Taiwan Cement is stepping up its investments across the Taiwan Straits, aiming to become the third-largest cement maker in mainland China by 2008. Up until now, the company’s mainland investments have been concentrated in the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi. On Jan. 3, the first phase of construction for the company’s cement plant in Ingde, Guangdong Province was formally inaugurated, and the second phase of construction work will begin in March this year. First-phase construction work for the cement plant in Guigang, Guangxi Province is scheduled to begin in the middle of the year. The second-phase expansion projects for the two limestone grinding plants in Fuzhou and Liuzhou will also get underway this year.  
 
 These projects will help Taiwan Cement become the largest cement supplier in southern Taiwan and the third largest in all of China by 2008. Taiwan Cement’s combined output on the two sides of the Straits has already topped 16.3Mt, making the company the third largest in the greater China market, trailing only the Conch Group and Lafarge-Ruian Group.  
 
Koo points out that the company’s cement operations on the two sides of the Straits are actually complementary. Once direct cross-Straits trade is liberalised, the output of Taiwan Cement’s factories in the Hoping Special Zone in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County can be shipped to supply the needs of the coastal provinces of Jiangsu and Fujian in mainland China, while its mainland plants in the provinces of Ingde and Guigang can fill the needs of the southern Chinese market.  

In order to support its global operations, Taiwan Cement has been working to put an enterprise resources planning system into use. The system will begin to operate in April this year, after which time personnel will be able to conveniently access the latest detailed information about the company’s operations in both mainland China and Taiwan, greatly enhancing the efficiency of the group’s management.
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