News

The 50th edition of Marmomacc, the landmark international show for the natural stone industry, was getting underway today at Veronafiere in Verona, Italy with more than 1,500 companies taking part.

The Italian natural stone sector posted growth again in the first half of 2015, according to new figures analysed by the Marmomacc-Confindustria Marmomacchine Observatory. Between January and June, Italian exports of marble, granite and natural stone posted an increase of 5.2% compared to the same period in 20

Philippines-based Northern Cement Corp (NCC) has started the US$200 million expansion of its Pangasinan plant, as part of an aggressive plan by San Miguel Corp (SMC) to increase its cement capacity.

SMC is working on a cement expansion drive worth $1 billion to expand its capacity by 10 million tonnes to 16 million tonnes, according to Ramon S Ang, president of NCC. NCC’s Pangasinan plant expansion will increase its cement capacity to over 2 million tonnes/year. The company has bought the newest manufact

JCB is set to axe up to 400 of its UK jobs due to the increasingly tough global construction equipment market.

The company, one of the world’s biggest construction OEMs, says it has briefed employees about the staff positions at risk in the UK, although it will attempt to minimise the impact by considering voluntary redundancies.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “Market conditions in the construction equipment sector have been difficult for some time, but they have worsened quite rapidly in recent week

All things mineral will be celebrated this weekend of (25 – 27 September), as the biannual European Minerals Day comes around once again.

Mineral operating companies and industry representative bodies will be opening up quarries and running events to show people the behind-the-scenes operation of this major industry whose activities are often essential for supplying many of the day-to-day products we take for granted.

But there is also a unique side to the sector, which is becoming increasingly reco

LiuGong has staged a ceremony at its HQ in Liuzhou, Guangxi province, China to mark the acceptance of an Eritrean government procurement programme contract to supply a wide variety of its earthmoving machines for municipal construction projects in the African country.

Representatives of the purchasing agent for the Eritrean government’s procurement programmes; Yu Chuanfen, president of LiuGong; and Luo Guobing, vice president and GM of LiuGong’s overseas sales & marketing division attended the ceremony o

LafargeHolcim is implementing a new three-year strategy in Poland.

In line with it, the company will not only sell cement, concrete and aggregate but will also offer its clients a range of services including logistics, design and consulting services, among others.

If the strategy proves to be successful it will be implemented in other countries where LafargeHolcim is present.

Because the company will be focused on the new strategy, it is said it is not planning any major acquisitions in Poland apar

Almost QAR 800 million (€193.73 million/US$219.66 million) will be invested by Alkhalij Cement Company on a new production line in Qatar.

The new line will increase clinker output by two-fold to 4 million tonnes and boost cement production by 50% to 4.5 million tonnes.

By the first quarter of 2016 it will begin operations.

Alkhalij Cement Company is part of the Qatari Investors Group.

Tarmac has opened a £6.6 million (€9 million) asphalt plant in County Hertfordshire, England.

The facility in Radlett replaces an ageing 1960s operation.

Tarmac said the plant is more efficient, has greater capacity and can produce a wider range of products.

The plant employs 35 staff, and the investment is part of the company's strategy to expand its reach into the south of England.

At the beginning of 2016, several Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for wind power will come into force for Swiss building supplies group Holcim (LafargeHolcim).

The aim is to control the energy bill of the group's activities as part of a production cost optimisation strategy.

The group aims to cover 20%-25% of its energy requirements through green sources over the next three years, compared to 15% at present.

Indian and Swiss researchers at the Construction Material Laboratory at Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have developed a cost-effective, low-carbon cement called LC3.

The LC3 (Limestone Calcinated Clay Cement) is made up of limestone and low-grade clays and is said to reduce CO2 emissions by about 30%.

EPFL hopes to cater to the country with the new material in an effort to bank in on the government's US$1 trillion (€881.95 billion) infrastructure development plan.

Italian cement manufacturer Italcementi has sold its 5.24% stake in West China Cement, which is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, through its Chinese subsidiary, CimFra.

The operation is worth HKD 341 million (€38.80 million/US$44 million), subject to adjustments relating to a derivative contract that was underwritten with Credit Agricole CIB at the same time.

Pakistan-based Dera Ghazi Khan Cement (DG Khan Cement) has recorded an 11% rise in its net profit in the April to June quarter of 2015 from PKR 2.02 billion (€17.06 million/US$19.35 million) in the same quarter in 2014, to PKR 2.25 billion.

The cement maker has registered an increase in its earnings per share in the quarter under review from PKR 4.61 previously, to PKR 5.14.

In the seventh installment of the Caterpillar Built For It Trials series, actor and Europe's reigning Strongest Man, Hafthor "Thor" Bjornsson plays an epic game of tug of war against a Cat D10T Track Type Tractor. The video is set in Iceland, with brutal weather conditions and limited daylight. Will Thor, who stands 6-feet-9-inches tall and weighs 400 pounds be able to defeat the 77tonne machine? Not without the help of 250 fellow Icelanders!

During the first eight months of 2015, Semen Baturaja has reported sales volume of 922,408tonnes, up from 714,863tonnes.

Net sales were at IDR 880.1 billion (€54.22 million/US$61.25 million), a year-on-year growth of 29%.