News

France’s construction materials market saw a decline in sales during the final quarter of 2014. Ready-mixed concrete sales were down 9.9% year-on-year for the quarter, and down 1.3% compared Q3 2014. For December alone, a 9.7% fall year-on-year was seen. A 5% dip was recorded for the year as a whole. As for aggregates, sales were down 11.3% year-on-year for the quarter and down 1.7% compared to the third quarter of 2014. December alone recorded a 7.5% decline in aggregate sales compared to December 2013, wh

Dewatering pump specialist Tsurumi (Europe) has acquired a majority share of Belgian Tsurumi distributor Marine Motors & Pumps (MMPumps) in order to support and strengthen both companies in the European pump market.

MMPumps will continue to run the business, selling and renting Tsurumi pumps for the Belgian market, but will be involved indirectly in the French rental market through cross-renting. Tsurumi’s new French company, Tsurumi Pump Location (TPL), who established its first depot in east France, wi

More than 1,000 items will be up for sale at a joint unreserved public auction being staged next month by IronPlanet, the leading online marketplace for buying and selling used heavy equipment and trucks, and Cat Auction Services, an alliance of Caterpillar and several of its independent Cat dealers.

Speaking about the event being staged 11-13 February 2015 in Kissimmee, Florida, United States, Gregory J.Owens, IronPlanet chairman and CEO, said: “We are very excited about working with Cat Auction Service

Simem says two of its concrete batching plants have allowed a contractor leading a major new East African project to set a new world record for daily concrete production.

Salini Impreglio has been using two Simem Wetbeton 140 plants to produce 23,200m³ of cement/day for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project. Situated on the Blue River Nile River around 40km east of the Sudan border, the project involves the construction of a main dam in Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC), with two power stations insta

CRH has confirmed it is in talks with Lafarge and Holcim over the possible acquisition of some assets from the soon to merge French and Swiss cement giants.

A company spokesperson said: “CRH notes the recent press speculation and confirms that it is in discussions with Lafarge and Holcim regarding the potential acquisition of certain assets being disposed of by Lafarge and Holcim in advance of their proposed merger.

“While there can be no certainty that these discussions will result in a transaction,

US-based banking and financial services provider JPMorgan Chase & Co is reported to have increased its shareholding in China-based Anhui Conch Cement Company to 14% by purchasing 186,099 shares at a price of HKD 24.45 (€2.49/US$3.15) each. On completion of the deal, JPMorgan owns 182 million shares in the cement company.

Estonian Talot, a privately held prefabricated concrete elements producer located at Maardu, near Tallinn, Estonia, will acquire from Rudus the concrete products and production unit, workforce, contracts and property included at Lagedi. It is reported that Rudus will focus on the production and sales of commercial concrete and granite gravel.

The winners of the coveted INTERMAT Innovation Awards 2015 were revealed at a gala dinner during the two-day Pre-Intermat event in Paris, France.

The Pre-Intermat gala dinner and 6th edition of the INTERMAT Innovation Awards ceremony held at the Maison de la Mutualité on 22 January 2015 marked the official start of the three month build-up period to Intermat, this year’s biggest international construction equipment exhibition, being held 20-25 April 2015 in Paris-North Villepinte.

Wacker Neuson won

FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Company), a leading equipment distributor in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, has become the exclusive distributor for Hartl Crusher. Paul M. Floyd (senior managing director, FAMCO Group) and Dominik Hartl (CEO Hartl Crusher) made the announcement, which will see FAMCO’s branches in the KSA, UAE, Oman and Qatar start distributing the Hartl crushing and screening solutions on site and in remote areas. FAMCO is recognised as the Volvo Construction Equipment dealer

Indoogoo says it is preparing to launch the world’s first heavy equipment social online auction service. Indoogoo Auctions allows users to list any piece of equipment, no matter how large or small, and, as auctioneers, control the timing and layout of their own auction.

Mark Turner, CEO of Indoogoo, said: “This is the first time the social network structure has been incorporated into an online auction service, and we feel it has the potential to dramatically change the way second hand construction equip

Comco, the Swiss competition commission, has launched a new probe into companies in the gravel sector and the sector for inert material landfill. The companies being investigated are Kieswerk Heimberg, Kieswerk Steinigand, Kiestag, Kieswerk Daepp, Kästli Bau, K. & U. Hofstetter, Messerli Kieswerk and Kies Aaretal. Comco said it is looking into whether these firms had taken part in a cartel.

Indonesian state-run cement giant Semen Indonesia may scrap plans to invest in Myanmar if it fails to reach a pricing agreement with its local partner, according to the Jakarta Post.

A move to another Asian country or an alternative partnership with another local firm are said to be possibilities if the prices wanted by the domestic partner are deemed too high. However, Semen Indonesia says talks between both parties are ongoing.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, has decreased selling pri

Sandvik Construction is primed for growth in its mobile crusher and screen sales after major investment in new lines and production facilities.

A Mobile Crushers and Screens Global Dealer Conference, involving more than 90 dealers from all over the world, held earlier this month at the Swedish firm’s Ballygawley production facility in Northern Ireland included the global launch of Sandvik’s new QE441 scalper and QA335 Doublescreen.