Displaying items by tag: Mexico
Cemex implements water policy
11 December 2013Mexico: Cemex has implemented a corporate water policy that defines its global strategy for responsible water management across its operations worldwide. The policy, developed in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), aims to develop business activities in a sustainable manner, minimising pressure on water resources and to cover three essential aspects that include resource availability, resource quality and ecosystem integrity.
Cemex's corporate water policy includes the company's compliance with relevant regulations and pledges to maximise water efficiency by managing water consumption and utilising sustainable water sources such as rainwater.
Since forming their partnership in 2010, Cemex and IUCN have standardised water measurement and management to increase water efficiencies in all of the company's operations.
Cemex and Neoris sign US$500m IT deal
11 December 2013Mexico: Cemex has signed a US$500m deal with US-based information technology (IT) consulting and outsourcing firm Neoris to outsource IT services for the next ten years. As part of the agreement, Neoris will provide software engineering, application development and technology deployments for multiple projects, complementing existing services Neoris already provides to Cemex.
Cemex has already integrated its advanced enterprise platform, based on a model by German enterprise software giant SAP which was tailored by Neoris, using mobile interfaces, fluid collaboration schemes and business-oriented social media networking models. Alongside the new agreement with Neoris, Cemex will continue a 10-year strategic partnership it signed with IBM in 2012 for business process, application maintenance and IT outsourcing services.
Cemex initiative wins Corporate Citizen of the Americas award
25 November 2013Mexico: Cemex's Assisted Self-Construction Integrated Programme (Programa Integral de Autoconstrucción Asistada – PIAC) won a 2012/2013 Corporate Citizen of the Americas award in the Citizen Security category in November 2013.
The awards recognise innovative programmes that benefit the community and serve as a model for socially responsible practices. The Citizen Security category focuses on initiatives that promote public-private partnerships in order to create more secure communities. The awards programme is run by the Trust for the Americas with support from the Organisation of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank and AES Corporation.
PIAC provides low-income families with access to an integral housing solution that can enhance their quality of life while developing a social ecosystem. The initiative has helped more than 58,000 families as of 30 September 2013. In addition, 110,000 people have become self-employed and 915,000m2 of construction has been achieved to date.
"We are pleased that PIAC has been recognised as a programme that allows families to improve their quality of life and increase their wealth, while strengthening the social tissue," said Juan Romero, President of Cemex Mexico. "In Cemex, we strive to reinforce our social responsibility commitment by contributing to social development."
Cemex reports sales up by 3% in third quarter of 2013
30 October 2013Mexico: Cemex has reported that its net sales rose by 3% year-on-year to US$4bn during the third quarter of 2013. Operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 2% year-on-year to US$747. The Mexico-based multinational cement producer attributed the increase to increased prices and higher sales volumes in most regions.
"We continue to be focused on our company-wide efforts to improve our operating efficiencies and the value we generate from our asset base while delivering better value to our customers," said Fernando A González, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration.
By region, Cemex noted that net sales fell in Mexico by 11% year-on-year to US$776m from US$875m. This was blamed on low government infrastructure spending and bad weather. Sales growth was seen in all other regions, and most notably in the group's Northern Europe and Mediterranean regions that recorded 6% (up to US$1.17bn) and 9% (up to US$375m) growth respectively.
Mexico: Cemex has reported that consolidated net sales reached US$4.0bn during the second quarter of 2013, an increase of 4% compared to the comparable period of 2012.
Operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also increased by 4% year-on-year during the quarter to US$730m. Adjusting for the higher number of business days in its operations during the quarter, consolidated net sales improved by 2% and operating EBITDA increased by 2% year-on-year. Operating earnings before other expenses, net, during the second quarter increased by 24% to US$451m. Cemex said that an increase in consolidated net sales was mainly due to higher prices in local currency terms and higher volumes in most of its regions. However, controlling interest net income was a loss of US$152m, an improvement over a loss of US$187m during the same period of 2012.
