Business View Caribbean October/November 2018

96 97 ARAWAK CEMENT COMPANY, LTD. A rawak Cement Company, Ltd. is a St. Lucy, Barba- dos-based manufacturer and distributor of Portland Limestone Cement,which it produces for the local and export markets.The product is sold in paper sacks, jumbo bags, and in bulk. It is the Caribbean nation’s sole cement company, says its general manager,Yago Castro. The company was founded in 1984, originally as a joint venture between the govern- ments of Barbados and its neighbor,Trinidad and Tobago.The State of Barbados owned 51 percent and the gov- ernment of Trinidad, 49 percent. In March 1994, the company was sold to Trinidad-based TCL Group and in 2014,TCL entered a managerial contract with Cemex. Cemex is a Mexican multinational building materials firm that manufactures and distributes cement, ready- mix concrete, and aggregates in more than 50 countries. “Cemex initially owned 20 percent of the company and in 2017, Cemex bought out some shareholders and now owns 70 percent of the company,”explains Castro,who’s been on the job for three months.“Actually, I’m a Cemex employee.” Arawak has one location and about 190 employees,while TCL has locations in Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, and Guyana.About 20 AT A GLANCE ARAWAK CEMENT COMPANY, LTD. WHAT: A manufacturer of Portland Limestone Cement WHERE: St. Lucy, Barbados WEBSITE: www.arawakcement.com.bb BARBADOS’ SOLE CEMENT COMPANY ARAWAK CEMENT COMPANY, LTD.