Leading cement manufacturer, GHACEM Limited, has held its 2012 Customers’ Appreciation Night in Accra to reward its valued customers and distributors.

Over 55 customers made up of distributors, direct customers, end-users and transporters across the country received various awards at the M?venpick Ambassador Hotel at this year’s event.

In addition to certificates, the awardees also received cement in appreciation for their performance in 2012.

The prestigious event was attended by several dignitaries, including the La Mantse, Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III, who chaired the event, Hannah Tetteh, the Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, the special Guest of honour and some board and management members of GHACEM.

In his address, the Managing Director (MD) of GHACEM, Morten Gade, who is also the Consular General of the Norwegian Consulate in Ghana, thanked the award winners for their loyalty, hard work and support, which have contributed to the success story of GHACEM for close to five decades.

He observed that but for the loyalty and support of these cherished customers, distributors and transporters, GHACEM would not have come this far as the leader in the cement business in the country since its establishment in August 1967.

“We, therefore, say ‘Ayekoo’ and ‘Afehyiapa’ to every one of you,” he said, extending similar felicitations to Nana Philip Archer, GHACEM’s Commercial Director and his team for their role in organizing the awards every year.

Mr. Gade announced that effective February, GHACEM would increase its production capacity from 1.2 million to 2.2 million tonnes annually due to the activation of its newly-acquired mill.

The state-of-the-art mill, commissioned in November last year as part of GHACEM’s expansion project, has been put to test in the past months and can now produce about 150 tonnes per hour.

“This will in no doubt further enhance GHACEM’s investment portfolio which is exclusively tailored to meet the nation’s need for quality cement,” he said, adding that a similar project would be completed at the Takoradi factory next year 2014.

For his part, Nana Philip Archer, observed that there was an appreciable growth in cement consumption in the country last year due to various individual and government-funded construction projects.

He said with the support of its cherished customers, GHACEM was poised to “obtain a respectable share of the market in 2013 and beyond.

Hannah Tetteh, who was the special Guest of Honour, confirmed the growth of the cement market, promising a further growth of about 8%.

She also encouraged the distributors to take advantage of the many government projects.

The La Mantse, on his part, spoke about the importance of peace in the Ga state as well as all areas in the country.

He maintained that it is the only way in which corporate organizations such as GHACEM would continue to make profits and also better the lot of its investors as well as employees.