A1 Hollow Brick

Down here at 22/1 Perumal Koil Street in Kattumannarkoil, things move at a steady pace. A1 Hollow Brick isn't a massive factory, just a local spot where we mix the cement and sand to make blocks. The street is usually quiet except for when the mixing machine starts up in the morning. It makes a rhythmic thumping sound that you can hear from a couple of blocks away. We spend a lot of time cleaning the molds because if any old concrete stays inside, the next brick comes out looking a bit wonky. It is a lot of manual labor, lifting the finished blocks onto the drying racks and making sure they get enough water to cure properly. The sun in Kattumannarkoil can be really intense, which helps with the drying but makes the work itself quite tiring. We often take breaks under the shade of the big tree near the gate to drink some water and talk about what's happening in town. People stop by on their motorbikes to ask about prices or to see when the next batch will be ready. We don't have a website or anything like that, just this yard and our hands. It's honest work, even if it leaves your back aching by the time evening rolls around. We just focus on keeping the inventory full so when a local builder needs a few hundred blocks, we actually have them ready to go without much of a wait.