overcoming hurdles. So we would want to encourage you to look at this as a future opportunity, not only for you company but also for us here in Guyana,” Nokta said.
He added that the effort by Cemex and the TCL Group to expand operations in Guyana is an initiative that demonstrates confidence in the country and what lies ahead. “As the General Manager indicated, it is of course a response to meeting perhaps material demands today but it is also making an investment for the future growth and development that we as Guyanese are looking forward to and very well could be capitalised by this new and emerging sector that is approaching – oil and gas,” he added, while stating that concrete is still the foundation on which many things are built now and will likely remain the same in the future.
Nokta further noted that the GM&SA also views the investment as a good opportunity to introduce international best practices into the country in areas such as health, safety and the environment; good governance; corporate social responsibility; and innovation and technology transfer.
Minister of Finance Winston Jordan along with Ambassador of Mexico to Guyana Ivan Roberto Sierra Medel also gave brief remarks at the ceremony.
