Claxton Bay: After almost 40 days of closure in compliance with Government’s restrictions, Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) will resume its operations. The country’s only cement manufacturer was granted permission this afternoon (Friday, May 8) to re-start its business.
According to General Manager, Guillermo Rojo, since the outset of the pandemic, the company has been proactively implementing several COVID-19 counter-measures based on international best practices from its CEMEX worldwide operations. He remarked, “At TCL, we have acted decisively, thoroughly analysing, developing and executing measures to safeguard our people, customers, suppliers and communities, while fostering operational resilience”. He went on to say that multiple protocols have been implemented, including temperature testing at all access points and the activation of a local Rapid Response team, as the company continues to implement preventive measures to reduce the risks to the CEMEX TCL community.
Like many other businesses, TCL has been faced by several complications due to the pandemic. Over the past weeks, there has been mounting concern about the impact on the construction sector, which is regarded as a major contributor to T&T’s economy. An enthusiastic Rojo commented, “We have been closely examining the situation in anticipation of reopening and have developed many protocols and strategies to share with our stakeholders in the interest of quickly and safely rebuilding the sector.” He hastened to add that while working to minimise the impact on TCL’s business and the ability to serve its customers, the company will continue to regulate its operations in accordance with public health regulations and guidance provided by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
Chairman of the TCL Group, David Inglefield thanked all employees for their sacrifices and the essential role played in keeping COVID-19 out of the business, saying, “Your persistence, dedication and strict adherence to the Health & Safety protocols during this difficult period of lockdown has brought us to this point, with our people safe and healthy and our plant in good shape and ready to restart. We will recover and rebuild whatever setbacks there are in the local trade and our export markets”.
As of now, the Claxton Bay plant is once again ready to safely and fully supply the local market as well as its customers across CARICOM, eliminating the cement scarcity of the last few weeksand generating necessary foreign exchange for the country.