Turnall set aside $300k for plant upgrade
By Dumisani Nsingo
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed manufacturer of roofing and piping material, Turnall Holdings has set aside $300 000 to upgrade its plant before the end of the year at it moves to increase its production capacity with a view of grabbing a niche market in the region.
Speaking at the launch of the company’s new cement fibre product called Ecosheet in Bulawayo on Thursday, acting managing director Ms Roseline Chisveto said Turnall’s export revenues had been subdued largely due to constrained production at its plant.
Apart from manufacturing the traditional corrugated sheet, the company uses PVA and cellulose fibre to produce a diversified product range which includes ceiling, fascia and barge boards.
“I am glad to say that plans for the upgrade (of the plant) are already set and from the month of December we will start procurement of components and equipment towards the upgrade. So by end of March we will have upgraded our plant and it’s going to actually produce 150 tonnes (of asbestos sheets and pipes) per day earmarked for the export market,” said Ms Chisveto.
The company is exporting its asbestos products to Zambia and Angola but has set sights at returning into the South African market as well as exploring Mozambique and Botswana markets with its non-asbestos products.
Turnall lost the South African market after the 2008 asbestos ban in that country.
“The upgrade we are talking about is to enable the capabilities of the company to address both asbestos and non-asbestos related business of which if you look at South Africa and Botswana we will be talking of non-asbestos. So we are doing the upgrade to address those markets.
“However, we are already serving Zambia, and we have had products that have gone into Angola as well, because those markets are still taking asbestos but we will be going into Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana with the non-asbestos beginning of next year,” said Ms Chisveto.
She also bemoaned the continued closure of Shabanie and Mashava mines saying this was contributing to high cost as they are now importing chrysotile which is the main input from Russia.
“We are the major consumers of chrysotile fibre in this country and we continue to be haunted year in year out with huge import bills of chrysotile fibre from Russia yet we have vast deposits at Shabanie and Mashava mines,” she said.
Ms Chisveto the Government must expedite the opening of the asbestos mine as that would even contribute to the reduction of the country’s import bill and help save foreign currency. Sunday News
