US: Eco Material Technologies, a CRH company, officially opened its new pilot processing centre and the expansion of its testing laboratory at its Materials Testing and Research Facility (MTRF) in Taylorsville, Georgia, on 14 May 2026. The supplementary cementitious material (SCM) producer and supplier said that the 1500m² facility, which includes a ball mill, classifier, rotary dryer and ES ECOsystem carbon offloading system, enables end-to-end evaluation - from beneficiation through performance testing - allowing it to rapidly and accurately assess composition and reactivity to strengthen development and durability.

“This new pilot processing centre and the expansion of our research capabilities strengthen our ability to move from innovation to implementation at scale,” said Grant Quasha, president of Eco Material Technologies. “By advancing how we process and refine diverse material streams alongside pilot production and testing of our advanced technologies, we can convert underutilised resources into reliable, high-performing cementitious products and bring those solutions to market faster. Our MTRF facility plays a central role in ensuring every material we deliver performs in the field. Combined with the additional advanced laboratory resources and expertise available at both Ash Grove and CRH, this facility is ideally positioned to lead innovation in cementitious materials and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of construction.”

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos reported net sales of US$1.26bn, up by 15% excluding exchange rate effects, compared to the same period of the previous year. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 25% to US$152m and the company’s cement sales volumes increased by 4% year-on-year to 8Mt in the first quarter of 2026.

Within the scope of the company’s US$1bn investment plan for Brazil in the period 2024-2028, it said that US$558m is currently being invested in projects ‘with flexibility to accelerate or reduce the pace of investments,’ depending on economic performance and market conditions. The investment plan for Brazil is reportedly on track to make 3.7Mt/yr of additional capacity available in the country by the end of 2026.

CEO Osvaldo Ayres said “We finished the first quarter with solid operational and financial performance, posting consistent growth in a period when the sector was affected by seasonal factors. We made steady progress regarding our investments focused on structural competitiveness, capacity expansion, decarbonisation and new businesses. In the quarter in which we celebrated our 90th anniversary, we remained firmly committed to the execution of our strategic mandate.”

Nigeria: Lafarge Africa’s shareholders have approved a plan to rename the cement maker as HBM Nigeria Plc, marking the formal shift to its new Chinese majority owner Huaxin Building Materials (HBM). The decision was approved at the company's annual general meeting on 30 April 2026. The board was authorised to amend the company's articles and take the steps needed to complete the name change.

The rebrand follows Holcim's agreement in December 2024 to sell its almost 84% stake in Lafarge Africa to HBM in a deal valued at about US$1bn. HBM is one of the world's largest cement producers and has been expanding across Africa since the start of the 2020s.

Germany: thyssenkrupp has launched thyssenkrupp Calvion, a new company focused on industrial decarbonisation technologies including oxyfuel, direct air capture, quicklime and phosphogypsum recycling. The company said that thyssenkrupp Calvion comprises a team with expertise in industrial process technologies, large-scale plant engineering, flash calcination and CO₂ solutions.