Displaying items by tag: US

US: Colombia's Cementos Argos announced an agreement with US-based Vulcan Materials for the acquisition of cement, concrete, blocks and port assets in Florida, USA worth a total of US$720m. The acquisition will consolidate its participation in the growing market in the south east of the US.

The assets that are part of this transaction increase the Cementos Argos' installed cement capacity by 3.5Mt/yr, thanks to the integrated cement plant Newberry, Florida (1.6Mt/yr) and grinding mills in Tampa and Port Manatee (1.9Mt/yr combined). The deal also features 69 ready mix concrete plants with 372 mixers and an annual production capacity of 3.3 million m³ and 13 concrete block production plants.

"This new transaction fits perfectly with the company's growth strategy, not only for the size and quality of the assets but also because of its privileged location, the growth potential and its complementary operation with our current assets," said Jorge Mario Velasquez, CEO of Cementos Argos. "We are doubling our cement production capacity in the United States, in a market like Florida, where the growth forecast for the coming years is expected to double the already encouraging growth estimates. Florida is one of the fourth largest state economies, with the highest cement consumption and population of the US."

Through this acquisition, Cementos Argos becomes the second-biggest producer of cement in Florida and in the south-east of the US. With this, the company will achieve a total installed capacity, in all of the locations in which it has a presence, of 20Mt/yr.

US: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry groups including cement producers have failed to settle a permit dispute that is testing whether the agency has the authority to require operators of hazardous waste combustion units to conduct risk assessments that can be used to strengthen emissions limits for mercury and other pollutants when renewing the facilities' existing waste and air permits. Negotiations stalled during a meeting in November 2013 between EPA lawyers and cement kiln operators at EPA's Region V offices, according to an 8 January 2014 status report the parties filed with the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB). Litigation will continue on 20 February 2014.

The case began on 8 July 2013 when ESSROC Cement petitioned the EAB to review Region V's decision requiring a site-specific risk assessments (SSRA) at ESSROC's hazardous waste combustor facility in Logansport, Indiana, during the 2012 renewal of the facility's RCRA permit. After the facility conducted the SSRA, Region V imposed a restrictive annual mercury feed rate limit, which ESSROC said, "goes far beyond what is necessary to protect human health and the environment."

The case marks a new test for the risk assessment requirements EPA attached to its 2005 regulations governing hazardous waste combustion facilities that emit air pollutants, including cement kilns. The 2005 regulations set strict new maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the combustion facilities that burn the hazardous waste. The rule also integrated the MACT standards with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements so that facilities must comply with the MACT standards to be eligible for RCRA permits.

US: Lafarge has announced the sale of five aggregates quarries and related assets in Maryland to Bluegrass Materials for a total enterprise value of US$320m, subject to relevant regulatory approvals.

With these divestments, Lafarge has largely completed its strategy of refocusing on its core markets in the US. The company now operates a strong network of integrated positions mainly located in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River regions. These include nine cement or grinding plants and associated cement terminals with a combined capacity of 11Mt/yr, as well as related aggregates and concrete businesses in these markets.

US: Texas Industries Inc's (TXI) fiscal second-quarter loss widened as the construction materials company reported higher product costs and a jump in interest expenses, masking broad sales growth that boosted the top line. Though TXI reported higher sales for cement, concrete and the company's aggregate operations, the results were weaker than expected.

The company, which sells cement and other building materials in Texas and California, has struggled to compete against more geographically diverse peers. However, TXI has reported stronger sales so far this fiscal year.

For the quarter that ended on 30 November 2013 TXI reported a loss of US$17.6m compared to a loss of US$11.1m in the quarter that ended on 30 November 2012, while net sales grew by 25% to US$209m. Its gross margin narrowed to 6.8% from 7%. Sales by its cement segment, the company's largest top-line contributor, increased by 12% on higher shipments and a slight increase in prices. TXI announced that while pricing has improved, its prices still remain well below levels seen prior to the recession.

US: ANH Refractories Company has named Stephen M Delo as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Gabriel Faimann, the company's former Interim CEO, who has left to pursue other career opportunities.

Delo most recently served as Director of Integrated Supply Chain for Honeywell International's Performance, Materials and Technologies business and has held senior leadership roles of increasing responsibility during his 34 year tenure with Honeywell. He began his career with Honeywell (formerly Allied Chemical) after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering at Louisiana State University, where he also later earned his Masters' degree in Business Administration.

"I am excited to be named Chief Executive Officer for ANH," said Delo. "I look forward to the opportunity to transform ANH's operations and drive long-term growth and sustainability. I am excited to be working with ANH employees to build upon our company's reputation and develop innovative ways to successfully meet the needs of our customers, as well as expand our markets served and products offered."

US: Cemtrex has announced that it is experiencing an increased level of inquiries relating to its emission monitors from cement companies. Although the technology company has not reported how much its enquiries have risen by, it stands to benefit from the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Cement Manufacturing Industry that have a compliance deadline date of 9 September 2015.

