August 2025

Pakistan: Attock Cement has appointed Shuaib A Malik as its chair. He succeeds Laith G Pharaon in the post. Malik has worked for Attock Group for over 40 years becoming the chief executive officer of Attock Oil in 1995 and the head of Attock Group in 2006.

India: JK Cement expressed its heartfelt condolences to the family of Jitendra Singh, who died in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on 12 November 2023. Singh was formerly chief information officer at the company. He served from August 2016 to August 2023.

JK Cement said that Singh made an ‘unerasable mark’ on the group. It added “The technology industry has been subjected to loss as it lost a respected leader. The sudden nature of Mr Singh’s demise has left a void that will be challenging to fill. The condolences pour in not only from colleagues and industry peers but from all those who had the privilege of interacting with him.”

Kenya: Peter Kahi of PKF Consulting has been appointed as the administrator of Savannah Cement. This follows the resignation of Harveen Gadhoke, according to the Business Daily newspaper. Gadhoke was appointed as the administrator of the company in November 2022 when Absa and KCB attempted to put it into administration due to combined debts of US$66m. Savannah Cement fought back legally against the attempt to manage it externally but a court rejected this in July 2023.

Tanzania/Uganda: Switzerland-based Holcim has signed agreements to sell Uganda-based Hima Cement and Tanzania-based Mbeya Cement. Local industrial conglomerate Sarrai Group will acquire Hima Cement for US$120m, while local oil importer Amsons Group will acquire Mbeya Cement for an undisclosed sum.

Holcim’s Asia, Middle East & Africa regional head Martin Kriegner said “These divestments advance our strategy to consolidate our leadership in core markets as the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions. With the Sarrai Group and Amsons Group, we are pleased to have found strategic and trusted partners who are best positioned to develop these businesses in the long term.”

Colombia: Cementos Argos’ sales of cement declined by 3.4% year-on-year to 11.9Mt during the first nine months of 2023, from 12.3Mt in the first nine months of 2022. Volumes dropped by 0.9% to 4.61Mt in the US, by 3.6% to 4.35Mt in Colombia and by 6.6% to 2.97Mt in Central America and the Caribbean. Nonetheless, its revenues rose by 16% year-on-year, to US$2.47bn from US$2.14bn. This resulted in earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of US$506m, up by 37% year-on-year.

For the full year 2023, Cementos Argos raised its EBITDA forecast to US$617 – 630m, compared to a previous forecast of US$580 – 605m. It expects to invest US$200 – 220m in capital expenditure throughout the year – US$90 – 99m of it on the construction of new capacity.

Australia: The government has begun consultations with affected parties over the possible implementation of a carbon border tax on imports of goods from heavy industries, including cement production. The Herald Sun newspaper has reported that manufacturers’ associations in Australia have welcomed the possible change to emissions laws.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos’ board of directors has approved the issuance of US$180m-worth of non-convertible debentures. The producer says that it will use funds raised thereby as collateral for a financial securitisation operation of real estate receivables.

US: Holcim US has unrolled its Holcim branding in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area in Georgia. The producer operates cement terminals at Cartersville, Duluth and Covington.

Southeast regional sales manager Lee Amick said "The rebrand signifies Holcim’s unwavering commitment to Atlanta construction and building companies, along with the greater community that has come to know us as a trusted partner. We're looking forward to building on our long-standing reputation for reliability, dependability, and assurance, now further rooted in sustainability and a profound dedication to environmental responsibility."

Russia: Soyuzcement has warned the government that the cost of cement could rise by up to 30% year-on-year in 2024 due to mounting energy, logistics and staffing costs. The national cement manufacturing union has informed various departments and agencies - including the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Construction and the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) - that this price rise will follow a 23 - 30% production cost inflation reported in 2023, according to the Kommersant newspaper. Other contributing factors have included negative currency exchange effects leading to a 20% rise in the cost of certain imported equipment items as well as logistic issues stemming from a shortage of drivers and declining fleet levels. Separate analysis by Kommersant estimates that the rising cost of cement in 2023 led to a 10 - 15% increase in the overall cost of construction in 2023.

US: Martin Marietta Materials recorded sales worth US$5.17bn during the first nine months of 2023, up by 10% year-on-year from US$4.68. Meanwhile, the company’s earnings rose by 30% to US$1.23bn from US$944m. Building materials revenues in its West business rose by 10% to US$2.85bn, while those in its East business rose by 11% to US$2.08bn. Overall, the value of its cement sales rose by 21% to US$565m.