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Argentina: Holcim Argentina, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, has announced plans to open 1000 new branches of its Disensa retail chain by 2024. The Diario Financiero newspaper has reported that the chain opened 40 new locations during 2020.
General manager Natalia Soler said, "Being considered an essential sector, builders merchants continued to operate during quarantine. This scenario benefited us, coupled with the number of customers who took advantage of the context and their savings to make repairs to their homes."
The price of cement in Nigeria
Written by David Perilli, Global Cement
28 April 2021
For those not following the news in Nigeria, a nationwide row has broken out about the cost of cement in the country. Two of the three main local producers have been forced to publicly defend their pricing. Alongside this, the Senate of Nigeria has implored the federal government to encourage further local investment in cement production with the goal of keeping the end price down.
The current debacle started to take form in the autumn of 2020 when the price of cement leapt up by 35%. Builders and those immediately affected started complaining then but the argument really heated up in April 2021 when the local press started comparing the price of cement in Nigeria unfavourably against neighbouring countries. Dangote Cement, one of Africa’s largest cement producing companies and a Nigerian-based one at that, immediately defended itself by pointing out that its ex-factory price was the same or lower than in other African countries. It added that it could not control the price of cement between its factory and the end-consumer with dealers and middlemen benefiting from the gap. A week later the Senate of Nigeria intervened with its members discussing the issue in relation to a bill intended to liberalise the sector. This week, BUA Cement said publicly that it had no plans to raise the ex-factory price of its cement at the present time or in the future, “…barring any material, unforeseen circumstances.”
The roots of the current crisis go back to the mid-2010s when Nigeria declared itself ‘self-sufficient’ in cement after building up its domestic production capacity. At the same time it discouraged imports and embraced exports. Today, the country’s cement production capacity is around 49Mt/yr and annual demand is around 21Mt. This self-sufficiency path reached one milestone for Dangote Cement in 2020 with clinker exports starting from its Apapa terminal and the commissioning of its Onne Export Terminal in Port Harcourt. Under the old narrative for the sector this was a moment for congratulation. Suddenly though, instead of being seen as the saviour of the industry, members of the legislature were asking whether it was a good thing for Dangote Cement to hold a 60% share of the local market with most of the rest shared between Lafarge Africa and BUA Cement.
The price row has seen Dangote Cement promptly suspend exports from those new terminals. It also said it had reactivated its 4.5Mt/yr Gboko plant in Benue State, which was reportedly mothballed in 2018. It is worth noting here that the Gboko plant was part of that national capacity total above despite being mothballed until fairly recently. Aside from the middleman argument, the producer said that its production costs had risen over the past 15 months due to negative currency effects but that it hadn’t increased its ex-factory prices since December 2019.
A survey by the News Agency of Nigeria in the north-east of the country revealed all sorts of speculation about why the price was so high but few facts. Some of the opinions expressed included: the coronavirus outbreak; low production rates at the plants; market middlemen; and transport costs. What is clearer is that the country’s cement production capacity is more than double that of its demand. On paper at least the nation should be able to satisfy its own needs and then export the same again with plenty spare. Yet somehow this isn’t happening. If the government really believes in self-sufficiency it may be time to take another look at the cement sector, the challenges it faces and the needs of the end consumers.
Gao Dengbang resigns as chairman of Anhui Conch
Written by Global Cement staff
28 April 2021
China: Gao Dengbang has resigned as the chairman and an executive director of Anhui Conch. The company has proposed appointing Wang Cheng as an executive director subject to shareholder approval at the next annual general meeting.
Wang, aged 55 years, holds a postgraduate degree in economic management from the Central Party School. In March 2021 he joined Conch Holdings. He is currently the party secretary and chairman of Conch Holdings.
He started his career in 1983. Since 2003, he has held key senior positions in a number of provincial cities including deputy mayor and a member of the standing committee of the municipal committee of Huainan city, deputy secretary of the municipal committee and mayor of the municipal government of Bengbu city. Wang is currently a representative of the 13th National People’s Congress.
Fatih Yücelik elected as chairman of Türkçimento
Written by Global Cement staff
28 April 2021
Turkey: Fatih Yücelik has been elected as the 24th chairman of the board of Türkçimento, the Turkish Cement Manufacturers’ Association. He succeeds Tamer Saka in the role.
Yücelik has worked as a senior executive in the construction sector. He currently works as the vice chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the executive board of Erçimsan Holding. He holds a number of positions with non-governmental organisations, including that of Eastern Anatolian Honorary Consul to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, deputy chairman of the board of directors of Cement Industry Employers' Union (ÇEİS) and as a board member of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK).
Ulrich Spiesshofer appointed as chairman of Schenck Process Group
Written by Global Cement staff
28 April 2021
Germany: Schenck Process Group has appointed Ulrich Spiesshofer as the chairman of its advisory board with effect from 1 May 2021.
Spiesshofer recently served as chief executive of the group from 2013 to 2019 and has been a member of the executive committee of ABB since 2005. He currently serves on the board of directors of Infineon, Munich, serves as senior advisor to Blackstone and is assuming the chairman role at Sabre Industries, based in Texas, US. Prior to ABB, Spiesshofer was Senior Partner and Global Head of Operations for Roland Berger and served AT Kearney in Europe, Australia, Asia and the US for 11 years most recently as partner and managing director of their Swiss operations. He holds a PhD in Economics and a master’s degree in Business Administration and Engineering from the University of Stuttgart, Germany.