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Certification of the four-inch concrete hollow blocks of Gafsons Industries Limited has led to an increased and overwhelming demand for the product according to the company.
“We can’t make enough blocks, we’re always running out of stock,” Factory Manager of Gafsons Industries Limited Bharath Rampersad said to the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) in a recent interview. Gafsons Industries Limited was established over 15 years ago. It is one of the largest manufacturers of quality hardware items and heavy construction materials in Guyana.
In 2018, the Company decided to pursue Certification of its four-inch concrete hollow blocks to the Guyana Standard GYS 215:2003 Specification for Load Bearing Masonry Concrete Units (Reapproved 2018). Rampersad said this move was influenced by the company’s drive to ensure customer satisfaction and to be the best in the business.
With some concrete hollow blocks on the local market failing to meet the required strength for large scale construction, Rampersad said the Company also felt the need to be distinguished from others by attaining the requisite documentation to go with its product.
“People were doing ‘sand blocks’ and there was no real documentation available for foreigners coming into Guyana or even Guyanese to justify that the product they are purchasing from a manufacturer is being made to required specifications…and that drove us to get certified,” he explained.
“This was enhanced by the fact that more persons are coming into the country, maybe because of oil also, and want to be confident that they are paying for products which are sturdy or ‘the real deal.” The company also did its research in other CARICOM countries where it was found that people opt for more durable construction materials supported by certification. Rampersad described the process towards getting certified as challenging but noted that the company continually worked until it was successful in eliminating every non-conformity to the standard. “We had a steady process and were meeting the requirements according to the standard which we were surprised that the Bureau already had in place to be utilised,” the Factory Manager said.
After all of the hard work put in by the management and staff of the company, Gafsons Industries Limited received its Certification. Upon receiving its certificate, the demand for the concrete hollow blocks increased by 100 percent. The certificate is valid for one year and the company has been successful in attaining recertification in 2020 and 2021.
