Ghacem, leading cement manufacturer in Ghana has honoured its founding father, Dr. Justice A. Addison as the company celebrates its 50 years.

Ghacem unveiled a statue of Dr. Addison to celebrate the man credited with establishing the leading cement manufacturer in the country.

Speaking in an interview with the media after the ceremony, Francisca Aba Addison, wife of the late Dr. Addison appreciated Ghacem for honouring her late husband with such a monument.

Mrs. Addison stated that the family currently has shares in Ghacem following the good work of her late husband.

Ghacem Board Member and Special Host for the event, Dr. Ishmael Yamson in his address at the ceremony called on entrepreneurs to trust their business partners to enable them build big companies like Ghacem stressing that “if Dr. Addison did not trust his partners, Ghacem will not be here.”

Dr. Yamson further called on government to give a “deliberate support” to entrepreneurs and create an enabling environment for business to thrive and create more jobs and wealth in the country.

“Doing business in this country is not easy and we have to make it easy for businesses to flourish. There is no way we are going to create business, create wealth, we are going to create jobs, create widespread prosperity if doing business in this country is not made easy,” he noted.

According to him, it is difficult for Ghanaian entrepreneurs to grow big without multinational support, hence the need for government to give them deliberate support to grow, especially the manufacturing sector.

The Ghacem Board Member also eulogised the late Dr. Addison describing him as a passionate entrepreneur who always give reasons as to why government should support Ghanaian entrepreneurs.

Managing Director of Ghacem, Morten Gade on his part said “history will continue to extoll the virtues of Dr. Addison whose achievements are numerous. Today 30th of August 2017 was chosen to honour this great son of Ghana, Dr. J. A. Addison because it is the day Ghacem was born 50 years ago.”

Mr. Gade said Ghacem has chosen to honour Dr. Addison with a statue to serve a lasting memory in the history of the company.

The Managing Director further called on government to strengthen the efforts to improve conditions of local manufacturers for more benefit to the economy adding that “we need to ensure these new factories are not only established, but the conditions are favourable so they can survive in the long run.”

The ceremony was witnessed by Children of late Dr. Addison, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, Lawyer Philip Addison, other members of the family as well as the Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Kraku II.

The late Dr. Addison is credited with establishing Ghacem after bringing in investors to establish Ghacem as well as establishing a paper packaging factory to bag the cement and obtaining a licence for lime stone quarry to provide raw materials for Ghacem.

Ghacem has been in existence since 1967 and has had a major impact with the two cement grinding plants in Tema and Takoradi.