Search

France-based VM Matériaux has announced that it is to merge its Préfa des Pays de Loire (PPL) and Vendée Béton businesses into the operation of the main group in order to improve operation of its concrete business and take advantage of synergies to reduce costs. The group currently holds stakes of 25% and 34%, respectively in PPL and Vendée Béton, with the balance owned by certain of the Group’s family shareholders. The two companies produced a combined turnover of €34.5million in 2009.

Finland-based concrete products manufacturer HB-Betoniteollisuus has announced plans to invest €1million at its facility in Somero, Finland. Work in underway to improve finishing and packaging operations at the plant and is expected to be completed by January 2011.

Holcim has announced that it has promoted Urs Fankhauser to the post of as area manager for Eastern and South Eastern Europe. Fankhauser was previously regional technical director for Eastern Europe and joined Holcim in 1991 as a process performance engineer.

Concrete recovery specialist Clamens is considering launching energy labels for all of its concrete products. The company specialises in recycling construction materials and produces concrete products through the reuse of concrete sludges collected and reprocessed to produce carbon-free concrete. The company currently only operates in the Paris region of France but the operation has been successful since its launch in June this year.

Growth in sales of aggregates, cement and ready mixed concrete in the UK in the third quarter were regarded as a comparative improvement rather than a sustained recovery by the Mineral Products Association (MPA). According to figures collated by the MPA, sales of aggregates, cement and ready mixed concrete were 3%, 9% and 6% higher respectively than in 2009 but the organisation has pointed out that last year marked a low point for the industry. However, the MPA added that the figures were steady compared wi

Caterpillar has announced that it has signed a deal to buy mining equipment producer Bucyrus for US$8.6billion and the company has said that the takeover is part of its strategy to expand its leadership in the mining sector. Cat has said that the acquisition will create a mining company with an unmatched product range and unrivalled customer support which will drive strong synergies.

Nineteen concrete producers in the Ukraine have joined forces to better represent the concrete sector through formation of a new association under the name of UkrBeton. The new association plans to provide market analysis as well as help resolve industry-wide issues at national and international level. The new organisation will be led by Igor Shkirya as president and Sergy Mozgovoy as director of the executive board.

Tarmac has announced that it is to work with ITM Power during 2011 to trial hydrogen powered vehicles in the UK. Under the deal Tarmac will carry out Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST) using the ITM’s innovative Transportable Hydrogen Refuelling Station (HFuel). Built with support from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and launched in September 2010, HFuel is transportable and can be connected into a renewable electricity and water supply to produce a clean fuel at the point of demand or a supply of ‘green’ e

Construction of a new railway siding and junction at Cemex’s Dove Holes Quarry in Derbyshire, UK will increase rail capacity by 25% to 2.5million tonnes per year. The new 100m siding removes a bottleneck at the site and allows two trains to enter, exit or be loaded at the same time. Around 60% of aggregates produced at Dove Holes are transported by rail so the new investment will allow Cemex to remove more trucks from the road.

Lafarge has confirmed that it has issued a new bond issue valued at €1billion with an eight year maturity. The bond is reserved for institutional investors and has been issued in order to allow the company to restructure its debts.

Heidelberg Cement’s Romaina subsidiary has announced the appointment of Florian Aldea as its new CEO from 1 January. Aldea takes on the role from Mihai Rohan who will remainon the board of directors for two years after Aldea assumes his new post.

Cemex has announced that it has donated 2500ha of land to the Chingaza National Natural Park in Columbia. The area was previously used for quarrying over the last 50 years and has now been restored as a nature reserve. “The decision to donate this land reflects Cemex’s commitment to contribute to biodiversity conservation through our land management program”, said Cemex Columbia president Cesar Constain. “Sustainable development is embedded in our core company strategy.”

Incidence of skin cancer is on the rise in Europe and with quarry workers at the highest risk of workplace exposure to UV radiation, ABE LOOKS at the options for protection. This year over 130,000 people in Europe will be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer, and 9000 of those will die as a result, following extended exposure to UV radiation from the sun. Many more will suffer from other solar exposure related eye and skin conditions and with an increasing incidence rate over the last few years, the number

US-based Ivy Steel and Wire has been sold by CRH to Insteel Industries for €37million, CRH has announced. CRH said that the company which manufactures welded wire reinforcement and wire products for concrete construction applications is not a core part of its business and was acquired by CRH as part of MMI in 2006. CRH chief executive Myles Lee said, “We are pleased to have sold Ivy to a strong industry player.” The news follows on from an announcement by CRH last week about the sale of its insulation busin

Baselcement-Pikalevo has announced that it has started to extract limestone from a new quarry near Leningrad in Russia. The new site at Zapadny will produce more than 800,000 tonnes of limestone a year when in full operation following opening of the second phase in 2011. The €10.6million investment will help the company meet demand for limestone from its alumina oxide facility. Baselcement is also working on developing a new quarry at Vostochny which would add 25million tonnes of limestone reserves.

Changes planned to the system for setting planning application fees in the UK could have serious implications for mineral operators, according to the Mineral Products Association. The UK government has said that it doesn’t believe the current fixed fees allow planning authorities to recover the full cost of dealing with some applications. It is proposed that authorities can set their own fees and fees can also be attached to applications that do not currently incur any cost to the applicant.

Cement exports from Russia are expected to grow to 4million tonnes per year following removal of export duties there. Duty rates were previously at 6.5% but analysts have warned that the increased market may result in higher domestic prices.

Tarmac is celebrating the return of bitterns to its Nosterfield Quarry in North Yorkshire, UK following work to create reed beds at the site. The company first recorded the birds – which are on both the RSPB’s and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) ‘Red List’ of most endangered species - at the quarry’s Flasks Lakes in 2009. Tarmac worked with local conservation specialists to plant the reed beds which have played a key role in attracting the rare species to the quarry.

As Europe gears up for Easter, the Easter Bunny has already arrived at Lafarge Aggregates and Concrete UK’s Cotessey concrete plant in Norfolk and brought his friends with him! The ready mixed concrete plant is now decorated with brightly painted concrete rabbits that are made each time Lafarge’s Agilia Gyvlon Screed A mix is produced.

Ciments Français has announced that it plans to merge Société Internationale Italcementi France into its business in order to simplify the legal structure of the Italcementi/ with Ciments Français group. The deal is subject to the approval of a general meeting planned for 23 Decedmber but is expected to be more successful than Italcementi’s previous attempts to merge the whole of with Ciments Français into its business.