Displaying items by tag: Refractory
Refratechnik forms joint venture with Haicheng Guotian Mining and Yingkou Jinlong Refractories
29 October 2018China: Germany’s Refratechnik has signed a joint venture contract with Haicheng Guotian Mining and Yingkou Jinlong Refractories for the production of high-grade caustic calcined magnesia (CCM) and dead burned magnesia (DBM) at a new plant at Pailou near Haicheng in Liaoning. Yingkou Jinlong Refractories is a long-standing partner of Refratechnik in China and Haicheng Guotian Mining is an existing CCM and DBM producer in Haicheng with long-term secure access to magnesite ore.
Construction of the new plant has started and production at the site is scheduled to begin in 2019. The unit will manufacture 0.1Mt/yr of DBM and over 0.1Mt/yr of CCM. The joint venture is intended to secure supply for Refratechnik’s worldwide refractory production and to diversify and strengthen its international industrial minerals business.
UK: Refractory producer RHI Magnesita says that its cement and lime segment was ‘flat’ in the first half of 2018. It blamed this on on-going low capacity utilisation in China and Brazil and ‘some’ market share losses due to its prices. The adjusted sales revenue of its Industrial Division, including cement and lime, rose by 14.3% year-on-year to Euro413m in the first half of 2018 from Euro362m in the same period of 2017. Overall, the company reported a 24.6% increase in revenue to Euro1.51bn from Euro1.21bn.
In a separate release RHI Magnesita subsidiary Magnesita said that the company’s revenue rose by 81.6% to US$133m. This was attributed to sales to the cement business in North America and higher deliveries in Europe in 2018. However, Magnesita’s services business suffered from a poor cement market in Brazil.
China to retaliate on US tariffs on cement
07 August 2018China/US: China’s Ministry of Commerce has proposed placing retaliatory tariffs on products from the US, including cement. The list covers 5207 items and proposes adding import taxes of up to 25% on them. It includes clinker, white cement, limestone, quicklime, slaked lime, gypsum, refractory products and cement packaging machinery. The ministry said that the new tariffs will take effect at a date to be announced later on.
RHI Magnesita to merge operations in India
01 August 2018India: RHI Magnesita plans to merge its three local subsidiaries, RHI India and RHI Clasil with Orient Refractories. On completion of the proposed merger RHI Magnesita will own about 70% in Orient Refractories which will be renamed RHI Magnesita India. The transaction is expected to be complete by mid-2019.
“The proposed merger of our Indian subsidiaries marks an important milestone towards expanding RHI Magnesita’s market leadership in the refractory market in India. One strong, integrated organisation and management will increase long term value for all stakeholders and efficiently combine resources and capabilities. This merger will significantly enhance the profile of RHI Magnesita in India and creates a stronger foundation to tap the immense growth potential we see in the Indian market,” said Stefan Borgas, chief executive officer (CEO) of RHI Magnesita.
Orient Refractories is currently 70% owned by RHI Magnesita. It is a manufacturer and supplier of special refractory products, systems and services for the steel industry. RHI India, a wholly-owned RHI Magnesita subsidiary, is the local sales company of RHI Magnesita group offering a range of refractories and related services sourced from various RHI Magnesita group entities to Indian customers. RHI Clasil is 53.7% owned by RHI Magnesita. It is a manufacturer and supplier of mainly alumina-based refractories for steel and cement.
This merger is part of RHI Magnesita’s strategic pillar ‘markets’ that focuses on building a global presence with strong local organisations and solid market positions. India’s growth prospects in the refractory market derive primarily from the steel sector, which is RHI Magnesita’s largest customer industry.
Once the merger is complete the new company will operate two production plants and employ over 700 workers. The proposal is subject to shareholder and regulator approval.
China: Austria’s RHI Magnesita plans to invest Euro20m in its dolomite plant in China. It is intended to address global pressures in the supply of raw materials to the refractory industry and ‘rapidly’ provide additional volumes to its customers worldwide. In the medium term more than 250 jobs will be created at the brick plant and raw material mine in Chizhou.
