Economy & Market

Customers asking for material on credit is a big challenge for us

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2021

admin

Santhosh, Mars Enterprise

I have come into the cement business only recently, about two- and- a- half years ago. However, our company has developed a good market base. We are supplying cement primarily in the Chennai region, to builders and for projects around Tamil Nadu. Most of our revenue comes from the Chennai region. Some of the brands that we sell include Chettinad Cement, Priya Cement, Sagar Cement, Parasakti Cement, Mahashakti, etc. The most popular grade here in Chennai is the PPC grade. In PPC, most of our customers prefer cement below 38 to 40 grade. In fact, customers prefer different brands for different grades.

Since we are wholesalers, we supply cement mainly to retailers. Our monthly dispatch is around 2,000 tonnes. As you must be aware, cement stockists have to face challenges arising out of price fluctuations. Fortunately, we are immune to such issues as we do not stock cement and order only when we have a sale order in hand. We obtain and send out cement by transferring it from truck to truck.

Customers asking for material on credit is a big challenge for us. Most of them ask for a credit of 35 days to 40 days. The credit sum may range from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, depending on the customer’s background. This is a big sum and businesses like ours cannot afford to have so much cash locked up with various customers. The low margins in the business requires fair amount of liquid cash available.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2026

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2026

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TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.

Concrete

Cortec® Corporation applauded for its strong safety performance

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2026

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Cortec® Corporation has been recognised for its strong safety performance, receiving its sixth Governor’s Workplace Safety Award for its outstanding performance in 2025. As a Silver Achievement recipient, the company continues to maintain safety metrics well above national industry averages, an impressive accomplishment for a chemical manufacturing organisation. This achievement reflects Cortec’s proactive approach to workplace safety, focused on early hazard detection and employee involvement. The company will be formally recognised at the Minnesota Safety and Health Conference in May, highlighting how industrial companies are effectively strengthening workplace safety standards.