Private sector needs timely economic info: Ansa McAl boss

With a flick of a switch and the roar and tumble of machinery, the block manufacturing facility at Bestcrete was officially commissioned on May 21.

With the introduction of the new Besser Superpac block plant, Bestcrete is now the largest and most automated manufacturer of concrete masonry products in the Caribbean.  They have also become the first local manufacturer of metric product (despite the Metrification Act of 1978, imperial sized units have remained the order of the day).  The new plant also has the capacity to produce sixty thousand blocks in a single workday. The commissioning ceremony was the culmination of eight months civil, mechanical and construction works and a total investment of TT$40 million.  All told, the new plant warranted the creation of some 46,000 square feet of covered space. 

Over 1,600 cubic metres of cement and 276 tonnes of steel have been used in this project.  A four thousand foot long rail system has also been incorporated into the design to allow for the quick and easy movement of raw materials and finished product around the facility. Housing Minister  Martin Joseph said  that the government and its agencies will require some thirteen million blocks in 2003 for its affordable housing programme.  He also reiterated the Government’s previous promise to supply 4,000 housing units before the end of this year. Chairman and Chief Executive of ANSA McAL, A Norman Sabga, reflected on the long road travelled since his Group acquired Bestcrete in 1993 — as a company not only in receivership, but in dire need of new machinery and infrastructure — to its present position as the largest and most reliable concrete block manufacturer in the region. He called on government to ensure that timely information relating to economic policies are provided to the business community.  

Managing Director of Bestcrete, Glenn Castagne pledged his company’s continued commitment to quality, affordability, choice, and dependability of supply.  He also heralded the coming of a better engineered masonry block, one that was approximately 15% lighter in weight and yet exhibited superior compressive strength. The new Superpac plant is designed and built by Michigan based Besser Company, and features a diagnostics system much like that in the most modern of aircraft.  The system is online and should there be any problems with the equipment in the new plant, technicians in the United States will be alerted right away. With a total capacity of over 100,000 blocks per day, Bestcrete is by far the largest block manufacturer in Caricom.  It is also the single largest consumer of cement in Trinidad and Tobago.