Displaying items by tag: Thailand

Thailand: Siam City Cement has deployed pervasive network infrastructure and plant-wide wireless connectivity at its Plant 3 in Saraburi as part of its ‘Digital Connected Plant’ plan. Cisco supplied the hardware and Fujitsu helped with the system integration, according to the Nation newspaper. The upgrade is part of the cement producer’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) strategy where it intends to track employees, contractors and assets in real time to raise productivity and safety.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group’s Building Materials division’s sales fell by 2% year-on-year to US$1.29bn in the first quarter of 2017 due to lower prices and falling volumes in the local market. The group reported that domestic cement demand fell by 7% in the quarter due to flooding in the south of the country. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBTIDA) for the division were also negatively affected by the weather falling by 10% to US$181m. Overall the group’s sales and EBITDA rose due to earnings from its Chemical division.

Vietnam: Holcim Vietnam has been officially renamed as Siam City Cement Vietnam following its acquisition by Thailand’s Siam City Cement. Holcim products will now be sold locally under the Insee brand, according to the Saigon Times. An agreement for Siam City Cement to buy LafargeHolcim’s 65% stake in Holcim Vietnam was announced in August 2016.

Thailand: Siam City Cement’s profit in 2016 has been reduced by various costs including the purchase of Cemex’s assets in Bangladesh. The cement producer reported that its profit fell by 15% year-on-year to US$112m in 2016 from US$131m in 2015. Its sales revenue grew by 10% to US$977m from US$889m. In comments to the Nation newspaper, Siva Mahasandana, the cement producer’s chief executive officer, said the company's strategy to expand the business through key investments in Thailand and nearby regional countries had an immediate positive impact on sales. He added that the full benefit from its acquisitions were likely to be realised in 2017.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group’s Building Materials division’s sales revenue fell by 4% year-on-year to US$4.9bn in 2016. Its profit fell by 17% to US$241m. It blamed the falling sales and profit on increased competition, falling earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and increased depreciation expenses. Overall, across the group’s chemical and packaging division, sales revenue fell but profits rose in 2016 driven by the chemical business.

Roongrote Rangsiyopash, the president and chief executive officer of Siam Cement Group, said the company is focusing on expansion strategies within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. Its 1.8Mt/yr cement plant in Myanmar started commercial production in early 2017 and a cement plant in Laos is undergoing commissioning.

Thailand: Siam Cement has appointed Cholanat Yanaranop as its Executive Vice President. He will also retain his role as President of Siam Cement Group Chemicals. The promotion will take effect from 1 January 2017.

Thailand: Siam Cement has ordered a LM 56.3+3 CS vertical roller mill from Loesche for its cement plant in Kaeng Khoi. The mill will produce medium-fine cement qualities and is designed for grinding clinker, gypsum and limestone. The cement producer previously ordered a LM 56.3+3 CS mill from Loesche for its Ta Luang cement plant in 2014.

Vietnam: Vietnam’s exports of cement and clinker fell by 16.6% year-on-year to 11.3Mt in the first nine months of 2016. The value of the exports fell by 17.2% to US$429.3m. The Philippines, Bangladesh, Taiwan and Mozambique were among major importers of Vietnamese clinker and cement in the nine-month period, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Local cement producers have faced competition from those in Thailand and China.

Colombia/Thailand: Cementos Argos has held its position in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the fourth consecutive year. Cementos Argos was featured as the most sustainable cement company in the world after obtaining the best score in the construction materials sector. The Colombia-based materials producer was listed along with Thailand’s Siam Cement.

"The permanence in this index confirms our business model, in which we start with sustainability and innovation as pillars of the strategy to create value for our customers, shareholders, communities, employees, and other stakeholders,” said Juan Esteban Calle, CEO of Cementos Argos.

Argos obtained the best score among the following variables: Biodiversity, Operational Eco efficiency, Water related risks, Social Reporting, Labour Practice Indicators and Human Rights, Tax Strategy, Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy, Human Talent Development and Talent Attraction and retention. In addition to being included in the Global Index, Cementos Argos was recognised in Emerging Markets for the fourth consecutive year.

Each year about 2500 global companies, listed on the stock exchange, belonging to about 59 economic sectors, are invited to participate in the DJSI.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group’s sales revenue from its cement and building materials division fell by 4% year-on-year to US$2.54bn in the first half of 2016. Profit for the half-year period fell by 11% to US$165m. The cement producer reported that Thailand’s total domestic cement demand decreased by 3% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2016 due to soft demand from non-government sectors.

Overall, Siam Cement Group saw a 2% fall in revenue across all business lines to US$3.11bn and a rise in profit by 18% to US$843m. It attributed the rise in profits to the performance of its chemical business.

“We see a bright future for markets across the region, with steady growth rates. Especially in Vietnam, demand for building materials and packaging has risen, on the back of the boom of construction industry, with several infrastructure, residential and industrial projects, as the country has become a key production base of the world. Cambodia also continues to see steady growth of its industries while Indonesia has also begun to see improvements in the economy, with construction of several government mega-projects. At the same time, trade around the borders of Thailand and neighbouring countries is also doing well,” said Roongrote Rangsiyopash, President and CEO of Siam Cement Group.