Cement wars brewing

Rock Hard, which entered the local market recently, is TCL’s first competitor in over three decades and sells at $46 per bag.

TCL usually sells at $55 per bag but has a “Carnival sale” ongoing, with prices reduced to $48 until February 11.

The company recently issued advisories warning against the use of “old cement” that is allegedly being imported and sold locally.

In the advisories, the company said imported cement over 120 days old is currently being retailed in the market, which goes against established standards.

It said best practices recommend that cement over 90 days old should not be used.

TCL said according to European standards, cement begins to lose strength after four to six weeks of storage under normal conditions while under American standards, packaged cement stored for more than three months must be sampled and tested to ensure quality and rejected if it fails to meet the requirements.

It said it had a duty to advise customers to only purchase cement and other building materials that meet reputable global standards to ensure that homes and other structures are not compromised by poor quality cement.

TCL on Friday issued another “public alert” warning purchasers to check the date of manufacture printed on cement bags before buying.

The company has also ramped up its advertising in recent days, urging buyers to “keep it fresh” and “keep it local”.

Rock Hard responded in a full page advertisement in the print media yesterday, urging buyers to not be alarmed by false public alerts that are “disruptive and misleading”.

The company said its cement meets and exceeds standards and it follows all requirements for testing at the required time intervals.

Rock Hard suggested that “other brands” are worried about the competition.

TCL is the only other brand in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Other brands have been contradicting themselves each time they create false alerts to the public as they seem threatened by competition and are losing credibility.

“Other brands seem intent on misleading the public with false information rather than to focus on servicing the public with a good, consistent quality cement.” The company apologised to customers who it said continue to be faced with threats and allegations for choosing to purchase Rock Hard cement.

Rock Hard made it clear it was unfazed by the statements by TCL and declared that it was here to stay.