Laticrete PH bullish on construction solutions market

Laticrete Philippines plant in Sta. Maria, Bulacan CONSTRUCTION solutions manufacturer Laticrete Philippines is optimistic about its growth following the recent opening of its

Located in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, the sprawling facility includes a 1,300-square meter vertical plant, a 2,900-square meter warehouse and 1,800 square meters of road lots. Another 5,000 square meters of vacant lots are intended for future expansion.

Laticrete Philippines president Ruben Ongassures the general public that the company operates with the same structure, business model, values and quality control as that of its US counterpart.

“Every month, Laticrete International sends people here. We have 100 percent support inall aspects of the business from the template that we strictly implement and comply,” he added.

To ensure premium quality, Ong said Laticrete’s Bulacan plant adheres to the processes and best practices of Laticrete not only in the US but also in Mexico, Singapore, and China. Initially, the plant manufactures 14 of the numerous Laticrete products being marketed in the Philippines including thinset tile and stone adhesives as well as skim to application of paint.

Ong added that Laticrete’s Philippine operations is also environment-friendly.

“The plant does not even produce toxic water. We buy cement from local suppliers and make sure that all our materials are recyclable, including our products.”

Because of the relatively lower cost of manufacturing its products here, Ong is bullish that the cost savings will help Laticrete be more competitive in the local market.

“We are working to establish a solid customer base and sales for special items, especially the epoxy-based and polymerbased sealers, so that we can eventually justify the costs of producing them locally,” Ong added as the company is now looking forward to opening manufacturing sites in Cebu and in Davao to cover the demands in Visayas and Mindanao.

In addition to ensuring the quality of its locally- manufactured premium products, Laticrete also boasts of strong after sales support as well as establishing rapport with customers.

“We provide technical support to customers from the design and planning stage to application and aftersales. We assign technical staff to regularly drop by clients’ construction sites to check if our products are installed or used correctly. And we also train our customers to employ correct application methods so that they can get the most out of our products,” noted Laticrete Philippines sales manager Patricia Mejorada.