Displaying items by tag: Holcim
Holcim announces new Colombian plant
26 November 2012Colombia: Swiss construction materials company Holcim has announced plans to double its cement production capacity in Colombia by investing US$600m in a new 2Mt/yr cement plant, according to an official statement.
Holcim, which currently produces around 2.1Mt/yr of cement in Colombia at its Nobsa plant, is conducting a feasibility study for the new facility. The construction phase is expected to create 1000 direct and indirect jobs.
"We're evaluating the departments of Bolívar and Antioquia as possible locations but we've yet to make a decision," said country manager, Miguel Ángel Rubalcava.
The new plant announcement comes as the Colombia government embarks on an
ambitious investment programme to develop its infrastructure. Among the plan's goals are a fourfold increase in the country's four-lane highways by 2018.
Infrastructure investments in the country are expected to reach US$10bn by 2014, compared to US$3bn in 2012.
Grim and grimmer: European cement production so far in 2012
14 November 2012The results are in from the European cement majors and the news from the Mediterranean producers is grim. A common phrase found in most of these financial reports was the 'challenging economic environment' in western Europe. Here's what this means.
In Spain, Cemex saw its net sales in its Mediterranean region (consisting mainly of Spain) slump by 17% to Euro1.10bn. Cementos Portland Valderrivas (CPV) posted a loss of Euro83m for the first nine months of 2012, almost 10 times the loss for the same period in 2011. In July 2012 the Spanish cement association Oficement noted that demand had fallen by 60% year-on-year.
In Italy, Italcementi reported a 92% crash in net profit, to Euro17.1m, for the first nine months of 2012, and a drop in revenue of 4%, to Euro3.39bn, for the first nine months of 2012. Buzzi Unicem reported a 21% decline in sales volumes of cement and clinker, and a drop in sales of 15% to Euro430m. Vicat reported that Italian sales across all its business lines were down by 9% for the year.
By contrast, beleaguered Greek producer Titan has finally started to show a (slight) increase in its revenue. It has been able to report a second consecutive quarter where turnover has risen year-on-year. Although Titan's net profit for the same period still plummeted by 96% to Euro2m.
Elsewhere progress of a kind is being made despite the ongoing European slump, mainly due to profitable assets held outside of western Europe.
Lafarge reported that its overall sales were up by 4% to Euro4.39bn in 2012 so far. Yet its income has fallen by 44% to Euro332m and its profits are suffering from its restructuring programme. In western Europe Lafarge noted that cement volumes were down by 11% to 12.5Mt so far in 2012 and that sales were down by 9% to Euro2.43bn.
Holcim reported a 5% increase in overall net sales and a 7% increase in operating profits to Euro1.57bn. In western Europe Holcim's sales volumes were down by 4.6% (like-for-like) to 20.1Mt and sales were down by 6% to Euro3.68bn.
HeidelbergCement reported a 2.5% increase in overall sales but pre-tax profits have fallen by 5% to Euro601m. HeidelbergCement's revenue from its cement business in western and northern Europe was down by 5% to Euro1.3bn. Buzzi Unicem reported overall flat sales at Euro2.15bn but net profit rose by 50% to Euro85m. Despite this Buzzi Unicem reported a drop of 8.5% in Germany.
Vicat reported little change in sales at Euro1.73bn for the year so far. Vicat's financial reporting made it hard to tell how much was lost in Europe but French cement sales were noted as being down by 12%. Cemex's sales volumes were down by 13% in northern Europe, with net sales down by 15% to Euro3.09bn. Italcementi's cement sales volumes in central and western Europe fell by 16.8% to 12.2Mt.
Of the major producers only Lafarge failed to state the obvious in its outlook about western Europe: that sales will continue to decline in 2012 and 2013. If Titan has set the bar for how much more pain the other European producers have yet to face then conditions are likely to get worse. Get ready for even more 'challenges' in 2013.
Claudiu Soare appointed CEO of Holcim Serbia
14 November 2012Serbia: Claudiu Soare has been appointed the chief executive officer of Holcim Serbia. Soare, aged 42, has been a member of the Holcim Romania team since 2000 and afterwards he became project manager at Holcim Services EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Asia) in Madrid.
Soare started with Holcim in the ready mixed concrete and aggregates division (RMX & AGG) as a Project Manager in 2000. In 2007 he became technical manager RMX & AGG and in 2011 he moved to Holcim Services EMEA, a shared service centre based in Madrid, Spain. Soare holds a Master degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering and a MBA.
Holcim sees 4.8% rise in net sales in first nine months of 2012
07 November 2012Switzerland: Holcim Ltd has released its financial results for the first nine months of 2012, which show a 4.8% increase in net sales and over 10% year-on-year improvement in net profit. The group says that its results show the 'advantage of a strong presence in emerging markets, where construction activity remains high.'
Holcim says that its 'unique' geographic diversification has helped support it through a difficult time in its native Europe, allowing it to achieve an increase in consolidated sales of cement, often at better prices. Holcim's group companies in India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Mexico and the USA recorded significantly higher cement sales year-on-year in the period under review. Its consolidated cement sales increased by 3% in the first nine months of 2012 to 111.4Mt.
Despite the difficult market situation in Europe, Holcim's consolidated net sales for the nine months increased by 4.8% to Euro13.4bn and operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 5.9% to Euro2.57bn. Its operating profit increased by 7.2% to Euro1.57bn. Holcim said that these results reflected the solid performance in a number of emerging markets, stronger demand for building materials in North America, improvements in efficiency and the first successes of the Holcim Leadership Journey. Holcim increased its net income by 10.3% year-on-year to Euro910m.
