PACIFIC: CEMENT DEMAND

PACIFIC Cement Limited (PCL) has noted positive progress with its branded cement following an increase in demand for supplies from distributors.

PCL acting general manager Sonni Dutt said they had been producing cement for home brands for the past 12 months, whereby customers had been given the opportunity to select the brand.

He said the company's original brand, Pacific Cement, was well known in Fiji and the region for more than 40 years.

"The emerging market trend is that every distributor wishes to have the cement in his brand. We started with our distributor in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The distributor requested cement under his own brand and we supplied.

"After 12 months, response is extremely good and export from Fiji under the new brand has increased. The demand is increasing because we are branding it according to their brand and then we can identify the loyal customers," Mr Dutt said.

He said the biggest advantage under this business model was that they did not have to do any marketing.

The Fijian Holdings Group company had also commenced the same process in Fiji with two key distributors requesting cement under their own brand.

"We are trying to get more customers and we are in fact expecting a few more to come on board so that has become a loyalty between the supplier and the customer, and presents a win-win situation for both parties," he said.

He said the company produced a world-class cement as per Australian standard and received ISO 9001, ISO 14000 and ISO 17025 certification for its process.

Mr Dutt said they sourced major raw materials from Thailand and Australia, and imported high quality clinker, the main ingredient in making cement, from Mitsubishi in Japan.