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HAVER & BOECKER wins Lafarge Global Supplier Award 2014 18 November 2014
France: Lafarge has held its first global supplier competition, which had a total of seven categories, in a ceremony at its headquarters in Paris. With its ADAMS® technology for filling powder-type products into watertight PE bags, HAVER & BOECKER was able to win in the category of 'sustainability.' The jury's reasoning was that the technology showed 'an ability to operate in a sustainable manner, including the deployment of appropriate corrective actions.'
"Suppliers play an important role in our operations, delivering value year after year and pushing the boundaries in terms of innovation and cost competitiveness," said Thierry Metro, senior vice president of Energy and Strategic Sourcing at Lafarge. "The Global Supplier Awards represents a victory for our suppliers, for Lafarge and for our customers."
PPC profit falls by 9% due to lower local sales 18 November 2014
South Africa: PPC has announced that its full-year profit declined by 9% as its Africa expansion plan failed to offset declining sales in the domestic market. Net income was US$76.7m in the year through November 2014, compared with US$84.1m a year earlier. Sales grew by 9% year-on-year to US$8.13bn. Cement sales volumes grew by 2% year-on-year. "Performance was hampered by industrial action on the platinum belt, which had an adverse impact on trading conditions in South Africa," said PPC.
Holcim expects to pick buyers for assets in January 2015 18 November 2014
Switzerland: Holcim has said that it expects to have selected buyers for the assets that it must divest to push through its merger with Lafarge by the end of January 2015. Holcim's CFO Thomas Aebischer said that the company had received more than 60 non-binding bids by 20 October 2014.
HeidelbergCement closes Ukrainian plant because of separatists 18 November 2014
Ukraine: HeidelbergCement has shut down one of its cement plants in eastern Ukraine because separatists in the region want to impose their own agenda on the production process, according to a HeidelbergCement spokesman.
The plant was not occupied, but the separatists reportedly have their own ideas of how to produce cement. The spokesman added that HeidelbergCement would not engage in talks with the separatists. The 500 employees at the site are currently busy cleaning the facility, but if no solution is arrived at, their jobs will be threatened.
The plant has 2Mt/yr of cement production capacity. HeidelbergCement generates a turnover of Euro150m from its three Ukrainian sites, or 1% of its total revenues. However, in 2014 its turnover has fallen by 30% due to the conflict. Earlier in 2014 CEO Bernd Scheifele voiced his concerns about the developments in the region. Due to the political escalation interest rates exploded and loans vanished, putting the company's local production in danger.
Iran expects to make 120Mt/yr by 2025 17 November 2014
Iran: Iran has exported over 11.79Mt of cement and clinker during the first seven months of the current Iranian fiscal year, a period spanning 21 March 2014 to 22 October 2014. The Secretary of Iran's Cement Industry Employers Association, Abdolreza Sheikhan said that 8.1Mt of cement and 3.6Mt of clinker was exported.
Sheikhan added that around 32.5Mt of the country's total cement output was distributed in domestic markets during the first six months of the current fiscal year. Iran produced 41.6Mt of cement in the first seven months of the Iranian fiscal year. It exported over 20Mt of cement during the previous fiscal year.
Iran's Industry, Mines and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh has forecast that the country's cement export will hit 120Mt/yr by 2025.