Cantrex Limited operates from e TecK’s O’meara Business Park and we asked Mr. Raja Shekar, Executive Director of Cantrex Limited the following questions, to find out more about his company.
Q.1. Can you provide a brief history of Cantrex Limited?
A. 1. Cantrex Limited is the sole manufacturer of aluminium extrusions for the manufacture of windows, doors, shop front, curtain wall, since 1985. It was first known as Allied Forming Limited, and in 1996, Allied Forming Limited was rechristened as Cantrex Limited, the result of a joint venture between Bhagwansingh’s Hardware and a transnational business group called Malaika Holdings of St. Lucia.
In the past 30 years, Cantrex has been a story of persistence, quality and innovation, manufacturing aluminium AA6063 and AA6005 profiles for fabricators of windows, doors, hardware merchants, construction industry, transportation, furniture and industrial applications for the Trinidad & Tobago market, the Caricom region and the USA.
Q.2. How long have you’ve been a tenant at the O’Meara?
A.2. Cantrex has been in the O’Meara Industrial Estate since 1985
Q.3. What products/services do you offer?
A 3. Aluminium AA6063 and AA6005 Profiles in Mill Finish, Powder Coated (painted), Wood Grain finishes.
Q.4. What has been your greatest lesson as a business owner?
A.4. Trinidad being small country, building volumes are not only difficult but also lot of imports from China flood the market, hence in manufacturing one has to develop the market for entire Caricom region and export to other countries. So constantly manufacturing company has to evolve to needs of the markets. The business models have changed suddenly due to digitalization and internet trade and one has to be adaptive to the changes to survive in the manufacturing.
Q.5. If you were to provide advice to entrepreneurs, what will be the one thing you would say?
A.5. Keep adapting and innovating the products and services to changing needs of the customers.
Q.6. What’s in the future for Cantrex Limited.
A.6. Cantrex will become an integrated company in aluminium profiles and one stop supplier of Aluminium, Accessories and Glass.
