ANSA McAL’S clay plant largest investment in construction sector

ANSA McAL’s clay plant, to be opened in mid-2013, will be the largest single investment in the construction sector this year Gerry Brooks, Chief Operating Officer, ANSA McAL Group said.

“We have rebranded Abel Building Solutions (ABS) and you will see a full advertising campaign emerging in 2013 at the local and regional level. Our clay plant is coming on stream at the middle of 2013. In the clay plant we have invested $400 million  which is the single largest investment in the construction sector and would produce a state of the art clay plant. We are looking at converting the market from a concrete market to a clay market,” he said.

Brooks, who was speaking at the ANSA Coatings Ltd Gala Awards at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain, added: “We are seeking to do that because clay blocks are likely to do better, they require less concrete and if you visit any site of clay blocks, you will notice that the structure stands up much better.

Production will be 2.5 times what we currently produce. It means in our clay business we will see far much more customers. This will provide more customers for the coating business,” he said. He said they are also diversifying into other areas of business in 2013.

“We will also be moving into the elevator business. We have also partnering with a well known elevator company that is a global leader in this business. So there is a lot of activity taking place in the construction sector. At ANSA McAL, we are committed to manufacturing sector, we are committed to construction sector.”

Brooks promised that the ANSA McAL Group will be increasing its market share and taking advantage of all opportunities that come its way. “We are seeing increasing activity in the construction sector  and in 2013 we have to be opportunistic. We are seeing a pick up activities.” He also said  they intend to move the coating business of the group across the region.

“Our vision is not to just dominate the local environment  but we are firmly focused on dominating the region. We think we have the brand, we think we have the partnership, we think we have the people,” Brooks said.