The Chizhou site includes an ‘extensive’ dolomite mine and raw material production as well as facilities for the production of high-quality dolomite-based finished products. Successful trials are already underway in the brick plant in Chizhou where it is planned to start production by the beginning of 2019. The raw dolomite mine is planned to resume operation by the end of 2019. This overall investment will eventually lead to the creation of up to 250 jobs.
“After the completion of the investment, RHI Magnesita will be able to offer a fully integrated dolomite source in each of the big regions of the world to our customers and simultaneously offer dual sourcing options,” said Stefan Borgas, the chief executive officer (CEO) of RHI Magnesita. He added that the investment will allow the company to offer its customers in Asia shorter lead times and provide additional capacity to customers in North America, Europe and Asia from local sources.
Borgas went on to say that stricter environmental regulations in China have led to local plant closures, resulting in shortages of both magnesite and dolomite, ‘dramatic’ increases in raw material cost and supply security issues. These developments have accelerated the shift from magnesia- to dolomite based products. High stainless steel production has further fuelled demand for refractory products and compounded the pressure on raw material supplies.
US: Plibrico has appointed Norm Phelps as its new Vice President of Sales. Phelps will be responsible for aligning sales strategy and objectives with Plibrico's long term vision and corporate goals. He will be based in Atlanta, Georgia and will report to Plibrico president and chief executive officer Brad Taylor.
Phelps has worked in the refractory industry for 18 years, holding sales and marketing positions at Vesuvius and Zampell in the US. Later he moved to Europe to join Calderys as Global Market Manager responsible for the aluminum and boiler segments in 2011. In 2014, he took on the role of Business Development Manager, leading the Calderys expansion into North America, including the purchase and integration of Spar and the creation of Calderys USA. Most recently, he served as General Manager for Calderys North America.
Phelps holds a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and is a graduate of the Executive Development Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
HarbisonWalker International obtains ISO certification for refractory plants in Georgia and Kansas
29 March 2018US: HarbisonWalker International has obtained ISO 9001:2015 certification for its Thomasville monolithic and precast refractory plant in Georgia and its South Shore refractory brick plant in Kansas. The refractory manufacturer now plans to achieve the new ISO standard at the rest of its plants by the end of 2018.
Kerneos and Imerys Refractory Minerals reform as Imerys Aluminates
16 February 2018France: Imerys has reorganised its Kerneos and Imerys Refractory Minerals businesses into one division: Imerys Aluminates. The new organisation will be managed by Jean-Marc Bianchi, Vice-President and General Manager, and it will become one of Imerys' 12 divisions.
Imerys Aluminates is expected to generate a yearly turnover of approximately Euro650m, it operates 23 industrial sites in seven countries, and is supported by a global commercial presence. It will offer customers a broad product portfolio across a range of segments, including refractories, building chemistry, civil engineering, investment casting industries and wastewater systems.
US: Refractory manufacturer HarbisonWalker International has decided to close its plants at Oak Hill, Ohio and Sproul, Pennsylvania as it opens a new US$30m refractory plant at South Point, Ohio in early 2018. The closures will affect around 88 employees. Previously in 2016 the company negotiated an end to eleven months of industrial action at the Oak Hill site.
Belgium: Stefan Borgas, the chief executive officer (CEO) of RHI Magnesita, has started working as the new president of the World Refractories Association (WRA). He succeeds François Wanecq, the former CEO of Vesuvius.
The WRA was founded in 2014 by refractory industry associations and multinational companies. The WRA constitutes a forum to debate regulatory issues affecting global trade, circulate aggregated industry statistics, promote the interests of the worldwide refractory industry, and act as a counterpart to other world industry organizations such as the World Steel Association. The WRA is composed of continental associations including Europe (PRE), Latin America (ALAFAR) and North America (TRI) as well as national associations from China (ACRI), India (IRMA) and Japan (JRA). Multinational companies are also direct members.