Cement News tagged: Corporate
ECEBOL’s Oruro works to open in February
The new 1.5Mta cement plant currently under construction by ECEBOL in Caracollo, Oruro, Bolivia is expected to open in February 2019, according to Oruro Governor, Victor Hugo Vasquez. Representing an investment of more than US$306m, the plant is reportedly 98 per cent complete.
Sagarmatha Cement accused of underpayment
Sagamartha Cement in Dang, Nepal, has been receiving complaints from workers that reported being paid NPR400/day (US$3.36), instead of the minimum wage of NPR517/day (US$4.34). "Middle persons are exploiting the workers labour with the support of the industry," said Bharat Bhattarai, a worker interviewed by Setopati. Workers have also not received contracts of employment and the 200-str...
Vicat Group acquires major stake in Ciplan
France’s Vicat Group has announced the acquisition of a major stake in Brazil’s Cimento Planalto (Ciplan). The transaction represents a reserved capital increase of EUR290m for a stake of approximately 65 per cent, with the closing of the deal subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions. Proceeds of the agreement will be used to settle a vast majority of Ciplans’ existing debt. The comp...
HeidelbergCement applies for Atlas quarry expansion
HeidelbergCement has applied for an expansion to its Atlas quarry to enable the company to extract more raw materials for its Paderborn cement works in southern Germany. The application covers an area of 9ha to be added to the current 29ha exploitation permit. The 420 x 220m area runs continuous with the existing quarry and is expected to be quarried to a depth of 55m, around 5m above the wa...
CIMAF sees 42% rise in cement sales in 1H18
CIMAF reported a 42 per cent rise in cement sales to 184,723t in Gabon during the first half of 2018, according to the Economic and Fiscal Policy unit of Gabon’s Economics Ministry. In January-June 2017, sales reached 130,077t. The company’s production volumes increased 37.7 per cent in the six-month period to 178,518t, up from 129,596t in 6M17. As a results, revenues were up 36.6 per cent Y...
LafargeHolcim modernises terminal in West Virginia
LafargeHolcim has completed the modernisation of its cement terminal in Weirton (WV), USA, which had previously remained inactive for 10 years. The site will now be used to store and distribute speciality well cements for the oil and gas industry in the Appalachian region, according to a press release. "We have made a significant investment in the Weirton terminal in direct response to the ...
Lafarge (Mauritius) raises price of Baobab cement
The price of a 25kg bag of Baobab cement increased by MUR1-4 (US¢2.9-11.6) on 1 October 2018. Lafarge (Mauritius), which produces the cement, has reviewed the price of its Baobab range as a result of “increasing international raw material prices since the start of the year.” Bagged Baobab CEM II 42.5 now costs MUR115, up from MUR114, while Baobab Lakaz CEM II 32.5 cement is sold at MUR110/25k...
Chryso acquires Chemtec Admixtures in Ireland
Chryso has announced that it has expanded its admixture business in Ireland with the acquisition of Chemtec Admixtures Ltd, which will provide a unique offering on the growing construction market in the country, according to a press release. Chemtec Admixtures has operated as the exclusive distributor of the company for over 13 years in Ireland, providing admixtures for concrete, demoulding ...
Cim Ivoire starts up new plant
Cim Metal-owned Cim Ivoire has started production at its Abidjan grinding plant in Côte d’Ivoire. The 8650tpd grinding unit, which features a vertical roller mill, is the largest plant in the country and is expected to provide the cement producer with long-term logistical benefits. The project was carried out by Intercem Engineering, who also supplied the plant’s clinker and cement silos, pa...
Gharibwal Cement records 34% fall in net profit
Pakistan’s Gharibwal Cement Ltd has announced a 33.9 per cent YoY drop in net profit for the FY18 ended 30 June, falling to PKR1.509bn (US$12.2m) from PKR2.283bn. Despite this, sales increased 2.3 per cent to PKR11.48bn from PKR11.22bn. Distribution costs rose 19.7 per cent YoY to PKR383m against PKR320m of the previous year, while administrative expenses decreased 3.7 per cent to PKR2.6m fr...
Haver & Boecker enters joint venture in South Africa
Haver & Boecker has entered into a joint venture with South Africa’s Portland Packaging (Pty) Ltd, marking the first time a global, full-line packaging company has domestically manufactured products for the African market, according to a press release. “Bringing together the ingenuity and dedication of both of our manufacturing teams will be a huge benefit for Africa,” said Florian Festge, m...
EBRD sells its stake in Holcim Azerbaijan
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has sold its 10 per cent stake in Holcim Azerbaijan to LafargeHolcim. Therefore, the company’s share in Holcim Azerbaijan has now risen from 66 to 76 per cent. EBRD had owned the shares from 2007 and refused to increase its stake in the company to 20 per cent in August 2017, according to AzerNews. Holcim Azerbaijan, formerly Garada...
Guinée Industries Cement starts expanded works
Guinée Industries Cement announced the official start of its upgraded cement production facility on 29 September 2018. The modernised works has increased its capacity from 0.7Mta to 1.4Mta. "I think today is a big sigh of relief and great comfort for our group. Because our vision is to facilitate the supply of major infrastructure projects in the country in quality product. Today, with this ...
Buzzi Unicem announces share purchase
Following the commencement of its share buyback scheme, Buzzi Unicem has announced that it acquired 244,100 ordinary shares in the 24-28 September period. The company purchased the shares for a total consideration of EUR4.495m (US$5.2m) at an average price of EUR18.41. As of 28 September, the company now holds 297,600 ordinary shares and 29,290 saving shares, equal to 0.16 per cent of the is...
CRH appoints two non-executive directors
CRH has announced the appointment of Mary Rhinehart and Siobhan Talbot as non-executive directors of the board. Ms Rhinehart and Ms Talbot will join the company with effect from 1 October and 1 December, respectively. Ms Rhinehart is chairman, chief executive officer and president of Johns Manville Corp, a Berkshire Hathaway company, which is a leading global manufacturer of premium-quality ...
Longleaf Packaging begins constructing its first plant
Longleaf Packaging has broken ground on its first cement packaging and distribution facility at Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA. The company is investing around US$6m and is projected to create 28 new jobs at the 28-acre site over the next five years. The plant will package and distribute bagged, pre-blended and dry-mix products, with production expected to commence in the 4Q18. Alongside Por...