AT THE Big 5, Equipceramic, a global manufacturer of equipment and complete plants for the ceramics industry, will be offering solutions to customers planning to set up clay brick or roof tile projects.

A technical and economic team from the company will be present at the show to discuss and analyse the clay brick or roof tile projects that visitors may wish to establish, providing them with valuable information and insight on project conception and technology selection.

As a leading equipment supplier, Equipceramic ensures that it provides full support to enable customers to launch production and be well-placed on the path to profitability.

“Brick production is today fully automated, and many suppliers are capable of manufacturing good equipment. However, for an investor who is not a brick maker, the critical key to success is to select an equipment supplier, who besides having a very good technology and financial background, has proven expertise to help customer manage project risk and maximise his profitability,” explains a spokesman for the Spain-based Equipceramic.

To address customer needs in this regard and deliver project on a ‘full cashflow’ basis, Equipceramic has set up an ‘investor strategic support’ (ISS) team, whose members have undertaken similar projects with World Bank (IFC) and Opec Investment Fund.

The ISS team supports customer from project conception up to its maturity, offering many services. These include:

• Project conception and cost: Besides providing customised equipment conception, clay and quarry analysis, feasibilities studies, the ISS team assists the client in planning and controlling costs of civil engineering works and local supplies;

• Project construction: As every month of delay represents a substantial loss in revenue, the ISS team tightly controls and speeds up equipment deliveries as well as sending technicians to start up production in the shortest possible time; and

• Production management: As maximum cash flow is achieved if full capacity is maintained, Equipceramic provides the necessary support to meet this goal.

“ISS team provides foreign managers and technicians after start-up, to manage production, fully train production and maintenance personnel, install maintenance and spare parts systems, and introduce best practice in general factory management,” the spokesman explains.

Speaking of the lucrative opportunities offered by the brick-making business, the spokesman says: “Building materials consumption has reached a double-digit growth rate in most emerging markets. With market prices about 20 per cent to 40 per cent higher than European prices, and production costs 20 per cent to 50 per cent lower, brick factories are a very profitable investment opportunity in the region, providing investment payback under three years and IRR (internal rate of return) above 40 per cent.”

Based in Barcelona, Equipceramic is an international manufacturer of equipment for clay bricks and tiles industry. The company was a division of Ceric, a world leading equipment manufacturer for brick industry, before becoming an independent entity three years ago.

Equipceramic enjoys yearly sales of €38 million ($51.7 million), employs over 100 people and delivers factories in Europe, South America, Middle East and North Africa.

“Over the past few years, among other projects, the company handled more than 70 per cent of all new brick projects in Algeria, one of the fastest growing markets in the world for such factories. This success has consolidated Equipceramic’s financial strength, while allowing it to achieve a very fast growth rate during recent crisis,” he says.

Equipceramic will be exhibiting at Hall 2, Stand 2 C77, at The Big 5 show.