In a press release Cemtrex detailed monitoring instruments that it sells to measure mercury, hydrogen chloride, particulate matter and total hydrocarbons (THC) that are discharged from cement kiln stacks. Cemtrex estimates that each system will cost approximately US$0.50m and there are about 156 kilns that will be affected by this EPA MACT Rule in the US.

US: Saint-Gobain has signed an agreement for the sale of its US-based fibre cement siding business to Plycem USA, a subsidiary of Elementia of Mexico. The transaction is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2014, subject to standard closing conditions.

The business is part of Saint-Gobain's Exterior Products activity of the Construction Products Sector. It manufactures and sells fibre cement siding, trim and accessory products for the US and Canadian residential and commercial construction markets. The business employs close to 250 people and has three US production sites at Roaring River, North Carolina, Terre Haute, Indiana and White City, Oregon.

US: Solidia Technologies has reported the chemical properties, manufacture and performance qualities of a sustainable cement that can reduce the carbon footprint of cement and concrete products by up to 70%.

Solidia Cement™is made from the same raw materials and equipment as OPC, but is adaptable to a wide variety of cement formulations and production methods, offering a sustainable and performance-enhancing alternative.

Solidia Cement clinker is produced at 1200°C, approximately 250°C lower than OPC clinker. The cement is a non-hydraulic material that is composed primarily of low-lime-containing calcium silicate phases such as wollastonite / pseudowollastonite (CaO.SiO₂) and rankinite (3CaO.2SiO₂). The setting and hardening characteristics are derived from the reaction between CO₂ and the calcium silicates. During the carbonation process, calcite (CaCO₃) and silica (SiO₂) form and are responsible for the concrete strength development.

Concrete products produced with Solidia Cement are manufactured using the same mixing and forming processes as OPC-based concrete and sequester up to 300kg of CO₂/t of cement. The reduced CO₂ emissions, combined with the ability of the cement to sequester CO₂ during concrete curing, renders a CO₂ footprint (associated with both the manufacturing and use) that is reduced by up to 70%.

"For over 50 years, scientists have tried to cure concrete with CO₂ knowing the resulting product would be stronger and more stable. Solidia Technologies is the first to make this commercially viable. Our current focus is testing additional applications with an even wider variety of concrete formulations and manufacture methods to facilitate adoption across the globe," said Solidia Chief Technology Officer Nicholas DeCristofaro, who co-authored the paper with principal scientist Sada Sahu.

Solidia Concrete™will be explored in a companion paper that is due to be released in January 2014.

US: Buzzi Unicem USA has announced that it plans to modernise and expand its Maryneal cement plant in Texas. The updated plant will have a 1.2Mt/yr cement capacity, up from 0.55Mt/yr. State-of-the-art pollution control equipment will be installed that will significantly reduce NOx emissions. The major components that will be installed during the expansion will include a new raw mill, a preheater/precalciner kiln and cooler system, a 4500KW finish mill, a solid fuel grinding and feed system and continued use of a newly commissioned Fives FCB Horomill Finish Mill.

"As an industry leader in quality and service, Buzzi Unicem USA is committed to sustainable, environmentally-responsible manufacturing at all of its plants," said David Nepereny, CEO of Buzzi Unicem USA. "The Maryneal plant expansion will result in a world-class facility that has the latest pyroprocessing, environmental and safety equipment."

The expansion will create an additional 200 full-time jobs for the 2 - 3 years that construction project is expected to last.

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) expects 2013 cement consumption to reach nearly 80Mt, a 4.5% increase on 2012. Consumption levels are projected to reach 86Mt in 2014, an 8.1% year-on-year growth.

During 2014 it is possible that all construction sectors will record growth, according to the PCA. While the growth will be broad-based, half of it will come from residential construction activity where there is the largest amount of pent-up demand from the recession. The commercial and institutional sector will contribute another 25%. Typically, when each sector contributes to growth, robust growth rates in cement consumption materialises. Growth in US construction markets could, however, be dampened by congressional drama that erodes consumer confidence and hinders recovery, according to the latest forecast.

"American consumers love drama. Moreover, congress knows how to create it, with more on the way when the debt ceiling talks resume in early in 2014," said Edward Sullivan, PCA group vice president and chief economist. "Each time the political circus on Capitol Hill addresses extensions of the debt limit, budget approvals or the fiscal cliff, it harms the burgeoning economic momentum." Consumer and business confidence is a key ingredient for stronger economic gains, said Sullivan. Congress could easily derail recovery momentum with political drama created by the federal shutdown and debt ceilings.

The PCA predicts real construction spending to grow by 1.3% in 2013 and by 8% in 2014. By 2018 cement consumption is expected to reach nearly 119Mt, 3% below the past cyclical peak in 2005. This implies a 14 year recovery.