News

Egypt's Misr Beni Suef Cement (MBSC) recorded a 20% year-on-year rise in revenue in 2013 to €136.12 million (EGP 1.32 billion). Gross profit rose by a more modest 11%, with the margin down 180 basis points to 23.2% due to higher energy costs. Although sales volume fell 7%, brining capacity utilisation down to 89%, average cement prices climbed 28% to reach an average of €51.28 (EGP 494) per tonne.

Olmaliq Mining and Smelting Plant (Olmaliq KMK) has built a cement plant in Jizzax region of Uzbekistan. Around €82 million has been invested in the project. The plant's capacity is 760,000tonnes of Portland cement and 350,000tonnes of white cement per year. A pilot batch of product was produced on 20 March 2014.

The US$500,000 raised by a Cemex global internal fundraising campaign in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines is now being used to launch reconstruction projects is some of the country’s most affected areas.
“We feel we can touch the lives of people who really need help; not only covering their basic needs, but also providing them with support for the future. Cemex is committed to the Philippines. We are here, and we are here for the long haul. We want to return to our communities all of the posit

Vicat is in talks with Sagar Cements to acquire its Indian partner's 47% interest in the Vicat Sagar Cement joint venture for around €481.94 million (INR 41 billion).
Vicat Sagar Cement started its operations in January 2013 with an initial capacity of 2.75 million tonnes at its facility in Gulbarga, Karnataka. If the deal is realised, it will be the largest since the INR 38 billion takeover of Jaypee Cement's unit in Gujarat by UltraTech in September 2013.

Saudi Cement Company (SCC) of Saudi Arabia is aiming to permanently close three production lines at a plant in Hofuf. The three kilns have total clinker output of 1,325tonnes/day, but are said to be operating at lower efficiency and higher costs.

Abeda, the association in Brazil which represents asphalt distribution companies, says there is a risk of a shortage in asphalt in 2014 due to the increased demand for national infrastructure work and new road concessions.
In 2013 Brazilian companies reported temporary shortages in several states, while average monthly production stood at 227,121tonnes in Petrobras refineries operating above their limits. The deficit has to be compensated by increased imports, which increases costs. Abeda says imports coul

Mexico’s collegiate circuit tribunal has ruled in favour of Cemex on the so-called 'May Nour' case which has been in dispute for nearly ten years.
Comercio para el Desarrolo Mexicano (CDM), a company made up of former employees of the global cement manufacturing giant, together with the now obsolete Federal Competition Commission, accused Cemex in 2004 of monopolistic practices. CDM claimed the company had blocked 27,000tonnes of Russian cement from entering Mexico via the ship known as Mary Nour. The com

US Concrete’s wholly owned subsidiary, Ingram Concrete, has acquired the ready-mix assets of T&S Venture based in Sweetwater, Texas.

The move is said to be the latest example of US Concrete’s acquisition strategy of finding strong businesses that are well located in areas of above-average growth. It is also said by the firm to demonstrate its commitment to the robust Texas construction market. “We continue to look forward to great things from the West Texas market and this acquisition takes us one step c

Lafarge Tarmac is reported to have gone to the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal to overturn a ruling by competition regulators that would force it to sell a number of ready-mixed concrete plants and a cement works.
The Competition Commission ruling followed a review of the industry.
Lafarge Tarmac said the regulator's findings were flawed, including insufficient evidence and a failure to disclose certain evidence. Hope Construction is also reported to have gone to the panel over the regulator's stipulati

Leading building materials producer HeidelbergCement says it expects its sales and earnings to grow this year as it benefits from the gathering momentum of recovery in key markets.
"The management board has set the goal of further increasing revenue, operating income and profit for the financial year in 2014 on a comparable basis," HeidelbergCement said in a company statement.
"In 2014, we will benefit from the economic development in the industrial countries, particularly in North America, the United Kin

An unnamed Chinese company is said to be in talks about creating a strategic partnership with the Feldspat minerals and stone mine in Bujanovac, according to Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining, Milan Bacevic.
Bacevic says that the strategic partnership will enable for quality and quantity of mining production to increase. No further details about the talks have been disclosed.

Kenyan group Bamburi Cement (Lafarge) is considering producing heavy cement again under the Powercrete brand name.
The possible introduction of the new product for use in private and public infrastructure projects is seen as a good option for boosting group profit and turnover. New figures show that as of 31 December 2013, Bamburi Cement posted turnover of US$391.91 million (KES 33.9 billion), with year-on-year profit down 25% to $41.62 million (KES 3.6 billion). The group’s goal is to see turnover up 10%.

Indocement Tunggal Prakasa (Indocement) of Indonesia posted a revenue of €1.19 billion (IDR 18.69 trillion), up 8.1% year-on-year in 2013 as net profit rose by 5.2% to IDR 5.01 trillion. The cement maker reported a 5.5% increase in its domestic sales, while the total sales volume for the company reached 18.2 million tonnes on a 1.2% growth. Contrastingly, the share of Indocement in the local cement market dropped from 32% to 30.4%. This is said to be due to the emergence of new industry players and the depr

Mexican cement manufacturer Cemex is burning around 30tonnes of used tyres/day as an alternative fuel to fossil fuels. According to the company's latest figures, Cemex replaced 17% of traditional fossil fuels with alternative fuels at its plants in 2012, which represents around 138,000tonnes of urban solid waste, including used tyres.