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Cement giants Holcim and Lafarge have agreed on revised terms to allow their €42 billion merger to go ahead. A statement released this morning by the two companies said both parties had agreed on a new exchange ratio of 9 Holcim shares for 10 Lafarge shares. A new chief executive officer for the combined group, to be proposed by the Lafarge board and accepted by the Holcim board, will be appointed as from the closing of the transaction, the statement continued. The appointment is expected to be communicate

Shantui recently successfully shipped the third part of a 152-unit, USD$14 million order to Cuba. Part of an agreement signed in December 2012, 52 units of machinery were sent from the Chinese port of Tianjin to Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture, to be used on rural development projects. The shipment consisted of a broad range of machinery, such as bulldozers, graders, wheeled loaders, excavators, forklifts, road machinery, and more. Jointly financed by Cuba’s Ministry of Finance and the Export-Import Bank of

Construction Equipment Association CEO Rob Oliver said yesterday’s budget statement by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne contained some “small but welcome” pro-business proposals – but stressed that the real policy battle for the sector will be post May’s General Election. Speaking after the Chancellor outlined the budget to the House of Commons, Oliver said: “The Budget statement was really a statement of intent mixing agreed Coalition proposals with Conservative Party election promises. Wheth

Growing demand for construction equipment in Thailand has led XCMG, one of China’s biggest construction equipment manufacturers, to establish a subsidiary in the country. XCMG Thailand has been launched just as new major infrastructure projects are getting underway. These include double-track railways, the BTS route extension, as well as some highway, airport, and wharf expansions. A company spokesman said: “It is expected that in the next few years in Thailand there will be 10% annual growth for the const

The 2015 World of Asphalt and AGG1 exhibitions kicked off Tuesday, March 17 in Baltimore, USA and had broken all previous attendance records by midday. The event has also set new records for its number of exhibitors and exhibit space, and the number of education session tickets purchased. Record breaking figures show: More than 7,000 registered attendees - with more than 2 show days remaining, ore than 135,000 net square feet exhibit space taken by 450 exhibitors total - both shows set records

Saint-Gobain Weber, the French building materials group, has opened a production plant in Samsun, Turkey. The €10.86 million (TRY 30 million) plant is based in Kavak industrial zone (Kavak OSB).

The India-based Jaypee Group is reportedly in talks with Heidelberg Cement and Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Cement, to form a joint venture which will control the majority of its cement plants as part of an ongoing exercise to reduce debt. According to India’s Economic Times (ET) newspaper, the plan envisages a separate joint venture entity which will house around 20-22 million tonnes of Jaypee's operational units spread across Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and a new greenfield

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reveal that UK brick production surged 17% to over 1.8 billion bricks in 2014. The figure marked the first time UK brick production has topped this figure since 2009. An increase in housebuilding activity has been cited as a factor contributing to the increase, which is forecast to rise by a further 400 million bricks in 2015 as factories closed following the financial crisis are reopened. The pick-up in housebuilding activity also contributed to a 117% surge

The European Commission has given its approval for the planned takeover of Belgian company Joris Ide Group by Irish company Kingspan Group.

Both companies produce construction sheets and sandwich panels. The deal will not reduce competition.

Sifbéton, a new Moroccan company specialising in concrete products for the building and public works sector, has launched its new business. Total investment amounted to MAD 70 million (€6.63 million/US$6.95 million), which went towards two production units equipped with the most advanced technology.

Arabian Cement Company (ACC) in Egypt is installing a new renewable energy facility that will enable it to bring its capacity utilisation up to 100%. The company is currently running at about 80% of capacity, and coal makes up 70% of its energy requirements with waste and biomass adding another 10%. The conversion process is said to be scheduled for completion by mid-April 2015.