Gafsons Industries uses GNBS certification to demonstrate product quality

Gafsons Industries Limited (Gafoors), established more than 15 years ago, is one of Guyana’s largest and leading manufacturers of building materials. Its sister company, Plastic Products Limited manufactures PVC pipes.

As Guyana hosts the International Building Expo 2022 at the National Stadium, under the theme “A new frontier for building a One Guyana”, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has recognised Gafsons Industries as a local manufacturer working to have more of its products certified under the GNBS Product Certification Programme to demonstrate quality.
Currently, the products manufactured by Gafoors that are certified are PVC pipes and four-inch concrete hollow blocks. They were first certified in 2002 and 2019, respectively. Since then, Gafoors continued to maintain certification for these products, which include meeting production and testing requirements based on the National Standards.
Just recently, the company’s four-inch blocks were recertified by the Bureau for another year. The company was awarded a plaque from the GNBS for ensuring its blocks continuously meet the requirements of the Guyana Standard Specification for Load Bearing Masonry Concrete Units (GYS 215:2018).
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony at the company’s Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara location, Factory Manager Bharath Rampersad said with the current and anticipated demand for building materials, Gafsons was gearing up to increase capacity to meet the demand of the construction sector.
Providing a list of products the company was considering having certified shortly, Rampersad added that certification of products manufactured was important and the company intended to add more products to those already certified by the GNBS. He believes that certification is integral to demonstrate that Gafsons Industries produces quality products.
Concrete hollow blocks and PVC pipes are building materials used in the construction of residential and commercial buildings. Hollow blocks are used to erect interior and exterior walls and fences while PVC pipes (pressure and non-pressure) are used in plumbing and drainage. The availability of these certified products on the market provides homeowners and contractors with confidence and quality options when choosing building materials.
As the local economy grows, more entrepreneurs and companies in the manufacturing sector are looking to produce value added and other products for consumers. Like Gafoors, they too can access certification from the GNBS to demonstrate that their products are meeting standard requirements for quality.
The benefits of certification include third-party assurance of the quality, permission to use the National Standards Mark as a marketing tool, a competitive edge in the local and overseas markets and the ultimate increase in revenue, increased consumer confidence, and consistency in the manufacturing process through the monitoring and implementation of quality control procedures.