Business View Caribbean October/November 2018

100 101 important. I’ve mentioned howmuch we invested in a new back filter to combat our dust emissions. Also,we have several programs where we collabo- rate with the neighborhood and the communities all around us, the schools, the university, and of course,we do small donations,mainly in the form of cement, for building at schools and churches.” Going forward, Castro says that increasing the plant’s production efficiency is a chief concern. Reducing staff isn’t in the plans, but producing cement at a lower cost is.“We still have a long way to go, regarding variable costs,”he says.“So, we’re focusing on producing more and producing at a cheaper price to be able to get to more of the export market. So,we will be making our produc- tion facilitymore productive and trying to find additional export markets.” heavily in its operation there and is also proud of the role it plays in boosting Barbados’ economy, says Castro. “We are creating a lot of good paying jobs and contributing to the macro-economy of the country,” he explains.“We are, of course, bringing a lot of revenues to the state of Barbados,which we think is key, given the current (economic) situation.We are also helping to offset the current deficit that the country’s having because we’re bringing in a lot of hard currency due to our exports.We’re giving nice salaries to a lot of people and reducing unemploy- ment. I think it’s a key industry to definitely keep in the country. In a touristy country like Barbados, a lot of people might say this does not fit in with the business model. But I think it’s important to keep some hard industry in the country.” He adds that giving back and looking out for the welfare of employees and the citizenry is also a concern. In fact, taking care of others is a pillar of the company’s corporate strategy.“Our first priority is the health and safety of our people and not only our people, but the contractors that come through the plant,”he avers.“The environment is also very PREFERRED VENDORS n Lumisol Technology Consultancy Inc. www.lumisoltechnology.com n Going Places Travel www.goingplacestravel.com n RUBIS www.rubis- caribbean.com ARAWAK CEMENT COMPANY, LTD.