In block making, it’s small capital but much labour
Starting block making Mr Cyprain Ekwe is the proprietor of Kanacy Block Industry in Abuja. He explained some of the vital things to be considered in the business. He said a beginner must understand how the materials mainly sand, cement and water are mixed for a good mould. Ekwe, who said he had been moulding […]
Starting block making
Mr Cyprain Ekwe is the proprietor of Kanacy Block Industry in Abuja. He explained some of the vital things to be considered in the business. He said a beginner must understand how the materials mainly sand, cement and water are mixed for a good mould.
Ekwe, who said he had been moulding blocks for 15 years, acknowledged that the business has enabled him keep his family.
Mrs Michael Azubuike of Mike Inter-locking and blocking in the FCT said she chose this line of business because it is lucrative, unique and attracts high patronage.
“I have been in this business for nine years. I did not start with large capital, hard work made me excel. What keeps me going is determination and reliability that is being able to deliver when demand is made.
Materials for block moulding and tiers cement
Water coaling machines, water tanks, moulding machines, wheel borrows, trucks, sand and labour.
For production of tiers, one requires chirpings, sand, cement, stone dust, diesel to power the engines, moulds, water supply, kabes and space.
She Azubuike said there are various kinds of tiers with global designs and sizes; dual, double TT among others. They are unique, removable and used in beautifying buildings.
Fortune from this business
Ekwe said, “This business takes care of my welfare and 50 workers. There are five moulding machines in Kanacy that must be operated by five men (five man to each machine) to produce 1,000 blocks daily and the total of 5,000 blocks are moulded. For every 1,000 blocks N15,000 is generated as income for five workers daily.”
He said one of the benefits is that it exposes one to people and paves way for interaction between buyers and sellers. That is why customer satisfaction is the major goal to attain great heights.
When demand is high, profit maximization is also high. This is usually common during the dry seasons, he explained.
Azubuike also said, that the business is unique in such a way it is lucrative and no fear of loss. It cannot perish or be destroyed after production so large quantity can be produced and sold any time.
For every 50 bags of cement, 150 square meters worth of tiers can be produced in a day. This production attracts a lot of profit.
It is also a good business because, it requires not much or long training. What is important is just capital, good working personnel and the end result is worth the energy, Azubuike stated.
Challenges in the business
Ekwe lamented that during the rainy season, demand is low and this directly affects profit making. “Government policies do not favour us most times. The FCDA [Federal Capital Development Authority] chased us away from where we were without any relocation plan. This caused break down in the business—production went down.
He said truancy on the part of workers can mar production because each machine requires the efforts of five men. So in a situation where one person is absent, production cannot fails.
Good management is important and lack of it can cause low patronage because prices sometimes need to be negotiated in cases of high demand. Poor output can also create bad image. wastage of materials is another challenge.
Azubuike particularly complained that production goes down because rain can destroy blocks and customers fear that the quality of blocks during rainy season might be poor so the level of patronage is low.
In every business hard work, determination, interest and expansion are the key to success, whereas maintaining good image and adding value to customers’ demands is the key to success. One thing that distinguishes block making business is it places huge burden on the human muscle.