France: Milling and process equipment supplier Fives has acquired Dufieux, a “high-tech machine-tool designer and manufacturer” and developer of the Milling Mirror System (MMS). The company says that Dufieux’s activities complement Fives’ machine-tool offerings for the cement and general industry markets, which are sold through the Forest-Liné, Liné Machines, Giddings & Lewis and Cincinnati ranges. No amount for the acquisition has been disclosed.

High-precision machines division president Raphaël Constantin said, “Despite a difficult situation, we are continuing our efforts to develop effective, innovative and more environmentally friendly solutions which are better suited to future production requirements. Dufieux’s offering supplements our range of high-performance machine-tools, which already includes an unrivalled portfolio of technologies. This will also strengthen our capacity for innovation and industrial flexibility.”

Mexico: Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) recorded nine-month net sales of US$705m in 2020, down slightly from US$706 in the same period of 2019. Operating earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 10% to US$227m from US$206.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Enrique Escalante said, “We experienced mixed demand for our products in most of our markets in Mexico and the US, however both exceeded our expectations from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Looking forward, our backlog remains encouraging, while overall macro conditions show mixed signs, and short-term uncertainty prevails, mainly regarding Covid-19 outbreaks and weather. Therefore, our goal is to maintain our financial strength, keep people safe and employed, and to continue to serve GCC’s life blood - our invaluable customers.”

Mexico: Cemex’s net sales in the first nine months of 2020 were US$9.43bn, down by 4% year-on-year from US$9.87bn in the corresponding period of 2019. Operating earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was US$1.82bn, in line with the first nine months of 2019. Cement volumes fell by 2% to 46.2Mt from 47.2Mt. The group said that sales volumes increased in most regions in the third quarter of 2020 as economies began to reopen following the Covid-19 lockdown.

Fernando A González, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Cemex said, “We are pleased with our performance in the third quarter in which all regions participated in earnings recovery. Indeed, during the quarter, we experienced EBITDA recovery from the second quarter decline, due to Covid-19, as well as strong year-over-year growth. Operation Resilience played a key role in this performance.”

Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has announced the launch of EcoLabel, a brand to encapsulate its green cements and concretes. All products bearing the label must have either a 30% lower carbon dioxide (CO₂) footprint compared to the local industry standard or use 20% recycled content. The company says that the reason behind EcoLabel is to “support builders in making greener choices” and to “accelerate the company’s Net Zero Journey.”

Chief sustainability officer Magali Anderson said, “I am very proud of how our company is turning our net zero pledge into action across more than 70 countries, with our broad range of green building solutions. The EcoLabel is a key milestone on this journey, confirming LafargeHolcim’s commitment to lead the way in sustainability and innovation.”