Displaying items by tag: Cementos Argos
Colombia: Cementos Argos has reported that its net consolidated income rose by 83% year-on-year to US$556m in 2015 from US$305m in 2014. Its revenue rose by 40% to US$7.91bn from US$5.67bn. The rise in profit was attributed to an increase in market profitability and operational effectiveness.
“The record-setting results obtained in 2015 are the results of a well-planned coherent work during the last decade aimed at transforming a local company into a multinational player devoted to the cement and concrete business,” said Jorge Mario Velásquez, CEO of Cementos Argos.
Overall cement production volumes for the Colombia-based multinational building materials producer rose by 14% to 14.3Mt in 2015. Cement production volumes rose by 13% to 6.2Mt in Colombia. Cement production volumes rose by 20% to 3.4Mt in the US and by 21% to nearly 4Mt in the company’s Caribbean and Central American division.
Cementos Argos also noted that it completed its US$125m expansion of its Rioclaro Plant in 2015. The upgrade has increased the plants production capacity by 0.9Mt/yr.
Argos Newberry cement plant gains Energy Star certification
25 February 2016US: The Argos USA Newberry cement plant in Florida has achieved Energy Star certification from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its superior energy performance in 2015. It joins nine manufacturing plants that have gained the certification for the first time. Overall, 28 cement plants gained certification in 2015.
“Energy Star certified manufacturing plants are driving the kinds of efficiencies and innovations that keep our country strong,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “They’re proving every day that businesses can save on energy, cut down on bills and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions all at the same time.”
Since 2006, the EPA has certified manufacturing plants with the Energy Star for reaching the top 25% of energy performance in their industries nationwide each year. Energy Star certified plants must have their energy performance independently verified. Plants from the automotive, cement manufacturing, corn refining, food processing, glass manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and petroleum refining industries are among those that qualified in 2015.
Since the inception of EPA’s Energy Star certification, a total of 148 manufacturing plants have achieved this distinction. These plants have saved over 41Mt million of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
Camilo Restrepo appointed Vice President of Caribbean and Central Region for Cementos Argos
17 February 2016Colombia: Camilo Restrepo has been appointed the Vice President of the Caribbean and Central Region for Cementos Argos. He replaces Mauricio Ossa, who recently became president of the Colombia construction company Odinsa.
Restrepo was educated at the University of Maryland and is currently completing MBA studies at Emory University's Goizueta Business School in Atlanta, US. He joined Cementos Argos in 2005 as a research and development analyst. He became the Vice President of Innovation in 2012.
Cementos Argos launches CO2 capturing concrete in Atlanta
09 February 2016US: Cementos Argos has started incorporating and capturing recycled carbon dioxide (CO2) in several of the concrete mixtures it produces at its US plants, specifically the ones in Atlanta, Georgia. The CO2 is collected, stored and taken to the plant by the Canadian company CarbonCure, which developed the batching technology. The gas chemically reacts with the calcium hydroxide and the water of the concrete, making insoluble calcium carbonate.
“We are extremely proud of being the first company in the United States to be able to offer its customers a product with CO2-capturing and incorporating properties. This concrete, even when demolished, never releases the CO2 contained within its structure, allowing us to close the gas’ cycle and contribute to making the construction sector more and more sustainable and eco-friendly,” said Jorge Mario Velásquez, CEO of Cementos Argos.
Colombia: FLSmidth has signed a contract with Cementos Argos S.A. for a new OK 33-4 cement mill system to be installed at its cement plant in Sogamoso, Boyac, Colombia. This contract marks the fourth OK mill purchased by Cementos Argos. The mill system will include cement storage, Ventomatic packing plant, MAAG gear, Airtech filters and auxiliary equipment.
Cementos Argos expects US$2.61bn revenue in 2015
25 November 2015Colombia: Cementos Argos has reported that it will reach US$2.61bn in revenue in 2015. Revenue was US$1.86bn in the first nine months of 2015, a 35% year-on-year increase. Colombia represented 88% of Cementos Argos' revenue in the nine months.
