Displaying items by tag: France

France: Protest group SumOfUs has demanded that the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo drop LafargeHolcim as a corporate sponsor due to alleged links of deals with armed groups in Syria reported in the French media. SumOfUs say that over 37,500 people have signed an online petition calling for LafargeHolcim’s involvement with the Paris-Plages urban beach summer event to be terminated. The event, run by the office of the Mayor of Paris, creates temporary artificial beaches along the river Seine in the centre of Paris and the Bassin de la Villette in the northeast of Paris.

“This is a scandalous partnership with the City of Paris that should have never happened. By partnering with Lafarge for this summer’s Paris-Plages event, the City of Paris is whitewashing the company’s obscene show of corporate greed that profits off the war and violence created by terrorists. It is high time to make Lafarge accountable for its support of terror,” said Eoin Dubsky, Campaign manager at SumOfUs.

France: Private equity firm Astorg is to sell company Kerneos, according to sources reported on by Reuters. Investment bank Lazard has been appointed to work on the sale. The sale of the calcium aluminate cements producer could generate around Euro1bn. None of the parties commented on the story.

Kerneos started as a joint venture between subsidiaries of Lone Star Industries and Lafarge Coppée in 1970. It was purchased by Astorg from building materials business Materis in 2014 for around Euro600m.

France: French multinational cement producer Vicat Group has reported on its cement sales for the three month period to 31 March 2016. A release from the company stated that ‘firm’ activity was observed in all of its regions apart from West Africa, with improvements in France, Egypt and Turkey relative to the prevailing poorer trends seen in 2015. This was buoyed by continued improvements in India and the US.

Vicat reported that its sales increased by 3.3% on a reported basis and by 6.5% at constant scope and exchange rates in the first quarter of 2016 relative to the same period of 2015. Cement sales totalled Euro291m, exactly matching the prior year period in reported terms but 5% up at constant scope and exchange rates. Consolidated sales across all activities came to Euro554m. In terms of cement volumes, the situation was much improved, with a 13.8% rise year-on-year to 4.83Mt.

"Vicat delivered solid growth in its business in the first quarter of the year,” said Vicat’s CEO Guy Sidos. “It is important to remember that sales in France and Turkey were boosted by significantly better weather conditions than in 2015 and are not representative of what can be expected for the full year.”

“The first few months of the year also confirmed the strong momentum in the
Turkish and US markets as well as the upturn in business in France seen since
the second half of 2015,” added Sidos. “In the rest of Europe, sales were up slightly in Switzerland and stable in Italy at a historically low level. In India, the market was boosted by the start of some large infrastructure projects, supporting the group's business in this region. Lastly, West Africa and the Middle East delivered a contrasting performance, with a very sharp pickup in business in Egypt offsetting a decline in West Africa, in particular in Mali and Mauritania.”

In France, Vicat’s sales came to Euro183m, an 8.9% year-on-year improvement. Cement sales in the country were up by 10.9%. In the rest of Europe (excluding France), overall consolidated sales were up marginally to Euro81m and operational sales derived from cement activities were down by 8.6%, although sales in Switzerland rose by 3.8%.

The US saw a 9.5% improvement in consolidated sales across all activities. In the cement sector, sales were markedly up by 18.4% in revenue terms and by 14% in volume terms.

In Vicat’s Asian region, which includes Turkey, India and Kazakhstan, consolidated sales were down by 2.4% year-on-year to Euro115m. Vicat recorded 20.4% growth in cement operational sales and volumes were up by almost 29%. This was, in part, thanks to better weather conditions than in 2015. There was significantly higher growth in the Ankara region of Turkey, boosted by the restart of one kiln and the commissioning of a second. Vicat’s Indian sales came in at Euro68m and Kazakhstan brought in Euro4.7m.

Vicat’s African operations were split in terms of performance. Egypt performed strongly, with consolidated sales of Euro33m, a 14.5% year-on-year rise for the quarter. However, this was not enough to offset a 7.4% fall in sales in West Africa, which restricted regional consolidated sales to Euro96m, a 2.6% fall year-on-year.

