September 2024
New grinding plant for Cemex in Nicaragua 26 August 2015
Nicaragua: Cemex has announced that it will open a new grinding plant in Managua department, Nicaragua by the end of August 2015. The facility required an investment of US$30m and is expected to double the firm's output in the country. This inauguration is part of an expansion strategy with a total allocation of US$55m, which will be developed by 2017.
Dangote signs up Sinoma for building spree 26 August 2015
Nigeria: Dangote Cement will sign contracts with China's Sinoma International Engineering on 26 August 2015 to build new cement plants across Africa, as well as in Nepal. Aliko Dangote confirmed that the new plants, some of which have been announced previously, will be built in Mali, Kenya, Zambia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Niger and Nepal.
Kenya: The board of directors of the East African Portland Cement company (EAPCC) has appointed Albert Sigei as its Chief Operating Officer with effect from 24 August, 2015. Sigei will be responsible for production operations, production engineering, supply chain management and sales and marketing. He will be based in the Athi River Office.
Sigei has worked in the cement industry for 18 years. His last role was as the Vice-President of Business Support & Ready Mix operations with Lafarge in Nigeria. He has previously worked with Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Sigei holds a BSc in Engineering from the University of Nairobi.
Jiangxi Wannianqing Cement's first half net profit plummets 25 August 2015
China: Jiangxi Wannianqing Cement has reported that its first half net profit fell by 61.2% year-on-year compared to the first half of 2014 at US$15.3m.
Vietnamese cement producers see improved results 25 August 2015
Vietnam: Cement firms in Vietnam are reported to be 'upbeat' as rising domestic consumption has lifted their profits in the first half of 2015. Tran Viet Thang, General Director of Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation (VICEM), reported that, despite unfavourable exports, VICEM still registered a pre-tax profit of US$62.6m in the first half of 2015. This is 34% more than the US$46.7m posted in the first half of 2015. VICEM expects that its full-year profits will surpass US$93m in 2015.
The most impressive business performance among VICEM members was from Ha Tien 1, which saw its first half post-tax profit spike to US$18.4m, a surge in growth that dwarfs the US$604,650 profit from a year earlier. The company's net revenue rose by 19.4% year-on-year to US$96m. Its gross profit rose by 51.5% to US$20m.
Hoang Mai made nearly US$1.4m in post-tax profits in the first six months of 2015, against US$1.1m a year ago. Its net revenue from sales and service supply in the second quarter came to US$23.2m compared to US$21m in the same period in 2014.
Apart from VICEM member units, other companies in the cement industry have also reported a promising returns, with strong growth in the first half. Cam Pha Cement JSC, based in the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh, saw a 21% jump in sales volumes during the period, generating a revenue of US$51m and a profit of US$3.1m.
In 2015 Vietnamese cement consumption is forecast to hit 74 - 75Mt, with a further 19-20Mt earmarked for export.
Philippines: Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc, a Philippine investment holding company, has signed a US$400m loan to help fund the acquisition of the Philippine assets and business of cement maker Lafarge SA. The loan is being provided by The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd.
Aboitiz Equity signed a deal with CRH in May 2015 to allow it to join the Irish building materials company in buying Lafarge's cement plants in the Philippines. CRH earlier agreed to buy the assets as part of Lafarge and Holcim assets that were due to be sold off prior to the formation of LafargeHolcim. Aboitiz Equity had said the investment is part of efforts to expand in infrastructure development.
Dominican Republic: Cementos Andino Dominicanos (CAD) has denied that it is planning to suspend work at its Pedernales factory after what the firm called 'a malicious media campaign.' Local reports claimed that CAD would stop production, hindering the construction of government-led tourism projects in one of Dominican Republic's most impoverished regions.
In response CAD underlined its commitment to help develop the area, where it invested US$150m to build the plant in 2002. The firm added that the facility had generated US$46.8m in cement exports and US$44m in exported added-value products since its opening.
New innovation centre for Cementos Argos 25 August 2015
Colombia: Cementos Argos will open a new concrete and cement innovation centre on 26 August 2015. The US$9.8m centre was developed in alliance with the Colombian government and Universidad Eafit. Jorge Mario Velasquez, president of Cementos Argos, has stated that the centre will strengthen and add value to the company's production chain.
Cement output up in Azerbaijan 24 August 2015
Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan produced 1.62Mt of cement between January and July 2015, a 2.4% decrease compared to the same period of 2014.
Probe into Loma Negra and Holcim in Argentina requested 24 August 2015
Argentina: Mateo Aleman, the head of the Chaco Construction Company Centre (CEC) has requested that Argentina's national government review the conduct of cement firms Loma Negra and Holcim. He claims that they have been cutting back on cement supplies for several months, in breach of Argentina's Supply Law. According to Aleman, a lack of supply has created a huge price distortions in the market where speculators have been known to double prices, as in the case in the interior of Chaco province.