Business View Caribbean
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Business View Caribbean - September 2015 3
culverts, and one footbridge. It started in 2011 and is
expected to be finished in 2016.” In fact, the project is
so extensive that the entire aggregate sector cannot
meet its demands, meaning that some material has to
be imported.
Even though National Quarries is state-owned, Cook
explains that the business must operate with its own
working capital and generate its own revenues. “We
don’t receive subsidies from the government,” he
says. So while the company may operate the largest
quarry, and is the single biggest player in the sector,
it still must compete with the many privately-owned
enterprises throughout the island. That is one reason,
explains Cook, why National Quarries recently became
ISO certified in two standards – environmental and
quality. But “the two key areas that allow us a competi-
tive advantage,” he says, “are affordability - because
we are the low end of the market - and quality. And
because of economies of scale we are able to position
our prices at an affordable level.”
In order to remain competitive as time goes on, Na-
tional Quarries future business plans include the ad-
dition of another mine to its portfolio – a pale yellow
limestone quarry whose material would be used for
secondary and agricultural roads - and the acquisition
of a large-capacity plant in partnership with a contrac-
tor, in order to increase its production volumes.
