In 1970, Nicholas Costa began his entrepreneurial enterprise by designing and building the first insulated refrigerated truck body for a local ice cream manufacturer. By 1972 Costa established Mechanical Fabricators with an office in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Based on initial success with truck bodies, the company quickly grew and started manufacturing walk-on freezers and cold storage warehouses using similar production techniques.
In 1974, the company became formally organised and changed its name to Mecalfab Ltd. Soon after in 1978, Mecalfab began leasing land from e TecK at the O’Meara Industrial Estate, and in that same year commissioned an automated machine to continuously laminate ISOWALL brand structural insulated panels. By 1979 Styrotex Caribbean Ltd is purchased from ANSA and Mecalfab begins manufacturing the styrotex brand products including coolers and roof installation.
A few years later Mecalfab began its operations regionally and internationally, building large cold storage facilities in countries such as Costa Rica, USA, and St. Maarten and in 1987 received the Prime Minister’s Export Award. The Prime Minister’s Export Award was again achieved in 2002 after further pioneering work was completed internationally and locally for the food, oil and gas, airline and public sectors.
By 2004 Mecalfab introduced pre-engineered building systems for the rapid construction of low cost housing, site offices, classrooms, accommodation etc and three years later in 2007, opened a third manufacturing facility in O’Meara. This third facility is responsible for truck body fabrication. 2007 also saw Mecalfab winning the Prime Minister’s Export Award for a 3rd time.
In 2008, Mecalfab was awarded the distribution of Redken Professional products by L’Oreal which followed their 2006 establishment of Salon Essentials Division to act as the local distributor of L’Oreal Professional and Pevonia beauty products.
Come 2019, Mecalfab was awarded multiple contracts to manufacture Styrotex Geofoam blocks for landfill for the new extension of the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, and the design supply and installation of all refrigeration and display equipment for SS Persad’s Supermarket, Mayaro.
Throughout the years, Mecalfab Ltd has made its presence known on several major projects across T&T such as the Trincity Village Centre Mall, Agostini’s Ltd and Hadco Creamery’s cold storage distribution and warehousing, Geofoam blocks for the Diego Martin Highway Overpass, and much more.
e TecK is proud of this international giant with local roots planted firmly at the O’Meara Industrial Estate, and will work hand in hand with this and all cherished tenants to ensure that they continue to contribute to the economical fabric of Trinidad and Tobago.
To learn more about Mecalfab Ltd. visit their website here.