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Construction materials supplier MDU Resources, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, is donating $500,000 to a variety of organisations to support coronavirus relief efforts.

MDU Resources CEO David L. Goodin, says: "We know it will take some time for our country to recover from this adversity, and we want to do our part to help.

Finnish quarrying equipment giant Metso saw its orders increase by 5% to €1.065bn in the first quarter of this year – despite company trading being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

CNH Industrial says that more than two-thirds of its 67 production sites around the world are operational, albeit at a reduced rate, with the vast majority expected to reopen by the end of May.

With businesses across the globe enduring uncertain times amid the Covid-19 pandemic, industry sectors must stand together and rebuild in a structured and sustainable way. That is the view of Nico Pienaar, director of South African surface mining industry association Aspasa.

Outsourcing machine ownership to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), dealers or rental fleet owners needs to become more commonplace, according to Nele Van Campfort, Volvo Construction Equipment's business development manager for services.

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer having published a policy paper setting out the impact of the Coronavirus on the sector proposing some key policy steps to help get the industry through the crisis and be ready to support the recovery. It also warns of an anticipated credit squeeze as the economy re-opens, a significant risk for those that survive the current shutdown.

North American aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt supplier Summit Materials grew its revenues by 12% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, and shrank its losses.

According to a company statement on the New York Stock Exchange this week, Summit Materials saw its net revenues increase by 11.9% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the first quarter of 2019 with "ready-mix and aggregates contributing the largest proportion of incremental net revenue."

A Colorado business support fund has been given $100,000 by local aggregates producer Prowers Aggregate.

Southeast Colorado Enterprise Development (SECED), the regional economic development agency representing Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers counties, has been given a significant funding boost by the donation.

The money will help support local businesses affected by COVID-19.

SECED is now encouraging businesses in its six-county area to begin applying for grants up to $1,000 each.

Italian hydraulic attachments manufacturer Simex has confirmed that since Monday 4 May it has become 100% operational once again in all its production departments.

The Allu Transformer is a hydraulic attachment for 8– 160-tonne wheeled loaders, excavators, skid steers or similar equipment.

Perkins, a leading global off-highway machine engine maker, has appointed Onnyx as its authorised distributor for Algeria.

UK construction industry bodies the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) and the Construction Products Association (CPA) say they are joining forces to identify materials likely to be in short supply in the re-opening period following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mexican cement giant Cemex posted a like-for-like net sales increase of 2% to US$3.1bn in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period of 2019.

The company's operating EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) on a like-for-like basis increased 1% during the quarter to $534mn.

LafargeHolcim says that is very positive about the prospects for the building materials industry. The global giant is confident that the industry will stage a rapid recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the second half of this year.

The Swiss-based company, which is the world's biggest cement supplier, posted an 11.2% fall in year-on-year net sales to CHF5,293m (€5,005m) in the first quarter of 2020 as the effects of the global outbreak took hold.

Construction market demand for heavy side building materials in Great Britain, including aggregates, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete and mortar, declined significantly at the start of 2020.

The Terex Materials Processing (Terex MP) crushing and screening equipment business has reported net sales of US$315.6m (€284.15m), down 23.1% versus Q1 2019 driven by challenging global markets.

Sandvik Mining & Rock Technology has extended its agreement with Fredheim Maskin to sell its Q-range, U-440 and U-300 series of mobile screens and crushers into Sweden.

Italian construction equipment sales fell by 15% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period of last year, according to new figures published by Unacea.

CEMEX has implemented more than 50 new hygiene and safety protocols to minimise the risk of COVID-19 contagion across its global cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregates operations.

The company says the protocols are based on national and international guidelines established by experts in the field, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and in strict adherence to local health regulations.

Screening and crushing machinery company McCloskey International has appointed AULT as its dealer for the Ontario and Atlantic Canada territories.

Canada-based AULT is already the exclusive McCloskey dealer serving the Quebec market.

Following its acquisition by Metso in 2019, McCloskey says its distribution network has taken a more significant role in the company’s go-to-market strategy.