Displaying items by tag: US
Do you want to build a cement plant?
16 December 2020Could the fairy tale of McInnis Cement have ended any other way? The saga of the frequently frozen cement plant in Quebec collided with reality this week when it emerged that the pension fund Caisse de depot et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and the provincial government are poised to let it go. The new buyer, Votorantim Cimentos, plans to form a new 83%-owned subsidiary based in Toronto to combine the assets of McInnis Cement and St Marys Cement. The proposed change in management marks a transition to a large multinational building materials producer.
Normally, Global Cement Weekly would end on a summary for its last outing of the year but the government involvement in the McInnis Cement’s ownership has created a very public tale of hope and hubris. Attempting to build a brand new integrated cement plant in rural Quebec might not seem exciting but this story has it all, from corporate competition to sustainability issues to clinker export markets. Readers looking for a global recap of 2020 should refer to the December 2020 issue of Global Cement Magazine with news and cement producer round-ups.
The McInnis story began in early 2014 when the Quebec provincial government announced that it would invest US$350m in a new 2.2Mt/yr cement plant and port facility to be operated by McInnis Cement at Port-Daniel. The project was championed by the Beaudoin-Bombardier family, which was to foot the larger share of the US$1bn total bill. Local press compared the gambit of entering a new market with established players as being similar to Bombardier's approach to its C Series airliner that was eventually bought out by Airbus: risky but potentially lucrative.
As the plan developed, competitors in both Canada and the US took exception to an export-focused cement plant being propped up by government money, political parties got involved over how public money was being spent and environmentalists became upset. The concerns of the latter were partially bypassed in order to get the project started. Then, when the cost over-ran by US$350m, the provincial government said it wasn’t spending any more and the CDPQ took over. The plant was inaugurated in September 2017 and the CDPQ started looking for a buyer or new investors at the start of 2018. It rowed back from this position in early 2019 when its chief executive officer told local press that the pension and insurance fund was ‘convinced’ of the potential of McInnis Cement. Votorantim was publicly linked to the company in September 2020 and the agreement followed this week.
It’s unknown how much Votorantim has paid to buy control of McInnis Cement but its presence in the Great Lakes region and the east coast will be augmented by this deal. Following the acquisition it will control two integrated plants and two grinding plants in the Midwest US, two integrated plants in Ontario, and now the McInnis integrated plant in Quebec. The combined integrated production capacity will rise to around 7Mt/yr. Things are looking up for the company with the Brazilian market recovering despite coronavirus and the US market holding steady so far in 2020.
The drama of McInnis Cement highlights the perils of state investment in heavy industry and the pitfalls of making a risky entry into a saturated market. The bit the Votorantim press release neglected to mention was the loss that the provincial government of Quebec is expected to make on its involvement with the cement plant. Instead it was left to Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon to admit to journalists that the province is prepared to lose up to US$370m on the affair if it can’t recoup its costs after other creditors take their slices over the next decade or so. One consolation that was reported in the local press was that jobs and facilities at the McInnis plant would be supported until at least 2029. The story of the cement plant at Port-Daniel continues for now but it’s likely to be far less public as private companies take it into the unknown.
Global Cement Weekly will return on 6 January 2020
Cemex launches Vertua concretes in US
16 December 2020US: Mexico-based Cemex has launched the Vertua range of low and net-zero CO2 concrete products in the US following introductions in Mexico and Europe. The range consists of Vertua Classic, Vertua Plus and Vertua Ultra. The company has begun by selling Vertua Classic – which it says offers a 20–30% reduction in CO2 emissions – in Bay Area, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego, California. Vertua Plus and Vertua Ultra products will be introduced in 2021.
California regional president Francisco Rivera said, “Since many customers are motivated to reduce the carbon footprint of their projects, we are delighted to offer Vertua Classic, which is suitable for a wide range of commercial and residential applications. Our Vertua products are uniquely designed to balance limited carbon specifications with our customers’ needs for high-quality performance and resilience.”
Cementos La Unión loses Arabian Cement Company arbitration case against Egyptian government
15 December 2020Egypt: The US-based International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has ruled in favour of the Egyptian government in a compensation case raised by Spain-based Cementos La Unión concerning its Arabian Cement Company (ACC) subsidiary. The El Economista newspaper has reported that the company sought US$286m in compensation, due to the Egyptian government’s decision to retroactively impose new activity and electricity licences shortly after ACC built a new integrated cement plant in Suez Governorate. Cementos La Unión argued that the additional licences breached a bilateral agreement between Spain and Egypt covering investments that were already in place.
The company said that it will continue to pursue its claim, which is also progressing in Egypt.
