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While it is not all good news, the aggregates market in Eastern Europe is more optimistic than many. Julie-Anne Ryan reports. Eastern Europe comprises so many countries (more than 20 depending on the exact definition of their location) that individual markets are hard to quantify. A report on such a vast region can only generalise so, generally speaking, the aggregates market in Eastern Europe is more optimistic than many of the more established markets around the world. For definition’s sake, Eastern Europ

Anaconda Equipment is about to launch its largest mobile screen, the SR514 screen, which is a conventional screen used mainly in the segregation of aggregates and offers the option of three or four-screened products. The company says the latest product offering comes on the back of the DF512 scalping screen and the FTR150 feeder loader that were launched in 2012. The SR514 has a 14 x 5 double or triple-deck screen; a 14ft (4.4m) feed hopper, main conveyor and either three or four hydraulically folding stock

Italian manufacturer Tesmec is highlighting its Rock Hawg technology, which it says allows excavating strong and unfractured rock avoiding the use of explosives. “Conventional drill and blast methods are still the most widely used excavation methods in quarrying and open pit mining, and in many cases they remain the most productive and cost effective techniques,” says Tesmec. However, it claims that not using explosives can be of primary importance “considering that the use of explosives is being subject to

Jim Jamieson of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has taken delivery of the first Volvo EC250D excavator to be sold in Great Britain. The extraction and mobile crushing and screening specialist is using the machine at its Ardelethen Quarry. The new machine replaces an EC240C, bought in 2008, and joins a mixed fleet which includes eight Volvo branded machines and an FMX road tipper. At the heart of the EC250D is a 6litre Stage IIIB engine, which operates in conjunction with an advanced mode control system ens

Holcim (Deutschland) is said to be transferring the ready-mix concrete business in northern Germany to joint venture partners, in which the cement company holds 50% stakes. They are Fertigbeton von Saldern, TBN Transportbeton Nord and Happy Beton.

Caterpillar plans to create 200 new back-office jobs at its shared services centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, less than five months after a major redundancy programme at its wholly-owned subsidiary FG Wilson which resulted in 760 job losses. The new jobs, in areas such as finance and human resources, are expected to provide support services for Caterpillar’s European, African and Middle-Eastern operations. Robert Kennedy, Caterpillar Northern Ireland operations director, said Belfast was chosen ahead of

Vishay Precision Group’s VPG onboard weighing product group has partnered with VUE, a leading UK supplier of vehicle CCTV, tracking, and telematics solutions, to enhance its 1300 BulkWeigh and 1300 WasteWeigh systems. The new PM 1300 360-VUE systems is said to offer enhanced health and safety and security features through new video data recording capabilities and support for up to eight cameras, including near side, far side, front, rear, and load. The BulkWeigh and WasteWeigh onboard weighing systems that

Romanian building blocks producer Cemacon plans to increase its local market share to 16% in 2013 from 12% in 2012. The company recorded a turnover of over €7.77 million in 2012, up by 26% from the previous year.

Saint-Gobain posted sales up 2.6% to €43.20 billion in 2012. On a like-for-like basis, the 2.3% organic growth in North America was offset by the 2.5% drop in sales in France and by the 4.3% drop in Western Europe, while sales in Asia and in emerging countries fell 0.1% compared to 2011. By business sector, innovative materials saw a 4.4% drop in sales on a like-for-like basis. Construction products fell 1.7%, and building distribution saw a 2% drop in like-for-like sales. In 2012 the French group's net inc

In order to reduce construction costs in Austria, which have led to soaring property prices, VÖZ (the association for the Austrian cement industry) and the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) have formed a new private company named Smart Minerals. The latter has €500,000 of initial capital, and both TU Wien and VÖZ hold 50% in the company. Smart Minerals will carry out research projects which should make construction more sustainable, qualitative and cheaper.

