The Building Bulletin Newsletters are a monthly roundup of all the latest news in the building materials sector. Free to subscribers of International Cement Review
While in Ireland construction activity accelerates, clouds gather over the UK. Cemex signals its success by being awarded a cement and concrete supply contract for the Suez project and a sustainability award. Italy's construction equipment manufacturers enjoy an export boom. Knauf is to acquire USG Corp in US$7bn deal.
Breedon agrees to acquire Lagan Group. Vulcan posts increased 1Q earnings. While the harsh winter keeps LafargeHolcim and CRH revenues flat, Loma Negra sees 1Q sales up by over 40 per cent.
Forterra strengthens is leading UK masonry position while the European equipment market hits a high. In addition, US commercial construction indicates a land of opportunity. Paroc Group expands capacity in Poland.
Martin Marietta celebrates record results for 2017 but Argos sees concrete volumes tumble. Breedon and Lagan Group are in talks with Ireland enjoying a construction boom. Construction records are also broken in Germany but the picture is less rosy in the UK.
USGS reports a fall in US gravel and sand sales but an improving gypsum market. In the GCC region the construction sector looks to the future with optimism while in Azerbaijan the building materials industry has received a boost. Aggregate Industries tackles gender equality. Volvo Construction Equipment reports sales up by 31 per cent.
Sika sees sales surpass the CHF6bn mark while US contractors end 2017 on a high. The Philippines construction sector sees the price of building materials edge up. In France the housing market is expected to witness a slowing of volume growth in the year ahead.
UK industry units to warn of Brexit skills crisis. Breedon delivers solid performance in 10M17 while at Vulcan Materials there is an investor shake-up. Production in construction is up 0.1 per cent in euro area but down 0.4 per cent in EU28.
Sika strenghtens its global reach while Metso reports on its results. Martin Mariette increases its turnover in 9M17 and James Hardie sees its 1H net sales grow by six per cent. In addition, a new earthquake-resistant concrete and a photovoltaic energy-generating concrete facade are launched.
Favourable growth in the US drives Ferguson plc. Scandinavian markets level off and UK construction is in reverse gear. Vulcan acquires Polaris Materials while Sika continues to expand. Teko Mining boosts quarry production.
CRH continues its acquisition path as sales stabilise while Summit and Kingspan can also look ahead with optimism. While construction output slips in euro area, Estonian construction volumes see growth in 2Q17. USG launches a new waterproof membrane product.
Cemex reports mixed results while Breedon notes "strong profit improvement". Construction equipment sales are forecast to boom in China and India. In the UK demand for mineral products falls in 2Q17. Germany's construction sector sees activity accelerate in July.
Wolseley growth is supported by US and Nordic markets. Construction hits US$5bn in Cambodia while in Great Britain construction hotspots are shifting and the construction market in Slovakia picks up. Mississippi Lime buys Mercer Lime Co while a new concrete panel plant is set up as a joint venture in Malaysia.
Eagle Materials sees record revenues while GB aggregate demand is expected to hit 267Mta by 2030. Good news in terms of construction activity in May in Germany, but in New Zealand building consents fall in April.
Vulcan Materials, Martin Marietta, CRH and Saint-Gobain see good start to 2017. Knauf Gips plans to open a new gypsum plant in the Philippines while the global concrete bonding agents market is expected to boom.
Breedon "transformed" by Hope acquisition, Wolseley sees strong US market but exits the Nordics. In Australia building approvals are up 8.3 per cent. Renca launches new geopolymer cement for 3D printing.
Martin Marietta is off to a good start to 2017 while Saint Gobain improves its pretax profit. CRH sales jump 15 per cent in 2016. Wolsely announces Swiss merger. In the UK civil engineering replaces housebuilding at the main growth driver but in the US public construction spending falls five per cent in January.
Eagle Materials reports record 30QF17 earnings while strong Australian, US and Korean markets help drive up 2H16 profits at Boral. Japanese housing start growth hits a four-month low and Cambodia construction spend is up 156 per cent in 2016. In the UK, marine aggregate demand rose 12.9 per cent in 2015.
Sika reports broad-based sales expansion in 2016 while the UK construction products industry reports its 15th consecutive quarter of growth. Growth is also the order of the day in the US and Ireland's construction sectors. Tasmania's introduction of new building rules sees Australian building approvals drop. Knauf acquires Mexican Plaka business.
Breedon continues growth and acquisition path while Boral is to extend its US reach through Headwaters. The Irish construction sector is set for 20 per cent growth in 2016 while the euro area sees construction output drop in September. The global gypsum board market is forcast to hit US$54.12bn by 2022.
Vulcan attributes lower 3Q16 sales volumes to weather while in the UK reduced construction activity has seen lower sales of mienral products. However, Saint-Gobain takes a positive look going forward while Cemex celebrates strong underlying results in 3Q16. Lagan Cement bolsters its transport operations.
