Ireland/US: Albert Manifold, the chief executive officer of CRH, has described the company as a ‘de facto’ American company at it its annual general meeting. "This is a golden age of construction in the US," said Manifold, according to the Irish Times newspaper. He added that moving the group's main stock market listing to the US made it "more of an American company, which de facto we actually are". He also noted comments by US president Joe Biden in February 2023 that the country was planning “to buy American” as part of its infrastructure spending. North America accounted for 75% of the group’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in 2022 compared to around a half in the early 2010s.

CRH said in March 2023 that it was preparing to move its primary listing of shares to a US-based stock exchange.

Spain: Heidelberg Materials’ subsidiaries HeidelbergCement Hispania, Cementos Rezola and Hanson have rebranded as Heidelberg Materials. HeidelbergCement Hispania used the Hanson brand for the production and sale of concrete and aggregates. Cementos Rezola (also known as FYM) was used for the manufacture and sale of cement. The marketing exercise follows the change in name of parent company Germany-based Heildelberg Cement to Heidelberg Materials in September 2022.

Heidelberg Materials in Spain operates two integrated cement plants, six quarries and four ready-mixed concrete plants.

North Korea: Upgrades to two cement plants have been reported by the Korean Central News Agency. The Sunchon cement plant near Pyongyang has installed a multi-channel pulverised-coal burner. The upgrade has allowed the unit to both save coal and increase cement production. The Chonnaeri cement plant in Hamgyongnam province has started operating a new clinker cooler. The companies supplying the new equipment to either plant have not been revealed.

UK: Germany-based Beumer Group has opened a new local head office at Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire. The previous head office in the country, near London, will continue to operate as a satellite office.

David McGarry, the chief executive officer of Beumer Group UK, said “The opening of the new UK head office reinforces our strong partnership and commitment to our customers in the UK and Ireland, this will enable us to provide an even more seamless service to support them in their continued growth investing in local expertise in the long term.”

Beumer Group sells products for conveying, loading, palletising, packaging, sortation and baggage handling.