04 May 2023

Mexico: Cemex recorded sales of US$4.04bn in the first quarter of 2023, up by 8% year-on-year from US$3.73bn a year earlier. The producer recorded operating earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of US$733m, up by 7% year-on-year from US$685m. This was despite a 9% year-on-year decline in group cement sales volumes to 14.4Mt from 15.8Mt. First-quarter 2023 cement volumes fell by 3% in Mexico, by 19% in the US, by 10% in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia and by 8% in South, Central America and the Caribbean.

Cemex retained its guidance of a low single-digit year-on-year increase in operating EBITDA in 2023. It also expects its energy cost per tonne of cement produced to rise by 10%.

France: Vicat's first-quarter sales were Euro899m in 2023, up by 14% year-on-year from US$789m during the first quarter of 2022. In France sales rose by 9.6% to Euro297m. In the Americas sales rose by 9% to Euro198m. In the Mediterranean region sales rose by 94% to Euro104m and in Africa sales rose by 21% to Euro108m. Meanwhile, sales remained roughly level year-on-year in Asia and Europe (excluding France), at Euro112m and Euro81m respectively.

Chair and CEO Guy Sidos said “Vicat’s first-quarter performance demonstrates the strong resilience of demand in its main markets, which translated into a sharp increase in its consolidated sales when compared to very good first-quarter 2022 figures. Amid changeable winter weather conditions, especially in California, the group has pushed ahead with the ramp-up in its new installation in Alabama and accelerated its strategy of improving its manufacturing performance and shifting away from fossil fuels to achieve its operational, environmental and social objectives.”

US: Eagle Materials has completed its acquisition of Martin Marietta's cement import and distribution business in Northern California. The business is centred on the Stockton cement terminal in San Joaquin County. Eagle Materials hopes that the new business will enable it to extend and strengthen its reach across its heartland US cement sales network.

President and chief executive officer Michael Haack said "Our Nevada Cement operations have long-standing customer relationships in Northern California, and this acquisition will uniquely position us to better serve these and new customers with complementary imported product. Our entire cement system is currently 'sold out,' and this acquisition will enable us to more actively participate in the strong US demand environment."

Vietnam: Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA) members produced 40Mt of cement during the first four months of 2023. The volume corresponds to a 4.8% drop from four-month 2022 levels.

Vietnam produced 116Mt of cement in 2022, up by 5.8% year-on-year from 2021 levels.

Mexico: Switzerland-based building materials group Holcim concluded a deal to acquire the Mexican roofing producer PASA on 3 May 2023. PASA employs 250 people, and generated sales of US$38m throughout 2022.

Holcim said that the deal will help to expand its products and solutions business, an area in which it has now made five acquisitions to date in 2023. Chief executive officer Jan Jenisch expects the group to acquire 30 companies throughout 2023, of which it already acquired 12 during the first quarter of the year.