International Cement Review articles tagged under : Corporate Analysis
HeidelbergCement: strong builder of carbon neutrality
HeidelbergCement recently announced its intent to become a carbon-neutral cement producer by 2050. To achieve this ambitious objective, the company has not only developed its Vision 2050 programme but has also formulated a strategy and operational portfolio to match its aspirations. By Jan Theulen, HeidelbergCement, Germany. Figure 1: HeidelbergCement’s Vision 2050 is key to the company...
Algorithmic demand forecasting
The use of advanced analytics is now common practice in many industries. It is not only the tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Facebook that apply algorithms to make smarter, faster and unbiased decisions. Player...
The power of networks
Newcomer Cem’In’Eu is rapidly building a network of cement grinding plants across Europe to meet local market demand. Its first plant, operating as Aliénor Ciments, was recently inaugurated at Tonneins, strategically...
AI boost to core assets
Artificial intelligence (AI) can boost the performance of cement companies’ heavy assets, such as cement mills and kilns, and increase the profit per hour. McKinsey highlights how these improvements can be made. By R...
Turkey’s overseas view
The Turkish cement industry has seen its export volumes rise from year on year, making it Europe’s largest cement exporter and the third-largest in the global rankings. Key exporters include Batiçim, Nuh Cement and M...
A path towards value creation - part 2
Following on from the first part of this article (ICR February 2018/ CemNet 28 February 2018 ), McKinsey & Co establishes the four strategic levers for value creation and explains why now is an ideal time to be plann...
A path towards value creation
In the first instalment of this two part article, McKinsey & Co reveals how the large, multinational players have failed to create value for their investors and have been outperformed by their regional counterparts. ...
Consolidation is the key
Recent acquisition activity in the Italian cement industry is being seen as a welcome step towards improved utilisation rates, higher pricing and better company earnings. But with the industry still highly fragmented...
Cementos Lemona’s centennial
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Cementos Lemona, a company that has evolved from its humble beginnings as an independent producer in a small town in the Basque Country, northern Spain, to developing a sizeab...
Winning commercial strategy
Challenges in creating and implementing a coherent commercial strategy is one of the key factors why cement companies do not always see satisfactory returns on invested capital. McKinsey highlights the five essential...
New thinking as trademark
The world’s fifth-most populous nation with strong medium- and long-term economic prospects, Indonesia’s demand for building materials is huge. Delivering cement, aggregates or ready-mix concrete to the customer in a...
Exshaw’s epic expansion
This year’s IEEE plant tour will be held at the Lafarge Canada Exshaw Plant, a member of LafargeHolcim. The cement works recently completed a major upgrade, which saw the facility not only increase production capacit...
Heidelberg's European bet
As HeidelbergCement targets an Italcementi takeover, we look at the rationale behind this major new M&A activity.
Looking forward to growth
LafargeHolcim was officially formed on 15 July 2015 as a mega multinational cement, aggregates and building materials company. But what does the future hold for this giant that now has a cement capacity of 386.5Mta?
The leading cement groups
In response to the emergence of new regional producers and the large Chinese cement groups, other major players in the cement industry are forging new alliances to strengthen their market positions and increase profi...
An expanding African portfolio
HeidelbergCement has been widening its west African reach, commissioning several new plants in the region. Capacity additions are now complete in Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia as well as in Tanzania, east Africa.