UK: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Aggregate Industries has launched three Lafarge branded packed cement and concrete products: High Performance Concrete; Instant Concrete; and Premium Cement. The company says that the products are “a response to rising demand from merchants and their customers alike to offer more specialised packed cement solutions,” and are suited to various domestic applications.

Product manager Lee Dunderdale said, “Through our on-going engagement with builders and builders’ merchants in the UK, we’ve had growing calls to offer more specialised solutions which offer the level of superior quality our brand has become known for. As such, we’ve invested heavily in creating these additional three products, which have been purposely manufactured to provide our customers with an incredibly easy, quick and exceptional quality cement solution for a range of typical applications. We believe that these new additions - alongside our well-established packed cement range - will see us continue in our position as the one-stop-shop provider for cement product excellence here in the UK. “We’d encourage all merchants and their customers to make use of these high-quality products, which will no doubt enable even greater ease of use and convenience for busy builders and DIYers.”

France: Vicat recorded net sales of Euro2.07bn in the first nine months of 2020, up slightly from Euro2.06bn in the first nine months of 2019. Sales rose in Africa by 23% to Euro198m from Euro161m, in Europe (excluding France) by 8% to Euro317m from Euro294m and in the Americas by 7% to Euro471m from Euro442m.

Cement sales constituted 51% of sales at Euro1.05bn, up by 5% from Euro991m. Cement volumes rose by 8% to 18.0Mt from 16.7Mt, while concrete volumes fell by 2% to 6.65Mt from 6.78Mt.

Chair and chief executive officer (CEO) Guy Sidos said, “The impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the group's operating profit was eliminated by the end of July 2020. The good momentum observed since then, particularly in the group's most recent operations in India and Brazil, leads us to envisage that operating profit may increase significantly at constant scope and exchange rates in 2020. Nevertheless, the group is continuing its efforts to reduce structural costs, signified by the relocation on 1 October 2020 of its head office to l’Isle d'Abeau in Isère.”

UK: QMJ Group has announced 9 – 10 March 2020 as the dates for Hillhead Digital, a “multi-stream conference with an innovative exhibition platform that will allow the industry to connect and engage like never before.” Under the heading “New Horizons – Building the Recovery,” the event will feature 40 seminars and panel sessions, providing insights into “themes that will shape and transform the extractives and construction industry over the next decade,” namely digitisation, decarbonisation and infrastructure, as well as 500 virtual booths. Delegates will also be able to arrange live chats and meetings with other attendees.

QMJ Group managing director Richard Bradbury said, “With exhibitors unable to showcase their products and services at physical exhibitions over the last year, Hillhead Digital will provide a safe and dynamic platform for the community to reconnect and share all of the positive developments that will help shape the construction recovery. Our digital-format event will extend Hillhead’s international reach and increase its coverage of the technology sector and younger demographic groups. It will celebrate the enormous contribution the sector makes to the UK and provide an exciting prelude to the physical event we look forward to delivering on 22 – 24 June 2021.”

Pakistan: Lucky Cement chief executive officer (CEO) Muhammed Ali Tabba has praised the government’s decision to lift coronavirus lockdown restrictions on the export of products. As a result, he predicted that the rate of export growth would increase in 2020. The Balochistan Times newspaper has reported that Tabba also welcomed the end of restrictions on construction, and thanked the State Bank of Pakistan for subsidising payrolls during the on-going national coronavirus lockdown and the Ministry of Finance for releasing business refunds quickly.

Tabba said, “The country has benefited greatly from the way the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has won the war against a pandemic like Covid-19.”