Metaphil unveils latest showcase of world-class Cebuano craftsmanship

Friday, January 26, 2007

Metaphil celebrated a milestone on January 24, 2007 when it delivered the fourth of five tailings deep bed thickeners to portside at the Cebu International Port.

Several members of the Aboitiz family, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena, Balamban Mayor Alex Binghay, the business sector represented by the chambers of commerce, and the Metaphil team witnessed the loadout ceremony for this latest showcase of world-class Cebuano craftsmanship.
     
“It was a proud moment,” beamed Metaphil chairman and CEO Roberto E. Aboitiz.  “We are definitely out of Basubas Street!”  Basubas Street, where the company headquarters is located, represents local thinking.  The team has been continually challenged to project Metaphil as a global company.  The loadout of the thickeners was the best opportunity.

 “Metaphil can handle the size for global operations while staying as a local Cebuano company,” Aboitiz announced.

“Metaphil to the world,” company president and COO Nap Pe declared.

Used for separating minerals like gold, nickel and copper from their host rock materials, each thickener weighs 243.4 tons, has a diameter of 20 meters and height of 23.2 meters.  The thickeners were fabricated for six months and assembled in nine months. 

Starting on January 18, they were transported on Aboitiz Projects hydraulic trailers from the assembly site to the portside.  They were then lifted to M/V Happy Buccaneer, an international vessel sailing to Goro, New Caledonia, which is located to the east of Australia.

Designed by Outokumpu Pty. Ltd., a Metaphil client for nearly four years, the thickeners are owned by CVRD Inco Ltd.  A Canadian company, Inco is the second largest nickel producer and the number one holder of nickel reserves in the world.  Outokumpu is a worldwide technology leader in minerals and metals processing.

“The performance of everyone in the Metaphil team, as well as Aboitiz Projects, was impressive,” said Inco modularization manager William Meyer.  He was joined by Outokumpu project manager Barrie MacNaughton, who had chosen Metaphil to do the job.

Indeed, Metaphil has helped put the Philippines on the map as a world-class builder of industrial plants and equipment.