France: The Vicat group has today reported that its sales, at constant scope and exchange rates, fell by 4.4% in 2015. Reported sales rose slightly, by 1.5% year-on-year to Euro2.46bn in 2015, compared to Euro2.43bn in 2014. Cement sales fell by 0.4% to Euro1.26bn from Euro1.26bn.

"The sales growth achieved by the Vicat group in 2015 again reflected a contrasting picture from one region to another. Business momentum in the United States and Asia helped to offset the impact of a more challenging macroeconomic and competitive environment in West Africa and the Middle East, as well as in Europe. Notably, the group's activity returned to growth in France in the fourth quarter, helped by a positive weather effect and a stabilising industry environment," said the Group's Chairman and CEO, Guy Sidos.

By region, Vicat noted falls in sales in its cement business in France and Europe.
This decline was blamed on a volume contraction and a slight decrease in average selling prices. Sales in the US grew by 23.6% on a like-for-like basis in 2015 due to high volumes, strong momentum in the south-eastern US and price increases. Sales in Asia grew by 3.1% on a like-for-like basis driven by increases in Turkey and India despite a decrease in Kazakhstan. Notably, Vicat reported that its sales rose in India, despite falling volumes due to price increases. Sales in Africa and the Middle East fell by 16.6% on a like-for-like basis, mainly due to a steep fall in business in Egypt.

Reported sales volumes in cement fell by 3.6% to 19.8Mt in 2015 compared to 20.5Mt in 2014.

France: Vicat's sales in the first nine months of 2015 grew by 1.9% year-on-year to Euro1.88bn. In the third quarter of 2015, its sales grew by 1.7% to Euro640m on a reported basis and declined by 3.7% at constant scope and exchange rates. Vicat reported robust business trends in the US, activity growth in Asia underpinned by Turkey and India, a reduced down-trend in France and lower activity in West Africa and the Middle East.

"Vicat's third-quarter performance still reflects a contrasting picture from one region to another, but there were signs of improvement in certain markets," said Vicat's Chairman and CEO. "Strong increases were recorded in the US and Turkey, while volumes in India returned to growth in a still favourable pricing environment, and, lastly, our production unit in Kazakhstan ran at full capacity in a market nevertheless affected by a strong currency devaluation. In France, the shortfall compared with 2014 declined significantly in the cement business over the past quarter and the market currently appears to be gradually stabilising at an historically low level for French cement consumption. Against this backdrop, Vicat remains focused on its objectives of maximising its cash flow and reducing its debt, while leveraging the efficiency of its manufacturing facilities, its geographical diversification and its strong positions in its local markets."

France: The industrial and technology group ThyssenKrupp is has announced that it is 'strengthening its plant technology capabilities in France' by merging the formerly separate entities Polysius and KH Mineral to become ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions (France). The step came into effect on 1 October 2015.

The group said that the strategic move is another 'milestone' for the plant engineering and construction company in its efforts to further promote the integration and regionalisation of its plant technology business worldwide. It said that the move pursues ThyssenKrupp's overriding goal of integrating its businesses more closely to create sustainable value as a diversified industrial group. As of today, ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions (France) employs around 300 employees at two locations in Aix-en-Provence and Sarreguemines.

Samir Abi Ramia, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions (France), said, "On the basis of decades of experience in European, Middle Eastern and African markets, excellent engineering skills and proven technologies, we can now offer tailor-made solutions for the cement, mining and raw materials industries in general from a single source. Joining our forces in France, while at the same time benefiting from the global network of one of the world's leading engineering and construction specialists, will enable us serve our customers' needs even better."

France: The French insurer of health professionals MACSF has announced that it has paid Euro150m to real estate agent Eurosic to buy the office building in Paris that is the former headquarters of cement group Lafarge. Lafarge left the building after its merger with Swiss peer Holcim as the headquarters of the combined group was moved to Switzerland.

