Displaying items by tag: Brazil
Rumours that Votorantim will halt IPO
19 June 2013Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos, Brazil's largest cement producer, and its shareholders have cancelled a US$4.8bn initial public offering (IPO) that had been scheduled, according to a report from Reuters. Controlling shareholder Votorantim Participações was unwilling to sell its stock of Votorantim Cimentos below the suggested price range of US$7.34-8.71, according to a source reported by Reuters.
The news-wire service also reported that a second source had said that potential investors would take part in the IPO provided that shares offered a 'large discount' when viewed against the US$7.31/share price at the bottom of the potential price range. Any such discount would value Votorantim significantly below its rivals in the Brazilian cement market. Votorantim Cimentos has not confirmed the suspension of the IPO plan.
Dirce Navarro de Camargo dies at 100
24 April 2013Brazil: Dirce Navarro de Camargo, who became Brazil's richest woman when she inherited the Camargo Corrêa industrial conglomerate, has died at the age of 100.
Camargo died on Saturday 20 April 2013. Her age was disclosed by an executive close to the family who asked not to be named because the matter is private. She controlled a fortune valued at US$13.8bn and was the 62nd richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg.
Founded in 1939 by her late husband, Sebastiao Camargo, the conglomerate has played a key role in developing Brazil's infrastructure. It participated in the construction of Brazil's new capital, Brasilia, in the 1950s. Today, its interests range from publicly-traded cement maker Cimpor Cimentos de Portugal to a flip-flop manufacturer.
Camargo's three daughters, Regina de Camargo Pires Oliveira Dias, Renata de Camargo Nascimento and Rosana Camargo de Arruda Botelho, are poised to inherit the family fortune. The company spokesman declined to comment on how that fortune will be split up.
The battle for Brazil: Camargo Corrêa versus Votarantim
10 April 2013Camargo Corrêa came out fighting this week when it announced plans to invest US$1.5bn into the Brazilian market. The move represents the serious readjustment to the Brazilian cement industry that's been shadowed ever since the government approved the Cimpor takeover in 2012.
To show how high the stakes are, in October 2012 Votarantim, the Brazilian cement market leader, released early plans to invest US$160m for a 0.75Mt/yr plant in the Treinta y Tres region of Uruguay to meet demand for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. At these prices the Camargo Corrêa spend could represent projects creating up to 7Mt of cement production capacity in Brazil. This is close to the current capacity gap between Camargo Corrêa (15Mt/yr) and market-leader Votarantim (23Mt/yr)! It's no killer blow for Camargo Corrêa but it does put the two producers in the same 'weight' category.
Although SNIC, the Brazilian cement industry association, recently downgraded estimates for growth in the market to 5.5% in 2013, this still represents very strong demand growth. A previous estimate by Research & Markets put the figure at 9%/yr until 2016. Either way that puts Brazilian capacity at between 87Mt/yr and 100Mt/yr in 2016 with Camargo Corrêa poised to snare a hefty chunk all for itself.
Yet before onlookers count Votorantim out, the company filed for an Initial Public Offering on 9 April 2013. No amounts were revealed but Dow Jones reported a figure of US$2.95bn in mid-January 2013 for expansion both inside and outside of Brazil. Also, the sale of shares must be approved by the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission. The industry heavyweight isn't going down without a fight! International companies have also shown interest with Lafarge's announcement in January 2013 that it would invest US$500m in the country, just one of many such moves on the way. Whatever happens, the Brazilian cement market is shaping up for one hell of a scrap.
For more information see our article on the Brazilian cement industry in the February 2013 issue of Global Cement Magazine. In early 2014 Global Cement will hold the first Global Cement CemBrazil Conference and Exhibition. Dates are to be confirmed.
Camargo Corrêa to invest US$1.5bn in Brazilian market
08 April 2013Brazil: The Brazilian construction group Camargo Corrêa has announced plans to invest up to US$1.5bn in the Brazilian cement industry over a four year period. With the acquisition and control of Portuguese cement maker Cimpor in 2012, Camargo Corrêa, through its cement arm InterCement, became the second largest producer of cement in Brazil.
Of the nine countries the company began operating in through its Cimpor deal, the Brazilian market has the greatest growth potential. The market is expected to increase by 5-6%/yr, according to a report by local paper Valor Econômico. To prepare itself, the company intends to invest US$1.25-1.5bn by 2016.
Planned projects include the construction of four cement plants and an expansion at the company's existing plant in Cezarina, located in the mid-western state of Goiás.