The Estonian Road Administration has invited a public tender for the procurement of design for concrete road surfacing and the feasibility study of building concrete roads in line with traffic loads. It says the study should also highlight any problems experienced in concrete road building; local climatic risks on building concrete surface roads and other experiences. The feasibility study should involve road wear risks from the use of studded tyres with calculations based on the respective calculations mad

Gosstat reports that cement output went down 6.8% to 9.8 million tonnes in the Ukraine in 2012 compared with 2011. According to the association Ukrtcement, the production fall may continue and reach 5.7% year-on-year for 2012. Ukrainian cement plants manufactured 213,000 tonnes of cement in January 2013, down 38% and 36.5% compared with January and December 2012, respectively.

Kolberg-Pioneer (KPI-JCI) has been recognised as a Patriotic Employer for its support of employee participation in America’s National Guard and Reserve Force. The company, along with maintenance supervisor Randy Blunck, was honoured for its contributions to America’s national security and protection of liberty and freedom by the South Dakota Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR) organisation. Blunck and Kolberg-Pioneer were nominated by Mechanic Wade Peterson, who is a sergeant in the DET 1 147th F

Cimpor's plant of hydrating limestone, located in Cabo Mondego, Portugal, is to close down by 15 March, 2013 due to its poor economic situation, it is reported. It is said that the 28 workers will negotiate a pre-retirement agreement.

Kevin McDermott has joined Schenck Process as the new IBS heavy sales engineer for the aggregate market sectors with focus on the quarrying industry. The Doncaster, England-based company, a fully owned subsidiary of Schenck Process, Darmstadt, Germany, says McDermott brings with him a wealth of experience accumulated over 20 years in the aggregates production industries, while working with the industries’ blue chip clients on many major installations and process improvement projects. “Schenck Process UK has

Lafarge says its full-year results to 31 December, 2012 show a strong progression of operational performance; sales up 3.5% and current operating income up 12% for the year fifth consecutive quarter of operating results growth. Fourth quarter key figures show sales stable at €3,809 million; EBITDA up 7% to €856 million; current operating income up 12% to €603 million; net income group share increased to €100 million (versus a loss of € 3 million in 2011). Year-to-date key figures reveal sales up 3.5% to

Metso and Magotteaux, Belgium, have signed an agreement to distribute Magotteaux special, composite-type wear parts for impact crushers on an exclusive basis, aiming to enhance the distribution and customer service globally. The contract is valid on worldwide basis excluding USA, Canada and Mexico, where the agreement is of non-exclusive type. "With this agreement, we are able to combine Metso's proven knowledge of impact crushers with the special experience of Magotteaux regarding composite type of blow ba

Weir Minerals has launched a new pumping solution incorporating the cutting edge Gemex belt tensioner with the Warman AH slurry pump. The system was developed after research into the power consumption and lifespan of slurry pumps revealed misaligned and poorly tensioned drive belts to be a major cause of poor energy efficiency and excess wear. Weir says that by integrating a hydraulically adjustable and mechanically lockable motor platform onto the pump’s bearing assembly the system removes the need to re-a

HeidelbergCement has successfully completed the expansion of its clinker and cement grinding plants in Damoh district (Narsingarh and Imlai facilities) in the federal state of Madhya Pradesh and in Jhansi in the federal state of Uttar Pradesh, central India, at a capital cost of €216 million. With the expansion, annual clinker production capacity of the Narsingarh production site rose from 1.2 to 3.1 million tonnes. An around 20km long overland belt conveyor, which is one of the longest in India, has been b

Danish bucket manufacturer Viby Attachment is set to open a dedicated UK office and parts depot on 4 March as part of its continued expansion. The company says the move coincides with the appointment of industry stalwart Trevor Snowball as the company’s UK national sales manager, reporting to UK director Andrew Little. The new UK premises will be centrally located at the Centre 500 business park in Newcastle-under-Lyme, near Stoke, County Staffordshire, which sits near to the junction of the A50 and M6 moto