DCSN Manufacturing Inc., a subsidiary of S Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc., on Sunday commissioned its $237 million concrete batching plant at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
The facility will be manufacturing pre-stressed concrete piles, slabs, pre-stressed utility poles, ready-mix concrete and hollow blocks/pavers.
The company’s Managing Director, Chaitanya Jagmohan, disclosed that the plan for establishment of the plant came as a direct result of her father noticing a gap in access to the materials while undertaking a recent infrastructural project.
She stated that the limited access together with the high cost of the concrete products pushed her company to open the facility.
Noting that Guyana is on the move, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill called the opening of the multimillion-dollar facility “timely” and “necessary.”
He emphasised that with Guyana’s current plans for transformational infrastructure, there is a definite need for advanced materials that would aid in efficient and timely construction.
Minister Edghill opined that the current rate of transformation requires innovation, noting that these products, some of which are not offered on a large scale locally, could see the advancement and modernisation of strategic pieces of infrastructure across the country, mainly bridges.
He advised that all 71 local Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) should take the necessary steps to have pre-stressed and pre-cast concrete utilised for their bridges, so as to move away from the construction of wooden bridges, which have a shorter life span than concrete bridges.
Meanwhile, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, in his remarks said that opportunities are ripe for the company. He highlighted several major infrastructural developments that are ongoing across the country, which would require the type of products being offered by the company.
He too said that the investment was timely, pointing out that the construction industry did very well in 2021. A large number of public and private infrastructural projects, as well as the countrywide rehabilitation works, saw the industry recording a 29.8 per cent increase in growth.
The minister stated that the local construction sector is projected to see an additional 10 per cent growth in 2022.
It was widely reported that from the housing sector to the agricultural sector, there has been the mobilisation of resources from both private and public sector stakeholders, who are laying the foundation to capitalise on whatever growth the industry experiences.
Private projects, as reported, range from the construction of hotels and apartment complexes to shopping complexes and office buildings.
In the public sector, aside from the construction of several low-income and young professional houses, there were upgrades to highways, main roads, and miscellaneous roads countrywide. This was supplemented by the commencement of the construction of new roads.
This major investment which is being solely funded by developer Suresh Jagmohan is projected to have an annual turnover of $300 million and will provide jobs for 20-25 persons, who are technical to highly skilled, semi-skilled, and labourers. Some of the jobs that are expected to become available include machine operators, drivers, delivery clerks, and clerks of work. Jobs in management and finance will also be available.
Additionally, at least two qualified civil engineers will be employed to deal with mixed designs, interpretations of drawings, pre-stressed components, quality control, and concrete batching.
It is envisioned that the factory will be sustained for at least 15-20 years, or for as long as possible, given the enormous capital investment.
The two-storey steel frame and concrete building will be located at the northern side of the land parcel and will be approximately 205 feet wide and 60 feet long.