Votorantim Cimentos income hits US$801m in 2012
03 April 2013Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos saw its net income nearly double in 2012, reaching US$801m in 2012 compared to US$413m in 2011. Its sales revenue rose by 9% to US$4.69bn in 2012 from US$4.30bn in 2011.
"The combination of a favourable market alongside the opening of new factories and mills allowed a 4% increase in sales volume in Brazil, reaching 24Mt," said Votorantim Cimentos in its 2012 results report.
Votorantim's profit was boosted in 2012 by a US$132m gain recognised on stake swap in which Votorantim Cimentos gave its stake in Portuguese cement maker Cimpor to InterCement in exchange for assets in Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, China and India, and a deposit in Peru. Additionally the company obtained US$141m in non-cement operating revenue, mainly from tax benefits.
The firm finished 2012 as the world's eight largest cement producer, with a total production capacity of 52.2Mt/yr, including 34 cement plants and 22 grinding plants, according to the report.
Haver & Boecker grows presence in Brazil
14 March 2013Brazil: Haver & Boecker has celebrated the expansion of its headquarters in Brazil with over 200 guests from North and South America, Europe and Asia in attendance. Haver & Boecker Latinoamericana (HBL), the Brazilian subsidiary of the German engineering specialists for the raw material processing industry, is based in Monte Mor near Sao Paulo.
The expansion of HBL's building represents part of the investments made by the company to meet the growing demand registered in the Brazilian and Latin American market. Sales in Latin America have more than doubled since 2008. The growing share of engineering services required an expansion of office space to more than 1500m2.
Haver & Boecker also announced at the event held on 1 March 2013 that they have created Haver & Boecker Holding Americas to support technical, financial and communications for all branches in Latin America and North America. Adrián Gamburgo, who was previously the director of HBL, will lead the holding company. Rodrigo Campos becomes the managing director for the branch in Brazil.
Cimpor and InterCement joined in Brazil
04 February 2013Brazil: The Portuguese cement production group Cimpor has announced the merger of two of its subsidiaries in Brazil, namely Cimpor Cimentos do Brasil and InterCement Brasil. Both companies are fully and indirectly owned by Cimpor, which itself is controlled by Brazil's Camargo Corrêa. The merger project received the green light of Cimpor's board of directors on 30 January 2013.
"The merger of these two companies in the Cimpor universe will make it possible to create joint value, promoting synergies, leading to improved operating efficiency and quality of services offered to the Brazilian market," said Cimpor said in a statement filed with the Portuguese market regulator.
The deal to merge the two subsidiaries comes after an asset swap between Cimpor, InterCement and Votorantim that took place in 2012.
CTIEC builds ties with Votorantim
23 January 2013Brazil: The chairmen of China Triumph International Engineering (CTIEC) and Votorantim Group have met to discuss working together on future projects. Peng Shou, chairman of CTIEC, visited Raul Calfat, CEO of Votorantim Group. Votorantim is the parent group of Votorantim Cimentos, Brazil's largest cement producer.
In the meeting the two companies exchanged ideas on the cement industry in China and Brazil and reached a consensus on advancing strategic cooperation, starting with cement and cogeneration projects. The companies decided to promote future communication and exchanges of technical information.
Votorantim Group is a conglomerate engaged in industries including power generation, papermaking, food, metal smelting and cement. It achieved business revenues of US$12bn in 2011. Its subsidiary Votorantim Cimento has over 50 cement production lines in countries and regions like Brazil, the US, Canada and Africa and is further expanding production capacity.
US$500m Lafarge investment in Brazil
14 January 2013Brazil: The French building materials giant Lafarge has announced a US$500m investment plan in Brazil. On 11 January 2013 Bruno Lafont, group CEO, announced the five year investment in a civil construction research centre in the country at a meeting with the Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. The move follows a number of asset sales by the group.
The Brazilian research centre will be the group's fifth outside France. The others are in the Netherlands, China, Algeria and India. In the past five years Lafarge has invested US$1bn in Brazil.
Votorantim plans US$3bn IPO
22 December 2012Brazil: Brazil's biggest cement producer, Votorantim Cimentos, is preparing an initial public offer (IPO) to raise US$3bn.
Votorantim is looking to acquire new assets in North America, Africa and South America. The proceeds from the IPO, the biggest for Brazil since Banco Santander Brasil in 2009, would go into funding its expansion plans.
The cement unit of Brazil's Grupo Votorantim, controlled by the Ermirio de Moraes family, completed a swap of its 21.2% stake in Cimpor Cimentos de Portugal in June 2012. Votorantim Cimentos has hired Banco Itau BBAand JPMorgan Chase & Co to manage the deal and will include other banks.