November 2024

Poland: The Swiss-based Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) has acknowledged Górażdże Concrete’s sustainable management of resources in the concrete production process. Przemysław Malinowski, Górażdże president, stated that the company has sought to ‘minimise its impact on the environment in all areas of the supply chain.’ This included sourcing its cement from producers who demonstrate effective waste heat recovery and alternative fuel substitution practices, with a view to promoting the circular economy.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) established the CSC to promote care for the economic, social and environmental impacts of concrete production by auditing the entire production process. In a Polish concrete sector of 25Mm3/yr total production capacity, Górażdże is the sole holder of CSC certification.

China: Anhui Conch’s three-month net profit to 30 September grew by 13% year-on-year to US$602m in 2019 from US$533m in 2018. The company attributed this to a leap in total operating income to US$5.53bn over the period compared to US$4.54bn in the third quarter of 2018, representing an increase of 22%.

Mexico: Cemex has reported a gross profit in the three months to 30 September 2019 of US$3.34bn, down by 8.0% year-on-year from US$3.64bn. Its operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were US$1.88bn, down by 11% year-on-year from US$2.11bn in the three months to 30 September 2018. The company stated that lower volumes offset higher sale price in all regions.

China: China Resources Cement (CRC), China’s seventh-largest producer of cement, has reported a net profit for the nine months to 30 September 2019 of US$739m, down by 4.9% year-on-year from US$775m in the corresponding period of 2018. Its third quarter profit in 2019 was US$259m, down by 1.9% year-on-year from US$264m. CRC attributed the fall to lower turnover and the weak performance of the Yuan compared to the Hong Kong Dollar.

China: Huaxin Cement has reported a net profit of US$680m for the period of nine months to 30 September 2019. This represents a 42% year-on-year increase from US$478m in the corresponding period of 2018. Its operating income over the period grew by 18% year-on-year to US$3.18bn from US$2.69bn. Huaxin Cement made several investments in emerging markets over the period, with its Uzbek plant in Zarafabad set to become operation in December 2019.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) recorded a net profit after tax of US$200m in the three months to the 30 September 2019, down by 48% year-on-year from US$388m. It revenue over the period stood at US$3.65bn, down by 9.9% from US$4.06bn in the corresponding period of 2018. SCS’s cement-building materials section fell less dramatically, with nine-month profit attributable to owners down by 6.3% year-on-year to US$0.16m from US$0.15m, and a decrease in sales of 1.7% to US$4.54m from US$4.62m in the corresponding period of 2018.

SCG, Thailand’s largest industrial conglomerate, is planning an initial public offering (IPO) for its packaging subsidiary SCG Packaging. Reuters has reported that proceeds deriving from the listing would ‘be used for domestic and international business expansion.’ The company will remain the major shareholder at 70%.

China: Asia Cement (China) Holdings has reported a net profit of US$320m in the nine months to 30 September 2019, up by 40.2% year-on-year from US$228m. The company attributed this to steady earnings growth.

Philippines: Cemex Holdings Philippines has recorded a profit of US$17.1m in the nine months to 30 September 2019, compared to US$13.0m losses in the corresponding period of 2018. The company attributed the turn-around to steadily growing sales, up by 1.7% year-on-year to US$0.36bn from US$0.35bn, foreign exchange gains and lower income tax expenses, in spite of falling domestic volumes. The Manila Times has reported that a drop in construction activity and delays to projects failed to prevent a 5% rise in domestic cement prices throughout the period.

Australia: Barro Group, the family-owned supplier of premixed concrete, quarry machinery and associated products, has attracted the scrutiny of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over its 43% stake in Adelaide Brighton due to the possible overlap in the two companies’ roles as suppliers of cement, concrete and aggregates. The Advertiser reported that Adelaide Brighton chairman Raymond Barro defended the pairing, saying the companies had ‘complementary footprints’ with ‘limited crossover of products and locations in which for Adelaide Brighton and Barrow Group to compete.’

China: Xinjiang Tianshan Cement has recorded a net profit of US$72.2m in the three months to 30 September 2019, representing an increase of 12% from US$64.5m in the corresponding quarter of 2018. Revenue leapt up to US$464m from US$376m.

Shangfeng Cement also improved its profits in the quarter by 70% year-on-year to US$839m from US$494m in the three months to 2018.