Owning a home is the dream of many, since shelter is one of the basic necessities of life. However, despite the various public and private housing estates springing up in different parts of the country, creating opportunities for individuals to own houses, possessing one is still beyond the reach of many.
Block-making industries came into being to satisfy the needs of those who desire to own houses. Some astute businessmen are into small-scale block processing to provide different sizes of concrete blocks for builders.
Block making (commonly called block industry) business can be a very profitable venture. It is funny that some people still think that block making is a vocation for the uneducated and unskilled. To the contrary, it is a lucrative business that can be scaled to become a large employer of labour. Whether you are a school dropout, a graduate, a professional or a retiree looking for profitable business to engage in; block making is a venture to consider.
The block industry is growing rapidly, why? The simple reason is rising population and increasing housing needs.
Nigeria is estimated to have a population of 182 million people with an annual growth rate of 3 percent. The country is rapidly urbanizing with almost half of the inhabitants already living in cities. Some studies estimate that by 2050, seventy-five percent of the population will be urban based. Any wonder there is pressure on shelter. This, in addition to increasing government focus on housing development has defined the rapid growth in real estate.
Housing is needed for various purposes including shelter (residential accommodation), recreation, offices, places of worship, markets, schools, shopping malls, hotels, parks, amongst others. An essential component used in the construction of these properties is concrete block. For this reason blocks are always in demand. It therefore provides a good opportunity for investment. If you have ever thought of taking advantage of the ever expanding real estate sector, consider investment in block industry.
Block industry is a venture which involves setting up a facility to mould blocks of various sizes in large quantities and selling to people who are building houses or contractors handling construction projects of different forms. The types of blocks a block industry mould largely depends on the type of moulder installed.
Step By Step How To Start Your Cement Block Industry Business
1. Acquire A Land – A 60 x 120 plot of land preferably in a new and developing site is very good, that will be able to accommodate your blocks and other materials. If you can get something bigger, that will be better but a plot is just very OK. You can either buy or rent one, but buying is better!
Make sure the land is not a swampy area because, that will be affecting your block’s dryness as the humidity wouldn’t allow the block dry properly. Besides, vehicle may be sinking in a swampy land thereby making your work more difficult. A dry land is my type of recommended property for setting up a Block Industry.
2. Buy Diesel Lister – That will be used to power your block molding machine. There are single and double cylinders, go for the single cylinder because the single one consume laser diesel and can power all your equipment effectively. You can use it to power your molding machine, your pumping machine and your generating set.
Make sure you get the original, if you don’t know how to identify the original, take someone that knows the original along with you while going. Original ones work better, consume less diesel, make lesser noise, and last longer.
3. Sink A Borehole – You need plenty of water in a Block Industry; apart from the water for mixing the sand and cements, you will need water to water the molded block too. Blocks need to be watered a day after it were been molded to increase it’s hardness.
Buying water will not be cost effective in doing all these, so the best choice that I recommend is to dig your own well or borehole. But if you can’t, then make do with buying water for the main-time.
4. Get A Block Molder – The molder is different from the Diesel Lister, the molder is the actual machine where the block is molded from; they call it Vibrating Machine, that is the machine that make those noises you hear from block industry. 
It is constructed locally by local welders who specialized in doing that. I have once accompanied my boss to buy the block molder in Ibadan during those days when I used to work in a block industry. I am not sure of what the price is now but I think together with the Lister wouldn’t cost more that N250,000. Don’t take my words for it, please, ask the price from block industry owners who are really up to date in the game to avoid being short changed.
5. Construct the Wooden Block Carriers – That is the name I gave it, the wooden flat object used to carry the block from the molder to the drying point. It is constructed by The Carpenters, usually one thousand or more in number.
Without it, nothing can be done, you need a very durable wood for it . They are very important, you can’t mold the block on ordinary ground, it need to be seated on something and that is where the wooden block carrier comes in handy.
6. Employ Workers – Five workers are needed for one machine, One operator (the person who will be handling the machine) two mixers who would be responsible to mix all the cements and sands that goes into the molders, two boys who would be carrying the block (as it is being molded) from the molder to the drying point. You may need additional hands such as the cashier and supervisor or you can handle that sensitive part.
Then, a Driver and two Loaders. This will depend on whether you own your own loading truck or it is rented. If you own your truck, the driver and the two loaders will be your direct employees. But if you rent truck for your supply, in that case, you wont need to hire the driver and the loaders as they comes with the truck hire.
7. Set Up A Small Shed – A roofed shed where you will have the Lister and Molding machine set up and operated from. To avoid the machine being beaten by rain, you will need a roof over it. There will be no wall, just four strong beam and roof, that is all that is required.
8. Get A Good Supply of Cement – Cement is your number one raw material, you will need it in good quantity as it is not advisable to buy everyday. Your supply should be able to last for a week before going for another one. That’s where Jimmy Azeez comes in. We supply in bulk at a very competitive price. Contact our sales department for more details
One Response
Very useful