Holcim jacks up capacity in Davao plant

Leading cement maker Holcim Philippines Inc. has completed the expansion of its cement factory in Davao, adding 700,000 metric tons of annual cement-making capacity to support construction activities in Mindanao.

“Our company is determined to continue supporting the development of Davao and the rest of Mindanao. These initiatives strengthen our ability to contribute to the progress of the region at this time of robust growth,” said Holcim Philippines president and chief executive officer John Stull in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday.

The expansion involved the activation of a finish mill and installation of a new pipe for loading cement to the silos from the pier, eco-hoppers to improve dust emissions and an overhead crane. Cold commissioning started in April while full production began on June 20.

Holcim will hold a ceremony in August to inaugurate the facilities with partners in the public and private sector.

In 2017, Holcim announced an investment of P1.5 billion to build up the capacity of its cement plant to 2.2 million metric tons.  This completes such expansion program.

The expansion of Holcim’s Davao plant is part of the company’s ongoing program to improve operations to better support the positive growth of Mindanao.

In March, the company launched in Davao City its new blended cement product Solido, which was designed to outperform Ordinary Portland Cement in terms of strength and durability for infrastructure applications. To improve technical services to partners taking on infrastructure projects, Holcim opened last year in Davao its first construction laboratory outside Metro Manila.

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Davao region is among the country’s top performing economies, with an average growth of 9.6 percent from 2016 to 2018 which outpaced the national growth rate of 6.6 percent for the same period.

Holcim is confident that the strong economic expansion of the region and the entire Mindanao will continue as the government steps up investments in infrastructure to spur development.

Aside from the Davao plant, Holcim has cement manufacturing facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Batangas and Misamis Oriental alongside  aggregates and dry mix business and technical support facilities for building solutions.—DORIS DUMLAO-ABADILLA