Jorge Mario Velasquez to become new Argos group President
04 November 2015Colombia: As of 1 March 2016, the current President of Cementos Argos, Jorge Mario Velasquez, will be the new President of the entire Argos group in Colombia.
Velasquez, born in Bogota in 1960, will replace the retiring Jose Alberto Velez. Velasquez joined Cementos Argos in 1984 and, on his way up within the company, has served as General Director of Cementos del Nare, President of Cementos Paz del Rio and Vice President of Logistics at Cementos Argos. He became the latter's President in June 2012. Velez has said that the main challenges awaiting Velasquez are the integration of Odinsa into Grupo Argos, the consolidation of Pactia (the property fund established with Conconcreto) and the expansion of Cementos Argos and Celsia.
Colombia: ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions has received an order to build a cement clinker production line from Cementos Argos, the biggest cement producer in Colombia and one of the largest in the Caribbean. The new 4300t/day facility will be built in Sogamoso, around 200km north-east of the capital Bogotá, in the province of Boyacá. The contract is worth around Euro100m.
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions is supplying all components for clinker production as well as quality assurance and monitoring systems. Startup of the line is planned for the end of 2017.
Jens Michael Wegmann, CEO of the Industrial Solutions business area, said, "With our highly-efficient cement plants we are contributing to a resource-friendly infrastructure expansion across the world. To even better leverage the growth potential of the emerging economic regions in the future we are pushing forward the integration and regionalisation of our operations worldwide."
The main components are a 1200t/hr primary crusher for limestone, a 500t/hr secondary crusher for raw material and a 40,000t capacity circular blending bed. The raw material will be ground in a QUADROPOL QMR2 roller mill with a throughput of 355t/hr and stored in a 7000t homogenising silo.
The kiln line comprises a five-stage, single-string preheater with PREPOL AS-MSC calciner, a POLFLAME-VN rotary kiln with sinter zone burner and a POLYTRACK clinker cooler. A further QUADROPOL QMK2 roller mill with a throughput of 26t/hr of coal will be supplied for preparing the fuel. A POLCID process control system and a POLAB APMplus laboratory automation system will be installed for quality monitoring and control.
During construction and commissioning, ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions will provide construction management services, consulting services and supervision. During operation of the plant the company will provide assistance in the form of operation and maintenance support services as well as training of operating personnel.
Cementos Argos receives gender equality certification
24 September 2015Colombia: Cementos Argos has been awarded the level two gender equality management system certification SGIG Sello Equipares from Colombia's Ministry of Labour.
Cementos Argos was awarded the certification due to its affirmative action programme and provision of equal opportunities. A total of 12 women work in Cementos Argos and 14 more are currently in training to drive cement mixer trucks. Sello Equipares is an initiative by the Ministry of Labour, which is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (PNUD) and Colombia's Presidential Adviser on Equality for Women. The programme is designed to transform organisational structure and form a workplace culture that is free from gender discrimination and violence.
Cementos Argos included in the DJSI for the third consecutive year
11 September 2015Colombia: The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) has selected Cementos Argos one of the three most sustainable cement companies in the world. For the third consecutive year, the company was included in the World and Emerging Markets Indices.
For the economic dimension, Argos obtained the highest score in the industry, nearly doubling its average score. It was also the best-placed company for aspects such as transparency, compliance and conduct, risk management and supply chain. For the social dimension, it got the best score for human capital development and social reporting. Finally, for the environmental dimension, it scored best in biodiversity, water-related risks and international production standards.
"This recognition truly reflects Argos' spirit. The conviction of doing work that is carried out comprehensively and delicately in order to find a balance between social, economic and environmental aspects and, through our efforts, taking the lead in building a better society in the countries in which we operate," said Jorge Mario Velásquez, Cementos Argos' CEO.