Votorantim Cimentos to merge McInnis Cement and St Mary’s Cement
11 December 2020Canada/US: Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos says it has agreed to form a new 83%-owned subsidiary based in Toronto to combine the assets of McInnis Cement and St Mary’s Cement. Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), the current owner of McInnis Cement, will hold a 17% stake in the joint-venture. The group says that it will manufacture, distribute and sell building materials in the companies’ existing regions in Canada and the US.
Votorantim Cimentos said, “The company believes this transaction will result in the creation of a competitive, nimble and highly efficient business that will be better able to supply cement to customers in Canada and the US. In addition to strengthening the company’s presence in North America by expanding its current cement production capacity by 2.2Mt/yr and combining the company’s Great Lakes-focused distribution network with McInnis Holding’s complementary distribution network in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern USA, the Company anticipates the Transaction will result in substantial synergies.”
The transaction is subject to approval by regulatory authorities in Brazil, the US and Canada.
Management changes at Scheuch Group announced
09 December 2020Austria: Scheuch Group has announced a number of changes to its management, starting with the appointment of Thomas Eberl as the third managing director of Scheuch Management Holding in August 2020. He remains in his role as chief financial officer (CRO) for Scheuch Group and joins Stefan Scheuch and Jörg Jeliniewski as a managing director.
Eberl has experience from his group and investment controlling role at Vivatis and from the automotive industry, where he worked in international locations at the ZKW Group for 20 years, the final nine of which were spent as CFO.
The group has also appointed Thomas Rainer and Michael Brandl as the managing directors of Scheuch and Scheuch Components respectively. This follows the stepping down of Stefan Scheuch and Jörg Jeliniewski from their interim Business Unit management roles at the start of November 2020.
Finally, the group has made changes to its personnel in its North America subsidiaries, with the appointments of Jim Weber as Vice President of Sales at Schust and Dan Bruyn as chief operating officer (COO) at Camcorp.
Weber succeeded John Rothermel, who was recently promoted to president of Scheuch USA, Schust's parent company, in mid-November 2020. He holds nearly 25 years of sales and leadership experience. He previously served in the US Army and graduated from West Point with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Bruyn started the newly created role for Camcorp from mid-November 2020. He holds 25 years of operations management experience in manufacturing environments. He was most recently Director of Operations at Garsite, where he led the business through a divestiture and financial turnaround. Earlier in his career he helped implement ‘lean’ management initiatives at Gardner-Denver, Harley-Davidson and Pentair. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia where he earned Master of Engineering and Industrial & Manufacturing Systems qualifications, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering.
HarbisonWalker International updates mobile refractory tools
07 December 2020US: HarbisonWalker International (HWI) has enhanced its Mobile Refractory Tools app based on customer input to increase the ease of refractory products and services optimisation in the field. HWI customers and Contractor/Installer Network (CIN) members can use the free app to access the refractory mix calculator to compute mix ratios and times for HWI products, search safety data sheets, find HWI Global Sourcing Center (GSC) locations, and contact HWI. The company says that CIN members can also gain access to HWI's Pocket Reference Guide (PRG), which contains comprehensive product information, brick sizes, shapes and combinations, sprung arches, anchors, and area and volume data. All business portal account holders receive basic access, along with product data, including datasheets, installation guidelines, curing and dry-out schedules, and the new kiln brick calculator.
Senior vice president (SVP) Mike Werner said, “We are always listening to our customers and the latest advancements in our mobile app reflect what our contractor/installers and customers told us would help them the most on the job.” He added, “HWI app users can find and calculate what they need to know about our products and services when they need them. We're constantly innovating with technology to help our customers and the overall refractories industry, with offerings like our High Temperature Times podcast and our Mobile Refractory Tools app. On-going updates to the app are an important part of our commitment.”
Mondi to open paper bags plant in Colombia in January 2021
02 December 2020Colombia: Austria-based Mondi Group plans to open its first South American paper bags plant in Cartagena in January 2021. The unit will start with one production line with a capacity of approximately 50m bags/yr. The bags will be targeted at the cement, chemical and food industries. The group said that the plant is located in a free-trade zone with good access to ports in Panama, the east coast of the US, the Gulf of Mexico and other Caribbean ports.
"Our global network already includes 39 plants across 22 countries. We are excited to be expanding our footprint to Colombia, helping us to provide innovative, sustainable and customer-focused paper packaging solutions to customers in South America who share our commitment to quality," said Claudio Fedalto, Chief Operating Officer Paper Bags, Mondi.
US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has announced the winners of the 2020 Safety Innovation Awards. The awards recognise ‘creative safety-enhancing projects in the cement industry’ across five categories.
