Sancti Spiritus: Local Factory Allows Substitution of Imports

Thanks to the ingenuity of its eighteen workers, the Ceramic and Mortar Factory (Fábrica de Cerámica y Morteros, in Spanish) belonging to the Construction Materials Company in the central Cuban province of Sancti Spíritus, is still functioning and makes it possible to susbtitute the importation of essential components.

The old industry, mostly equipped (over 95%) with national technology, has the adhesive mortar as its leading product. This type of cement, which was granted a prize at the International Construction Fair 2006, is very recommended for binding various types of ceramics.  

There is also a range of masonry mortar being produced in this plant like the additive for the manufacture of the adhesive mortar, awarded in 2017 by the Ministry of Construction, which annually generates almost half a million pesos in convertible currency.

José Otaño Roger, senior specialist of the factory, gave ACN a detailed information about the eleven products that are manufactured in the plant, all of which are allocated to construction programs in the country.

According to Otaño, the factory is still producing thanks to the efforts of the members of the National Association of Innovators and Rationalizers (ANIR, in Spanish), and despite the obsolescence of the equipments, the fuel consumption indexes have a favorable behavior. He only regrets not having a mill for reusing the waste from the production process, in order to be  more efficient.

(Source: ACN / Translation: Escambray)