Site Location

The location of the final acetone plant has a strong influence on the success of an industrial
venture. Considerable care must be exercised in selecting the acetone plant site, and many
different factors are considered. Primarily, the plant is going to be located where there is
minimum cost of production and distribution. Other factors such as room for expansion and
safe living conditions for plant operation as well as the surrounding community are
important. The choice of the final site is going to be Kwekwe. The site choice was based on a
complete survey of the advantages and disadvantages of various geographical areas. The
following economic factors were considered in relation to Kwekwe.

Economic factors

These are factors that determine the profitability of the acetone plant.

Raw Material Availability

The source of raw material is one of the most important factors influencing the selection of a
plant site. This is important because large volumes of raw materials are going to be used.
Locating the plant in Kwekwe has an advantage of that the plant will be near the raw
materials source which in turn reduces costs in transportation and storage. There is need to
consider the price of the raw materials, distance from the source of supply, freight or
transportation expenses, availability and reliability of supply, purity of the raw materials, and
storage requirements. (https://documents.pub/document/tce-project.html)

Markets

The location of markets or intermediate distribution centres affects the cost of product
distribution and the time required for shipping. Kwekwe is located in central Zimbabwe
which means that the city is close to the major markets, which is important because the buyer
usually finds it advantageous to purchase from nearby sources.[ CITATION Muk04 \l 12297 ]

Labour Supply

The type and supply of labour available in the vicinity of a proposed plant site must be
examined. Consideration should be given to prevailing pay scales, restrictions on number of
hours worked per week, competing industries that can cause dissatisfaction or high turnover
rates among the workers, and variations in the skill and productivity of the workers. In
Kwekwe the rate of unemployment is so high which means that the labour for the plant will
be abundant with low pay rates.

Transportation Facilities

Railroads and highways are the common means of transportation used by major industrial
concerns in Zimbabwe. The kind and number of products and raw materials determine the
most suitable type of transportation facilities. In any case, careful attention should be given to
local freight rates and existing railroad lines. Since the plant will be located in Kwekwe it
will be situated near railroad centres. Motor trucking facilities are widely used and can serve
as a useful supplement to rail and water facilities. There is usually need for convenient air
and rail transportation facilities between the plant and the main company headquarters, and
effective transportation facilities for the plant personnel are necessary.[ CITATION Muk04 \l
12297 ]

Advantages of locating the plant in Kwekwe

a) Ample hydro and thermal power which is accessible.

b) Abundance and reliability of water supply.

c) Skilled and semi-skilled labor.

d) Industrial, commercial land is easily available.

e) Has a good communication and transportation networks.

Disadvantages

a) No reliable water supplies.

b) No skilled labor.

c) Hot temperatures which may increase business costs in purchasing air cooling
systems.