TCL ventures into Haiti, partners with WIN Group

Regional cement manufacturer Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) said Wednesday that it has entered into a long-term agreement with the WIN Group of Haiti to establish and operate a cement terminal in the French-speaking country.

TCL will set up a cement warehouse to become operational in six months in the first phase of the project. It will be supplied with products from the Jamaica-based Caribbean Cement Company Limited (CCCL), whose products are already sold in that market.

In the second phase, TCL will develop a 400,000-metric-tonne cement terminal over a three- to four-year period.

"We are happy that this project will create much needed jobs in Haiti and will continue to send the message to the international community that Haiti is, in fact, open for business," said senior WIN Group's official, Youri Mevs.

TCL said the terminal represents the group's determination to "make a more fundamental investment in Haiti and significantly assist in the massive reconstruction efforts" following the earthquake in January last year that killed an estimated 300,000 people and left more than a million others homeless.

"Carib Cement, by virtue of its proximity and surplus production capacity, is best poised to deliver cement supplies for the Haitian government's 'Action Plan for the National Recovery and Development of Haiti' and the private sector's 'Vision and Roadmap for Haiti' in a most reliable and timely manner," said the chief executive officer of the TCL Group, Dr Rollin Bertrand.

"This is not uncharted territory for CCCL, as the company has been supplying Haiti, in modest quantities through a reputable distributor ... for the last year."

The Caribbean Cement plant at Rockfort in Kingston has a capacity of 1.8 million tonnes, but the company's domestic and export sales volumes in each of the past two years have averaged 734,000 tonnes.

Both Caribbean Cement and TCL have been struggling with debt and heavy losses after the regional cement market tanked in the recession.

TCL said it is also keen to participate in and support the Haitian government's mandate for establishing suitable building codes. The company said it offers appropriate training in the proper use of cement and concrete for masons, contractors and other construction industry personnel on a national level.

- CMC