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French construction materials group Vicat has launched industrial production tests on its new low-carbon cement, baptised Alpenat. Tests will take place over a ten-day period at Vicat's Créchy site, with production expected to stand at 10,000 tonnes. This is the first step towards launching industrial production of the cement, which is the result of several years' of research.

Bike in the UK (15-23 June), which promoted cycling, has also highlighted the need to keep vulnerable road users such as cyclists safe. The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has introduced a policy initiative to improve vulnerable road user safety in the UK, and a key element is requiring all drivers delivering for MPA member companies to receive vulnerable road user training.

Management of seven Cemex UK sites around Rugby in County Warwickshire, central England, in partnership with Butterfly Conservation, has resulted in increased numbers of one or more nationally rare butterfly species despite numbers being at an all-time low. Green Hairstreaks, which nationally have declined by 68% (according to the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme), are now found at four of the Cemex sites, with biodiversity priority species such as the Small Blue and Grizzled Skipper also increasing at the s

In 2012, the Austrian cement industry saw sales remain stable with 4.46 million tonnes, compared to 4.43 million tonnes in 2011, according to the association of the Austrian cement industry VÖZ. The industry is increasingly facing price pressure. Turnover dropped by 4.7% to €375 million and this is attributed to the fact that different types of cement are being demanded and sold at different prices.

Johnson Crushers International (KPI-JCI) has celebrated the shipment of its 3,000th screen, marking nearly US$200 million (€150 million) in revenue for the company from screen sales and providing 47 jobs to its skilled workforce. “We are very proud that our success as an American manufacturer has allowed us to create jobs in Oregon and beyond,” says JCI president Jeff Elliott. “We are also very proud of our employees, who have made this achievement possible through their commitment to continuous improvement

Aggregate Industries has awarded Babcock International Group a £50 million (€58.35 million) five-year contract (with a five-year extension option) to provide a fleet managed service for its heavy mobile equipment (HME) within the UK. Babcock is using ALCAMiE, its proven method of delivery, to optimise the performance of over 400 HME located across more than 150 sites.

Graeme Macdonald is to succeed Alan Blake, who is to retire at the end of the year, as chief executive officer at JCB. Blake, 63, joined JCB in 1989 and became CEO in 2010 after holding a number of senior positions in the company and after leading the biggest production expansion in JCB’s history. Since his appointment as CEO, Alan has presided over the company’s return to sales and production growth against a backdrop of continued economic uncertainty around the world. He will remain as a senior advisor an

Martin Clarke, chief executive of the British Precast Concrete Federation, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to industry. “I am overwhelmed at this recognition and especially delighted that the citation is for services to industry. This is a great boost for an unsung but critical British manufacturing industry,” he said. “This honour is completely down to my wife and family who have supported me unstintingly throughout my career and my long absences at home and abroad

Bell Equipment UK has promoted Nick Learoyd to be its new managing director for the UK and Ireland as the company gears up for the launch of its next-generation E series of articulated dump trucks. The company says the internal appointment reflects “the exceptional work Nick has achieved for the company over the past two years, in his role as sales and marketing manager.”

Bell Equipment UK has promoted Nick Learoyd to be its new managing director for the UK and Ireland as the company gears up for the launch of its next-generation E series of articulated dump trucks. The company says the internal appointment reflects “the exceptional work Nick has achieved for the company over the past two years, in his role as sales and marketing manager.”

The South African crushing and screening company previously known as Pilot Crushtec (SA) (Pty) Ltd has announced that CEO Sandro Scherf has bought out his partners and has increased his indirect stake in the company now called Pilot Crushtec International (Pty) Ltd. The transaction saw his indirect stake increase to 100% equity of the business, which supplies equipment and solutions for the mobile, semi-mobile, crushing, screening, recycling, sand washing and material handling sectors to customers in Asia,

UK-based Caithness Stone Industries has entered administration, with RSM Tenon's Iain Fraser reportedly saying that heavy investment had saddled the Spittal, northern Scotland-based quarrying business with unsustainable and acute cash flow problems. Turnover exceeded €3.52 million in 2012.

Eurovia (Vinci) quarries have won awards in the sustainable development competition organised by the national union of aggregates producers (UNPG) in France. Les sablières de la Meurthe won the award in the 'partnership with local authorities' category for its quarry in Rosières-aux-Salines, while the SNEH Matériaux quarry in Lower-Normandy came out top in the 'best environmental practices' category. In the category of 'best practices in innovation or recycling of marine or artificial granulates', the Granu

Polish producer of cement, concrete and aggregates, Grupa Gorazdze, expects its turnover will drop by 10-15% in 2013, year on year. In 2012, the Group's revenue shrank by over €70.33 million (PLN 300mn) to €287.89 million (PLN 1.23bn). Due to implementing restructuring in the past, Grupa Gorazdze does not plan any jobs cuts, but is going to freeze salaries in 2013. Currently, Grupa Gorazdze is completing the consolidation of its three branches: Gorazdze Cement, Gorazdze Beton and Gorazdze Kruszywa. It is pl

Over the years European quarry operators have vastly improved the safety of their employees and their quarries. However, with the summer school breaks just around the corner, a new problem arises: that of trespassers. This problem faces many quarries in Europe with disused quarries sometimes posing a particular problem, often because they are unmanned. In the UK, the quarry industry has launched a safety campaign ahead of the school holidays.

Just above Milan, Italy, on the first hill beyond the Padana Plain is the Colle Pedrino limestone quarry. Operated by Italcementi, the world’s fifth largest cement producer, the quarry in the commune of Palazzago, Bergamo, has been active since 1947 and supplies raw material to one of the largest concrete factories in Italy, Calusco d’Adda. As a critical industrial supplier with a major geographical presence, environmental recovery at the quarry has always been a priority.

French contractor and quarry operator Trézence TP has taken delivery of the first Case 1121F wheeled loader sold in France. And it is claimed that the equipment supplied by Case Construction will enable Trézence TP to make savings of €100,000 over three years. The 28tonne machine, complete with its 5m³ bucket, has immediately been put to work in a quarry supplying aggregates to the neighbouring LGV Sud Europe Atlantique (LGV SEA) high-speed rail project near Charente in the west of France. It performs three

Doosan Construction Equipment has announced a new £2 million(€2.34 million) order from Lynch Plant Hire. Secured by County Berkshire,England-based Promac Solutions, the authorised Doosan dealer for south-east England, a major part of order comprises the new Doosan DX300LC-3, DX340LC-3 and DX380LC-3 Stage IIIB compliant large crawler excavators from 30 to 38 tonne, as well as smaller crawler and wheeled excavators including the new DX140LC-3 and DX160LC-3 Stage IIIB compliant crawler excavators recently lau

The 4th Mineral Products Association’s Members’ general assembly and annual meeting at Church House in Westminster, London, was followed by a reception in the House of Commons. Both events attracted audiences from over 60 organisations, and the theme of the general assembly was Accelerating Delivery, with a keynote speech from Lord Deighton, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury.

An investment in a new sand washing plant has been made by Wopfinger Transportbeton at its Eggendorf site in Lower Austria. The company says that this has resulted in a 60% increase in gravel production, from 135tonnes/hour to 220tonnes/hour. Before the new Evowash sand washing plant was installed Wopfinger says it was working two shifts at Eggendorf to meet the capacity requirements of the ready-mix concrete plant located at the sand and gravel pit. This has now been reduced to one shift “as a result of bo