Buzzi Unicem USA’s Joliet, Illinois cement terminal won the distribution award for its barge entry ladder, which reduced fall hazards associated with unloading cement from barges. Ash Grove Cement’s Durkee, Oregon cement plant won the general facility award for its burner pipes cart upgrade, which reduced safety hazards associated with moving cement kiln burner pipes. Further hazard reductions were made by Buzzi Unicem USA’s Chattanooga, Tennessee cement plant’s finish mill access platform and the Monarch Cement Company’s Humboldt, Kansas cement plant’s noise reduction upgrade, which jointly won the milling/grinding award. The pyroprocessing award went to GCC of America’s Pueblo, Colorado plant for its semi-automated clinker feeding system, while the quarry award went to Ash Grove Cement’s Louisville, Nebraska plant for its dump box hardened material extraction tool.
PCA president and chief executive officer (CEO) Michael Ireland said, “Our industry prioritises the safety of its employees above all else. We are proud of our members’ efforts to pursue excellence in safety innovation for their company and their colleagues.”
Update on Turkey: November 2020
18 November 2020Last week’s financial results from Çimsa contained a glimmer of hope for the Turkish cement market. Its net sales grew by 27% year-on-year to Euro175m in the first nine months of 2020 and operating profit more than doubled. Crucially, the balance between domestic and export sales tilted back a little toward the local market at a 55/45 ratio rather than 40/60 for the same period in 2019. Oyak Cement, another of the larger local producers, reported a similar rise in sales also. Akçansa Çimento, the joint venture between Sabancı Holding and HeidelbergCement, saw its sales fall slightly so far in 2020 but its profit grew. These financial results are all surprising given the currency and debt crisis the country faced in 2018 and now coronavirus in 2020.
Graph 1: Domestic and export cement sales in Turkey, January – July 2017 – 2020. Source: Turkish Cement Manufacturers’ Association (TÇMB)
Graph 1 above shows the general picture of the Turkish cement industry for the first seven months of each year to put the data so far in 2020 into context. The general Turkish economy faced problems in the middle of the year when the value of the Turkish Lira dropped sharply in mid-2018 and interest rates rose sharply. Subsequently, annual cement sales fell by over 20% year-on-year to 56.5Mt in 2019. A couple of weeks ago the Turkish Cement Manufacturers’ Association (TÇMB) said that the sector started 2020 optimistically with a recovery in January 2020. Coronavirus then hit, causing a contraction in the domestic market for the next four months. However, the construction market picked up again in June 2020 and this is expected to have continued into August 2020.
The cement sector previously pivoted to exports strongly with nearly a 50% bump up in exports to 11Mt in 2019. 2020 has been similar so far for the export market with a 40% rise year-on-year from January to July 2020 to around 9Mt. Much of these exports have gone to the US with local media and the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) reporting that the North American country took 18% of Turkey’s Euro840m cement exports from January to September 2020. Focusing on international trade has not come without a price though. In September 2020 the Ukrainian government started an investigation into alleged dumping of cement by Turkish producers. Following a complaint by local producers, the Interdepartmental Commission for International Trade (ICIT) determined that: “imports were made to an extent and under conditions such that they may cause material injury to the domestic producer.” The results of the investigation remain to be seen, but Ukraine had no qualms in 2019 about slapping tariffs onto cement imports from Russia, Belarus and Moldova.
All of this leaves the Turkish cement producers relying, much as previously, on the export market to hold up sales while the domestic market recovers to 2018 levels. This is becoming riskier, given the growing number of rivals exporting cement around the world, particularly from around the Mediterranean, and with more countries like Egypt hoping to do likewise. Yet as long as favourite destinations like the US and Israel keep buying, Turkey should be okay. At home, the question remains whether the growth seen post-coronavirus measures in the spring is a sign of economic recovery or merely pent up demand. The country’s initial coronavirus response was praised internationally but signs of a second wave are present. Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund (IMF) confirmed in October 2020 its earlier forecast of a 5% drop in gross domestic product (GDP) for Turkey in 2020. Much of the rest of the world is facing similar contractions in output or worse in 2020 but starting the year from a poor economic position is not enviable.
PCA to develop carbon neutral roadmap by end of 2021
18 November 2020US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) says it plans to develop a roadmap by the end of 2021 to help its member companies achieve carbon neutrality across the concrete value chain by 2050. It maintains that ‘concrete is critical to building a sustainable future’ and reinforced the benefits of concrete such as energy efficiency, lower life-cycle costs, durability and resilience. The roadmap is intended to solve problems facing the industry such as developing new technologies to reduce energy consumption and to develop and adopt related regulations.
“As the second most used material on earth and a cornerstone of our economy, we understand the critical role cement and concrete play in our nation’s future, and we are committed to an industry-wide effort that achieves carbon neutrality,” said Tom Beck, chairman of the PCA and president of Continental Cement. Rick Bohan, Vice President, Sustainability for the PCA added, “Developing a roadmap to carbon neutrality by 2050 further demonstrates our industry’s commitment to be a part of the solution and tackle this global issue.”
The PCA says that the industry has reduced energy consumption by 35%, emissions intensity by 11% and since 1990 has increased its use of alternative fuels.