Fernando A González, executive vice president of finance and administration, said, "We are pleased to report that this is the eighth consecutive quarter with year-over-year improvement in EBITDA. We also saw an increase in our consolidated prices in local-currency terms for cement, ready mix and aggregates during the quarter. On the cost side, our alternative fuel substitution initiatives remain a very high priority. On a consolidated basis, our alternative fuel utilisation reached 28% during the quarter. In addition, we are implementing targeted cost-reduction initiatives in Mexico and northern Europe, which we expect will result in savings of about US$100m during the second half of 2013."
Net sales in Cemex's Mexican operations increased by 2% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2013 to US$847m. Operating EBITDA decreased by 17% to US$250m. In the United States, Cemex reported net sales of US$868m for the quarter, up by 9% year-on-year compared to the 2012 quarter. Operating EBITDA increased to US$80m in the quarter, compared to US$27m in the same quarter of 2012. Cemex's operations in South, Central America and the Caribbean reported net sales of US$561m during the second quarter of 2013, representing an increase of 6% over the same period of 2012. Operating EBITDA increased by 12% to US$211m in the second quarter of 2013, from US$189m in the 2012 quarter.
In Cemex's Northern Europe region, net sales for the second quarter of 2013 decreased by 1% to US$1.09bn, compared with US$1.1bn in the second quarter of 2012. Operating EBITDA was US$108m, 11% down year-on-year. Second-quarter net sales in the Mediterranean region were US$400m, 4% higher compared with the US$384m taken during the second quarter of 2012. Operating EBITDA in this region decreased by 2% to US$94m.
Operations in Asia reported a 14% increase in net sales for the second quarter of 2013 at US$162m. Operating EBITDA for the quarter was US$38m, up by 29% from the same period in 2012.
Cemex launches Cemex Global Solutions
03 July 2013Mexico: Cemex has launched Cemex Global Solutions, a service that the company says 'leverages over a century of industry-leading expertise' to provide customers with the best value proposition in a full range of technical services for the cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates industries.
Cemex Global Solutions is available around the world, with ongoing projects in several countries. By using the best practices and innovations from the company's Research and Development Centre in Switzerland and extracting value from its expertise as a top cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates company, Cemex Global Solutions is expected to provide state-of-the-art technological support across the entire building materials manufacturing process, from plant design and conceptualisation to expanding capacity and upgrading equipment. This service reinforces Cemex's commitment to suiting its customers' needs by providing them with reliable and cost-efficient solutions.
"We have an unparalleled team of experts with experience throughout the building materials value chain strengthened by our cutting-edge research and development centre," said Hugo Bolio, Cemex Vice-President of Global Technology and Safety. "From feasibility studies to plant management and optimisation, we believe that by offering integrated solutions, we can provide our customers with more reliable and higher quality services."
Mexico: Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua has reported that it made a net loss of US$8.0m in the three months to 31 March 2013. While representing a loss, the loss was 9.9% lower than in the same period of 2012.
Its revenue was down by 2.7% year-on-year from US$116.5, to US$115.2m, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation took a 36.5% hit, falling from US$16.5m in the first quarter of 2012 to US$11.0m in the first quarter of 2013.
Holcim renames Mexican unit
29 May 2013Mexico: Swiss construction materials company Holcim's subsidiary Holcim Apasco will be renamed Holcim México. Holcim Latinoamérica's CEO Andreas Leu said that the move had been taken in order to "Unify the brand and strengthen its presence as a global leader in the Mexican market."
A slowdown in the Mexican construction industry has caused a 10% decline in cement demand in the country in the first three months of 2013, but the firm expects cement sales to increase by 1-2% in 2013, according to Holcim Mexico's CEO Eduardo Kretschmer.
"Mexico has great potential in the construction sector, as it is an emerging economy with strong macroeconomic fundamentals, a young population that in the coming years will demand more and better housing and infrastructure," said Kretschmer.
Cemex limits damage with price increases
29 April 2013Mexico: Multinational cement and building materials producer Cemex has announced that its consolidated net sales reached US$3.3bn during the first quarter of 2013, a decrease of 5% versus the comparable period in 2012. Operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) decreased by 8% during the quarter to US$521m compared to the same period in 2012.
