
Displaying items by tag: Savings
HeidelbergCement reports ‘good start to 2020’
07 May 2020Germany: HeidelbergCement has reported a fall in first quarter revenues by 7% year-on-year in 2020, to Euro3.93bn from Euro4.24bn. Revenues fell by 6% in Western and Southern Europe and by 10% in the Asia-Pacific region, but rose by 11% in North America, by 2% in Northern and Eastern Europe and Central Asia and by 3% in Africa-Eastern Mediterranean Basin.
HeidelbergCement Managing Board Chair Dominik von Achten said that, after year-on-year sales increases across all business lines, “from mid-March our sales volumes were significantly impaired by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, such as state-imposed production downtimes and construction stoppages on major infrastructure projects.” Total cement and clinker sales over the period were 27.7Mt, down by 3.0% year-on-year from 28.6Mt.
Thanks to its COPE coronavirus action plan, HeidelbergCement says that it has reduced 2020 spending by Euro1.0bn. It says that it has Euro5.7bn of financial liquidity.
Colombia: Cementos Argos’ first quarter profit was US$1.00m, down by 73% year-on-year from US$3.76m in the corresponding period of 2019. Sales fell by 0.2% to US$545m from US$547m. The volume of cement it sold fell by 6.1% to 3.62Mt from 3.86Mt in the corresponding period of 2019. The company launched RESET, a savings initiative in response to the coronavirus outbreak, which aims to save between US$75.0 and US$90.0m in 2020.
Cementos Argos’ CEO Juan Esteban Calle said, “Given the US$154m-strong cash position of the company, the saving initiatives within RESET, the support from our stakeholders, and the passionate commitment of our more than 7000 employees, we firmly believe that Argos is fully prepared to face the current market conditions.”
Colombia’s coronavirus lockdown ended on 13 April 2020 for infrastructure projects and on 27 April 2020 for cement production and residential and commercial construction. On 5 May 2020 Cementos Argos said that domestic demand was at 50% of pre-lockdown levels.
Lafarge to cut Euro1.3bn by 2015
12 June 2012France: Lafarge intends to cut its costs by Euro1.3bn from 2012 to 2015. The French-company announced that it is speeding up cost-cutting measures, boosting sales revenue and cutting net debt over the next four years in a bid to improve its profitability.
At least Euro400m of cost savings are scheduled for 2012 and at least Euro350m are planned for 2013. The plan seeks to raise Euro450m from innovation and efficiency gains and boost earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITA) by Euro1.75bn. As a result of the higher EBITDA, Lafarge will cut its net debt below Euro10bn 'as soon as possible' in 2013.
The company seeks to boost return on capital employed to above 8% by 2015.
"All our actions will contribute to higher cash generation, improved returns, and cash flow from operations to net debt of 28% to 30% no later than 2015," Lafarge said in a statement.
Lafarge has struggled over the past few years from its heavy debt load and the global economic downturn. Its debt peaked at Euro17bn in 2008, following a series of acquisitions culminating in the Euro8.8bn takeover of Egyptian rival Orascom Cement. The company had already managed to reduce its debt to Euro12.36bn at the end of the first quarter of 2012.
Lafarge Chief Executive Bruno Lafont reiterated the company will raise Euro1bn in asset sales in 2012 and doesn't plan any major acquisition over the coming years. He added that the company's ultimate goal is to raise dividends and resume investing once its financial structure is stabilised.