Holcim expects demand for building materials to rise in emerging markets in the whole of 2012 in Asia and Latin America, as well as in Russia and Azerbaijan. In North America, it expects that its cement volumes will also increase. In Europe however, sales volumes are expected to decrease in all business segments.
Holcim reiterated its stance that cost management, including the Holcim Leadership Journey programme, will be paid very close attention. It said that it will continue to pass on inflation-induced cost increases. Its approach to new investments will remain cautious. Holcim expects to achieve organic growth in 2012 on the level of operating EBITDA and to reap the first positive effects of the Holcim Leadership Journey in 2012.
Holcim Philippines planning US$350m plant on strong Q3
31 October 2012Philippines: Holcim Philippines has plans to invest US$350m to US$450m on building a new 2Mt/yr cement plant due to increased demand and sales in the third quarter. This quarter is normally a weak season for the construction industry because of monsoon rains.
Holcim Philippines' chief operating officer Roland van Wijnen said that cement demand remained robust on account of sustained government infrastructure spending and steady rollout of residential and commercial projects. The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) has reported a growth rate of 20% since October 2011.
Holcim Philippines reported a 22.5% growth in its net income to US$61.5m in the first nine months of 2012 from US$50.3m in the same period of 2011. Revenues for the past nine months reached US$491m, an increase of 22.5% year on year. However, third quarter earnings in 2012 declined to US$12.5m from US$15.2m in 2011. The company attributed this to having to import clinker to augment production given that several of its facilities were under preventive maintenance.
"The challenge for us is to meet increasing demand over the longer term. We have begun reactivating our idle facilities, beginning with our terminal in Calaca, Batangas in 2011. Our grinding plant in Mabini will be operational by the third quarter of 2011," said van Wijnen. Holcim Philippines is now preparing a proposal for a new cement plant to be submitted for board approval in the first half of 2013. If built this will boost the firm's cement capacity to about 9.5Mt/yr with a completion date of 2016.
Holcim Australia to lay off 150 staff
29 October 2012Australia: Holcim Australia, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based building materials company Holcim, plans to lay off 150 staff and mothball up to 30 facilities as part of a review of its Australian operations. The majority of the closures and lay offs will affect Holcim's Australia's concrete business.
The company expects to mothball or close about 10% of its sites when it completes an organisational review in the next week. Holcim Australia, previously know as Readymix, employs about 3200 staff and another 1800 contractors and casual workers.
"With softer activity and outlook in some of our key markets, we must also adjust our business to suit," said Holcim Australia chief executive Mark Campbell. He added that since the company had been exposed to both mining and non-mining sectors across Australia its had been able to ride the two-speed economy better than some of its competitors.
Holcim Australia's parent company launched a cost-cutting drive in May 2012 called the 'Holcim Leadership Journey' programme designed to save Euro1.25bn by 2014.
Holcim announces Euro350m upgrade in Volsk
24 October 2012Russia: Holcim Russia has decided to invest Euro350m towards upgrading its Volskcement plant in the Saratov region. The modernisation project will include the installation of a new 'semi-wet' production line with a capacity of 2500t/day. Currently the plant uses a wet process. Construction will take two years and is expected to start in the second quarter 2013. The new line will be commissioned in the third quarter of 2016.
Eight years without LTI at Devil’s Slide
17 October 2012US: Holcim (US) has announced that its Devil's Slide facility in Morgan, Utah, has completed eight years without a lost time injury (LTI). "We congratulate the employees of our Devil's Slide facility for their accomplishment and untiring attention to safety," said Bernard Terver, president and chief executive officer of Holcim (US) Inc. "Our employees have shown great commitment to implementing our universal safety measures. We're proud of what they have accomplished and look forward to continued excellence."
Holcim to close down cement factory in Hungary
10 October 2012Hungary: Holcim's Hungarian subsidiary Holcim Hungaria Zrt plans to close its cement plant in Labatlan in 2013. 94 employees will be affected by the decision to stop production at the wet kiln plant.
Holcim Hungaria Zrt originally planned to shut the 144 year-old plant by 2010 but its lifetime had previously been extended by environment-friendly investments of almost Euro1.76m to 2016. In a press release the company blamed the downturn of Hungary's construction industry for the closure.
Holcim employed more than 500 people at its cement, concrete and aggregates plants in Hungary in 2010, and 413 at the end of 2011. Its combined revenue in Hungary exceeded Euro84.7m in 2010, but this fell to Euro63.2m in 2011.
At the end of 2011 Holcim Hungaria Zrt indefinitely shelved a plan to build a cement plant in Nyergesujfalu that was designed to replace the plant in Labatlan. It also postponed the construction of a cement distribution base in Dabas, near Budapest.
Weston remains on hold until 2013
02 October 2012New Zealand: Holcim has delayed the decision to build a new cement plant in Weston until 2013. It is now the fifth time since 2009 that the multinational producer has failed to confirm its plans for the US$400m project.
"In this very challenging environment the Weston project continues to have the support of Holcim and the team are refining project information and working on various elements to ensure that the project proposal remains in a state of readiness for future consideration," said Holcim New Zealand capital projects manager Ken Cowie. He blamed the 'uncertain' international financial situation for the delay but denied that the project had been scrapped. The replacement for the Westport plant will have a capacity of 0.86Mt/yr.