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Improvements in the house construction market have helped to boost the Finnish concrete industry. According to the Finnish concrete association’s chairman Jarmo Murtonen the recovery has come very quickly and employment levels in the sector are almost back at pre-recession levels.

Marwyn Materials has acquired the acquisition of Breedon Holdings for £2.25million and warrants to subscribe for 55,266,667 Ordinary Shares at an exercise price of £0.12 per share. The company has also raised £50million with the issue of 416,666,667 shares at £0.12. Marwyn has said that the proceeds of around £44.25million will be used pay down Breedon’s debt and provide £25mmillion as ongoing working capital. As part of the takeover, Marwyn will also rename the business as Breedon Aggregates.

Fundacion Lafarge Espana is the latest venture set up by Lafarge’s Spanish operation Lafarge Cementos and aims to directly support sustainable development. Projects that will be undertaken by the foundation will cover security, construction sustainability, environmental, social development, professional and educational training and sports. Lafarge Cementos already has an agreement in place with the University of Castilla-La Mancha, to develop projects under a R+D+i framework, cooperation for environmental e

Demand for decorative paving in Europe means significant quantities are now sourced from India but production is not always managed ethically. Lisa Russell reports on how Marshalls has taken a stance to bring about change. If a product's outstandingly cheap price looks too good to be true then there is probably a catch. And if that ultra-cheap product is paving made from Indian sandstone then the catch is likely to be that it has been sourced with scant regard to ethics or the environment. Many of the tho

Holcim has cited better than expected result from North America as well as growth in emerging economies for its growth in sales and profits in the first half of 2010. Sales were up 8.1% from the same period last year to CHF10.9billion, while EBITDA rose 9.3% to CHF2.3billion. In a statement, the company said, “After a first quarter beset by heavy winter snowfall in the northern hemisphere, the overall economic picture improved slightly. In some Western European markets and in North America, demand for build

Democratic Republic of Congo-based Groupe Bazano has just taken delivery of five Hitachi EH1100-3 dump trucks from the country's official dealer, Demimpex, in order to meet demand. The company operates a copper and cobalt mine near Kolwezi and the new machines will be used in a newly opened part of the mine.

Scotland-based Leiths has been given consent to expand its Achilty Quarry near Contin by 4.5ha, giving access to 3million tonnes of aggregates over the next 25 years. The permission was granted on the basis of working time limits and the formation of a community liaison group.

The Hitachi factory at the port of Hitachinaka has been hit by the second tsunami that hit the coast of Japan’s Ibaraki-prefecture. Hitachi reports that the factory was evacuated in time but it will probably take a few days before the firm can report the extent of the damage. The facility was built in 2008 and is used to build Hitachi’s large rigid trucks and large excavators.

Spain-based aggregate producer CTH has applied to the business court to try and start negotiation with its creditors in a bid to avoid going into administration. The group has four plants in Huarte, Olite and Ablitas in Spain and one in Portugal and employs 150 people.

Tarmac has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in the UK in recognition of its efforts to measure, manage and reduce its carbon emissions. The company has said that it has achieved a 15% reduction in its emissions across its 537 UK quarries, asphalt plants, concrete plants, lime and cement operations. Based on a rigorous, independent assessment, the standard certifies that organisations have measured, managed and reduced their carbon emissions across their own operations, and are committed to reducing th

If it is true that a cat has nine lives, then one UK quarry's Cat wheeled loader has just regained a few following a complete refurbishment programme to rejuvenate the machine instead of replacing it. The Caterpillar 972G wheeled loader had provided six years of service at Hanson's Barton Quarry near Burton on Trent but the previous service had showed the machine was in need of an overhaul or replacement. Hanson opted to put the machine through Cat's rebuild programme - the first time the company has taken

UK-based Grundon has applied for permission to expand its sand and gravel extraction at Old Kiln Quarry in Chieveley, Berkshire. The company has said that it wants to expand its operation at the quarry in preparation for an upturn in the UK aggregates market. The application covers a 38ha area, which would give access to 70,000tonnes of sand over the next 10 to 11 years.

Work on a new sculpture aimed at linking Hanson’s Coldstones Quarry in North Yorkshire with the neighbouring Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) of Nidderdale is nearing completion. Coldstones Cut, designed by Andrew Sabine, will be officially opened by the director of Tate Britain, Dr Penelope Curtis on 16 Septmeber 2010.

Portugal-based Lafarge Agrigados has announced plans to expands its quarry in Alenquer from 7ha to almost 25ha in a bid to ramp up production to 1million tonnes per year. An environmental impact study is understood to support the expansion and not show any increased impact from the plans, which would extend the quarry’s life by 14 years.

Hitachi has announced the delivery of the 10th rigid dump truck to Finland’s Talvivaara Mine near Sotkamo, 600km north of Helsinki. The keys to the EH3500ACII dump truck were presented by the director and chairman of the board of Hitachi Construction Machinery Shungo Dazai to Talvivaara CEO Pekka Perä. Since production began at the mine in October 2008, Finnish Hitachi dealer Rotator has supplied Talvivaara with an on-site parts supply, and a parts and service team of 19 people. They are responsible for the

Focus on cost per tonne of production has led to growing numbers of quarry operators to investing in larger excavators. Claire Symes reports. Excavators used in quarries today are not only often bigger than those used a decade ago but are also much more advanced in terms of both technology and efficiency. And according to many excavator specialists in Europe's largest equipment manufacturers, this is a trend we are likely to see continue as operators seek to reduce costs and improve productivity.

Eurovia will have to sell six aggregate quarries in France in order for the company’s acquisition of Tarmac to go ahead, according to the French competition authority. Eurovia has reported that the sale of the assets is already underway but no date has been set for the completion of the transaction with Tarmac.

Spiralling fuel costs, demands for easy to operate equipment and calls for low maintenance are driving wheeled loader development. The initial cost of a new quarry machine used to be one of the main points when it came to deciding on which manufacturer's model to select, but that is beginning to change. Today quarry customers are demanding more fuel efficiency and lower maintenance to minimise total ownership costs, as well as easier to operate, more comfortable machines, and wheeled loaders are no exceptio

Ireland-based CRH has reported an 8% fall in revenues to €520million for the first six months of the year, compared to the same period last year. Nonetheless, EBITDA for the period is down 20% to €520million, while operating profit fell 51% to €118million, compared to 2009. The company has said that the performance is in line with the interim statement issued in July. CRH chief executive Myles Lee said, “"Since our 7 July update, European economic indicators have been more encouraging although uncertainties

Archaeological excavations at Tarmac’s Bayston Hill Quarry being undertaken by environmental consultants SLR have unearthed remains of an Iron Age road. The find shows that a metalled and cambered roadway, was constructed in the first century BC – a 100 years before the Roman Invasion of Britain. “The age and location of this find suggests that its construction was not as a result of Roman influence,” said Tim Malim, who directed the SLR archaeology team. “It could well indicate that Iron Age Britons were s