Cement News tagged under: Belgium

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Holcim to close five Belgian concrete plants

14 December 2015, Published under Cement News

Holcim Belgique announced the closure of five concrete plants in Belgium to union representatives. The step will affect around 60 employees in Brugge, Herentals, Izegem, Oostende and Veurne. “The concrete market in Belgium is stagnating and there exists overcapacity in the sector, which has increasingly deteriorated from year to year,” said the company. “As a result, the activity of Holcim Belgique in the sector has been challenged by overcapacity in view of demand. This has affected ...

Holcim Obourg reduces job losses

18 February 2015, Published under Cement News

The management of Holcim’s Obourg plant in Belgium and the unions have signed an agreement regarding the restructuring of the works. The majority of the 38 staff that will be laid off will leave the company on early retirement packages and only four will be dismissed. This lowers the initial reduction in staff by 10 after lengthy negotiations took place. The plant will now be operated by around 200 people.

Holcim to reorganise Obourg, Belgium

24 April 2014, Published under Cement News

Holcim Belgique announced its plans to adapt the organisational structure of its Obourg cement works near Mons, a step which would affect 48 jobs. The company attributes the reorganisation to the significant fall in Dutch cement consumption and a slowdown in French cement demand. Holcim Belgique serves the markets in the north of France, Belgium, southern Netherlands and western Germany. Holcim says the move is expected to bring the plant back to profitability as its products improve ...

Holcim and Febelcem contest competition ruling

02 October 2013, Published under Cement News

Holcim and Belgian cement association Febelcem are appealing against the judgement by the country’s Anti-Competition Council. Last August, Belgium’s anti-competition authorities fined three companies – CBR, CCB and Holcim – and two associations (Febelcem and CRIC/OCCN) for a total of EUR14.7m. According to the council, the five organisations had colluded between May 2000 and October 2003 to avoid the use of slag in the production of ready-mix concrete. Febelcem director André Jasienski...

Belgian fines for restricting market access

02 September 2013, Published under Cement News

The three leading cement producers in Belgium, together with two industry associations, have been fined EUR14.7m for restricting market access. The Belgium Competition Council said in a statement on Friday that CBR (part of the HeidelbergCement group), Holcim Belgium and CCB (Italcementi) colluded with the Belgian cement association FEBELCEM and the national centre for technical and scientific research for the cement industry (CRIC/OCCN). Between May 2000 and October 2003 the parties...

Cement demand in Belgium falls 2.2% while imports rise

30 May 2013, Published under Cement News

Cement demand in Belgium declined 2.2 per cent to 6.41Mt but this decrease was well below the European average decline of 18.8 per cent, according to Belgian cement association Febelcem. Febelcem attributes the figure to local elections, which historically boost public works. The non-residential sector also expanded by three per cent thanks to a numbmer of large projects in Mechelen, Ghent and Halle-Vilvoorde. In 2011, cement consumption reached record 6.55Mt. Looking forward, Febelcem...

Holcim Belgique to close Haccourt facility

19 December 2012, Published under Cement News

Holcim Belgique announced it will close its Haccourt cement grinding plant, near Liège, Belgium. The unit currently employs 43 people. This project is part of a reorganisation of Holcim’s European industrial base announced earlier this week. The group said in a statement that the shutdown was due to a “deterioration of market conditions and grinding overcapacity at Holcim Belgique.” "Holcim Belgique, whose clientele goes beyond the borders of Belgium, is facing increased competition in...