Germany: The German Cement Works Association (VDZ) and the Federal Association of German Cement Industry (BDZ) are due to merge in the spring of 2012 as the German Cement Works Association (VDZ).
This new body will represent 23 domestic cement companies with close to 7500 direct employees. It will represent about 95% of the cement industry in Germany with a turnover of approximately Euro2.1bn. "The merger gives us significantly greater clout and reach," said chief executive Dr Martin Schneider, who is set to lead the new organisation.
The German Cement Works Association will remain in Düsseldorf using the existing structure of the VDZ, allowing substantial resources to be concentrated. Schneider added that the established cooperation with the German Building Materials Association (BBS) will be strengthened allowing for better links between the German cement industry and the construction industry as a whole, as well as other partners in energy-intensive industry.
