Total Aluminium inaugurates Abuja factory in Nigeria

To strengthen its northern operations, Total Aluminium Systems Limited, the authorised representative of SUNSTONE, one of the leading stone chip coated roof brands in Nigeria, has inaugurated its Abuja factory.

The decision to open the factory, which is built on two hectares of land, is in response to the yearnings of the consumers, especially northern distributors and other trade partners who have for years been urging the company to site a factory in the area to enhance easy access to the products.

In his remarks at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Chief Frank Owelle, stated that; "As a corporate organisation, Total Aluminum Systems Limited regards feedbacks from trade partners as an important factor required for growth. What Nigerians will be witnessing in the northern aluminum market, with the opening of our new factory is a product of years of marketing research and survey. With the factory fully on ground, the fear of not having access to aluminum products will be a thing of the past,"

Owelle also stated that the company is refocusing the northern market as it has concluded arrangement to site a sister company; North South Aluminium Company in Kano to complement what would be coming out of the Abuja factory.

She said the company has spent millions of naira on importation of machineries and sourcing of manpower from both local and foreign markets to modernise the factory and raise it to international standard.

As part of the ways to make the factory, which is located in Karu, an outskirt of the city, conducive for workers, he indicated that a staff quarter, which can accommodate 65 per cent of the work force has been built within the place. Earlier, in his speech the Managing Director, has stated that the new factory would provide direct and indirect employment to between 200 and 250 people.

On the impact the factory will have on the nation’s economy, he said: "In line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and his vision 2020 dream, the opening of an Abuja factory for our company will complement the government drive to fix the country’s infrastructural challenges."

A director of the company, Mr Leo Nwalozie, said roofing sheets with ‘twin capillary groove’ that will henceforth be offered by the company is unique in the nation’s real estate industry as it would help builders forestall leakages.

Explaining the capacity of the machinery, a foreign technical partner, Mr Hong Li Quan, said: "It is unique in the sense that it produces roofing sheet from 0.4 tick above, adding that in line with the demand of the management, it was specially designed to meet the specification of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in its quest to wipe out substandard roofing product from the country.