News

Aluterm Group, a Romanian provider of solutions for the construction market, targets a 10% rise in turnover in 2015, from 2014 when its turnover reached RON 18.30 million (€4.08 million/US$4.58 million).
The company intends to increase its marketing activities and to enter partnerships with the main construction companies on the local market.

According to the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, in 2014 the country’s production of construction materials rose by 10.7% year-on-year to UZS 4.55 trillion (€1.65 billion/US$1.86 billion).
This area accounted for 6.1% of the total industrial output. In particular, production of bricks and building blocks rose 1.6 times; production of ceramic tiles grew by 7.1% and cement production edged up by 5.1%.

Revenue of Semen Indonesia rose by 20% from IDR 21.60 trillion (€1.54 billion/US$1.73 billion) in 2013 to IDR 25.90 trillion in 2014.

However, the company expects that revenue for 2015 will rise by around 6% to 9% reach between IDR 27.70 trillion and IDR 28.20 trillion.

The Indonesian cement maker hopes that its market share will stay at around 43% to 44%.

Crimea is going to need up to 7 million m³ of crushed stone for the development of its road, transportation and utility infrastructure.

In particular, the stone is necessary for the construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge.

According to Abkhaz Minister of Economy Nikolay Achba, Abkhazia would like to land the supply contract.

In 2014, Russian shipments of non-metallic materials exceeded 140.488 million tonnes, a decline of 6.6% compared with 2013.
In December 2014, leaders by the amount of shipments in Russia were National Non-Metallic Company (937,600tonnes, +29.7% year-on-year); First Nonmetallic Company (850,100tonnes, +7.6%), and Lenstroykomplektatsiya (377,400 tonnes, -6.1%).

Reports say that according to finance director of Holcim Indonesia, Kent Carson, the drop of IDR 3,000 (€0.22/US$0.24) per pack in cement prices may affect the cement company’s performance in future.
The price drop may lead to lower production, and the company will look into other cost savings to lessen the impact on the price drop.
The cement industry has been affected by the slow-down in infrastructure development due to the general election in 2013 as well as the drop in prices of commodities.

Nigerian cement group Dangote opened its cement works in Senegal in December 2014, while rival group Vicat is said to be challenging the Senegalese Government for having awarded the contract to Dangote at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
Vicat's subsidiary, Sococim, is said to be claiming that Dangote distorted competition by failing to comply with local environmental and social regulations.

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) have re-affirmed their commitment to work together through renewing their Memorandum of Understanding, originally signed at the end of 2012.

The Memorandum of Understanding aims to ensure the good work of both organisations continues and develops, including facilitating access to quarry sites for monitoring, advising and educating quarry staff on measures that help bees, including creation of suitable habitat and trainin

Haldor Topsoe, among the world leaders in catalysis, and FLSmidth, a leading supplier of equipment and services to the global cement and minerals industries, have signed a cooperation agreement that marks the beginning of a joined global effort to commercialise a newly-developed catalytic filter bag technology.

The product will carry the brand name EnviroTex catalytic filter bags and is capable of removing dust, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides in one integrated and cost-effective process.

In the period January-October 2014, Italian exports of unhewn, processed and semi-finished materials to the USA rose in value from €298.1 million to €303.2 million, a 1.7% increase compared to the same period in 2013.

This emerges from Istat data analysed by the Marmomacc Observatory, and follows exhibits by Italian and international companies at the recent TISE-StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas (the reference event in North America for the natural stone sector, floorings, industrial surfaces and ceramics) hel

Euro Auctions, the UK’s largest auctioneers of construction machinery and industrial equipment, is continuing its expansion with the acquisition of a new permanent auction site in Zuera, Zaragoza, Spain, which will see its first sale on 25 February, 2015.

The new site has a central location, being less than 250km away from the key markets of Madrid, Barcelona and southern France. The site offers easy access to major ports like Santander, Bilbao and Barcelona, which is extremely important in the equipment

Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)/(HCME) has appointed a new dealer for its customers in Romania.

Utirom Invest is located on the outskirts of the capital Bucharest with a 4,000m² workshop, warehouse and office space.

The company will distribute a wide range of Hitachi equipment, including Zaxis-5 excavators (mini, medium and large); ZW-5 wheeled loaders; rigid dump trucks, and Hitachi-Sumitomo cranes.