The building was constructed in 1993, covers a surface of 12,000m² and is situated in the 16th Arrondissement in central Paris.

France: Lafarge has reported mixed results for the second quarter and first half of 2015, with lower cement volumes but higher sales for both periods.

In the second quarter of 2015, cement volumes decreased by 3% due to lower export sales. On its domestic markets, Lafarge's volumes increased by 2%. Cement prices fell by 0.5% year-on-year but rose by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter. Volumes were supported by continuing positive trends in many markets such as Romania, the Philippines, Egypt and Canada, while adverse weather limited growth in the US. Some markets faced more challenging economic and/or political environments. This was notably the case in France, where the construction sector remains subdued. In Brazil, Lafarge faces a very challenging overall environment. In Iraq and Syria difficulties in transporting cement across the country have prevailed since June 2014.

Lafarge's sales grew by 5% year-on-year to Euro3.54bn in the second quarter of 2015. Exchange rates continued to be favourable with a positive impact on sales of Euro249m or 8%, while the impact of Lafarge's divestments, notably in Ecuador, Russia and Pakistan, reduced its sales by 3% or Euro75m. Its earnings before income, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) improved by 1% to Euro820m, supported by favourable exchange rates with a positive impact of Euro52m or 6%. Its operating income fell by 3% year-on-year to Euro608m.

Results in the second quarter of 2015 were impacted by one-off items in connection with the creation of LafargeHolcim that was finalised on 10 July 2015. These one-off items include Euro450m of impairment on some of the assets to be divested to CRH in the third quarter of 2015. Pre-tax merger costs of Euro94m were booked in the second quarter of 2015 and one-off restructuring costs, mainly reflecting reorganisation measures in France, amounted to Euro51m, compared to Euro32m in the same period of 2014. Excluding one-off items, Lafarge's net income was Euro210m in the second quarter of 2015, down by Euro27m from the same period of 2014.

Lafarge received Euro232m in cash for divestments in the second quarter of 2015, mainly reflecting the proceeds for its operations in Pakistan. Investments totalled Euro262m. Capital expenditures remained limited at Euro82m compared to Euro67m in the second quarter of 2014. Development investments amounted to Euro180m, mainly including projects in North America (Exshaw in Canada and Ravena in the US) and in Algeria, as well as a few debottlenecking projects, notably in the Philippines.

For the first half of 2015, Lafarge has reported a 4% year-on-year reduction in cement sales to 54.7Mt, while its sales grew by 5% to Euro6.32bn. Its EBITDA grew by 6% to Euro1.22bn and its operating income grew by 8% to Euro813m.

For the entirety of 2015, Lafarge expects cement market growth of 1 - 4%. Cost inflation should continue albeit at a slower pace than in 2014, given the evolution of fuel oil prices. This should result in higher prices overall. Lafarge should also benefit from more favourable exchange rates.

France: Holcim's French subsidiary will be renamed Orsima on 1 August 2015, according to Le Moniteur. The change comes at a time when the assets have been purchased by CRH as part of the LafargeHolcim merger. The businesses of Cement Orsima, Orsima Concrete and Aggregates Orsima will be used legally and commercially.

With the acquisition, CRH becomes the third-largest cement producer in France with about 15% of the market share. The assets include three cement plants (Holcim Lumbres, Héming and Rochefort-sur-Nenon), four grinding plants (Grand-Couronne, Dannes, Dunkirk and La Rochelle), a mixing station in Montoir-de-Bretagne, Loire-Atlantique and 170 concrete plants and aggregates sites (LafargeHolcim will retain eleven in Haut-Rhin Department).

France: Lafarge Group has appointed Benedicte de Bonnechose as CEO in charge of operations of its French unit. She will succeed Pascal Casanova, who was appointed as head of Latin American operations at the future combined group LafargeHolcim.

Bonnechose has been a member of Lafarge's board since 2012.
She has played a key role at the group's reorganisation in France and was in charge of its strategy, public affairs and environment businesses. Since 2013 Bonnechose has been CEO of Lafarge's aggregates unit.