Cemex said that the decrease in consolidated net sales was due to fewer business days and lower volumes in the Northern Europe, Mexico, the Mediterranean and South, Central America and the Caribbean operations partially offset by higher prices, in local currency terms, in most of its regions. Its operating earnings before other expenses remained flat at US$239m and its operation. Adjusting for fewer business the extraordinary favourable effect in 2012 resulting from the change of a pension plan in its Northern Europe region, net sales declined by 2% and operating EBITDA increased by 9% during the first quarter of 2013.
Speaking about the results Fernando A González, Cemex's executive vice president of finance and administration, said, "We are pleased with the operating EBITDA growth and operating EBITDA margin expansion during the quarter on a comparable basis. This is the seventh consecutive quarter with year-over-year improvement in operating EBITDA."
"We are also seeing good results from the initial stages of our value-before-volume strategy as evidenced by the sequential increase in our consolidated prices for cement ready-mix and aggregates, in both, local-currency and US$ terms."
In Mexico, net sales decreased by 7% in the first quarter of 2013 to US$780m, compared with US$838m in the first quarter of 2012. Operating EBITDA decreased by 11% to US$263m.
Cemex's operations in the United States reported net sales of US$736m in the first quarter of 2013, up by 8% in the same period of 2012. Operating EBITDA increased to US$19m, versus the loss of US$24m in the same quarter of 2012.
In Northern Europe, net sales for the first quarter of 2013 decreased by 13% to US$756m, compared with US$873m in the first quarter of 2012. Operating EBITDA, made a loss of US$17m, down from a gain of US$55m for the same period of 2012.
First-quarter net sales in the economically-troubled Mediterranean region were US$347m, 8% lower compared with US$377m during the first quarter of 2012. Operating EBITDA decreased by 25% to US$73m for the quarter versus the same period in 2012.
Cemex's operations in South, Central America and the Caribbean reported net sales of US$497m during the first quarter of 2013, representing a decrease of 5% over the same period of 2012. Operating EBITDA for this region increased by 5% to US$188m in the first quarter of 2013, from US$178m in the first quarter of 2012.
Finally, operations in Asia reported an 11% increase in net sales for the first quarter of 2013, to US$142m. Operating EBITDA for the quarter was US$24m, up by 93% from the same period in 2012.
Cemex shows signs of recovery in 2012 but sales fall
08 February 2013Mexico: Mexican building materials company Cemex has declared 2012 to have been a year of 'recovery' with the announcement of rising earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and rising operating earnings. EBITDA rose by 10% to US$2.62bn from US$2.37bn. Net operating earnings before other expenses rose by 35% to US$1.31bn from US$0.97bn. However, net sales fell by 2% to US$15bn in 2012 from US$15.2bn in 2011.
"During the year we achieved the highest EBITDA generation and operating EBITDA margin since 2009 and the fourth quarter was the sixth consecutive quarter with a year-over-year EBITDA increase. We are particularly pleased with the quarterly performance of our operations in the United States and the South, Central America and Caribbean and Asia regions," said Fernando A González, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration. Cemex said that infrastructure and residential sectors were the main drivers of demand in most of its markets.
For the fourth quarter of 2012 Cemex's performance was more muted. Net sales remained static year-on-year at US$3.71bn. EBITDA rose by 13% to US$611m from US$540m. Net operating earnings before other expenses rose by 26% to US$285m from US$227m.
Cemex produced 65.8Mt of cement in 2012, a 1% decrease from 66.8Mt in 2011. This drop was more pronounced in the fourth quarter. Cemex produced 15.8Mt in the fourth quarter of 2012, a 3% decrease from 16.3Mt in 2011.
By region, net sales in Mexico decreased by 3% to US$3.38bn in 2012 from US$3.47bn in 2011. In the fourth quarter sales increased by 2% year-on-year. In the US sales increased by 17% to US$3.06bn from US$2.62bn. In Northern Europe sales fell by 13% to US$4.1bn from US$4.73bn, led by a 15% decline in Poland. In Cemex's Mediterranean region sales fell by 15% to US$1.46bn form US$1.72bn, led by a 40% decline in Spain. Operations in South, Central America and the Caribbean reported an increase in sales of 20% to US$2.09bn from US$1.75bn. In Asia sales rose by 7% to US$542m from US$505m, with the Philippines performing well with 12% growth.