By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –

ZALCO Limited, a Kabwe- based manufacturing company has invested about US$6 million in the expansion of a cable plant which will boost its production capacity to more than 100 toACnnes of copper per year.

ZALCO head of sales and marketing William Creans said the expansion would would see it increase its production from 50 tonnes of copper to over 100 tonnes of copper.

Mr Creans said the firm had invested about US$6 million for the expansion of the plant which would be completed in February next year.

“We have expanded the plant and very soon we will be manufacturing the ‘Armoured’ cables which are bigger sized cables used by the mining companies and in power projects,” Mr Creans said.

He said so far ZALCO had stepped up its distribution network in Kitwe to cover the Copperbelt Province and also distributed to customers in Western Province and other parts of the country.

“This is one kind of a local company that manufactures home-grown products by adding value to it and thereby contributing to increased economic activities and job creation,” he said.

Mr Creans said in February next year the company would start the first production trial.

He said ZALCO cables were now certified by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABs) and that would ensure the quality of manufactured cables. This would in turn contribute to protection of human life and infrastructure.

He said plans were underway to also get certification from the South African Bureau of Standards SABS.

He said despite the investments in the expansion of the plant and quality, the industry was hit by a number of counterfeit products.

“It is so disappointing to see a number of counterfeit products on the local market which are fetching at a cheaper price than our cables because these companies do not invest in quality,” he said.