Displaying items by tag: US
ANH Refractories rebrands as HarbisonWalker International
19 January 2015US: ANH Refractories Company has announced the decision to rebrand itself under the new name of HarbisonWalker International (HWI), effective immediately. The decision was made following an exhaustive market research and branding initiative in which one of the company's legacy brands, Harbison-Walker, returned the highest awareness and positive customer perception of all of the company's brands, as well as the brands of its refractory competitors.
The new HWI said that it is 'positioning itself as the first and only choice for comprehensive solutions to address the needs of its growing international customer base.' It also hopes to reinvigorate the strong bond between the company and both its employees and its customers.
"We have hard-working, dedicated employees and generations of loyal customers who have successfully weathered a storm of uncertainty over a number of years," said Stephen M Delo, chairman and CEO of HWI. "With our branding decision and the launch of our new customer-centric mission, vision and values, we intend to send the message that HWI is committed to investing in and growing both our company's future, as well as that of our partner and customers."
Fight against proposed Titan cement plant continues
15 January 2015US: Titan America plans to build a cement plant in Castle Hayne, New Hanover County, North Carolina. However, NC Coastal Federation members, among others, are still fighting the proposal after six years. They say that the plant, which will burn more than 250,000t/yr of coal, will discharge pollutants into the Northeast Cape Fear River. Coastal Advocate Mike Giles said that they're still waiting on a decision for their challenge against Titan America's air quality permit. According to the Titan America website, the plant would bring about 160 full-time jobs to New Hanover County and have a US$120m/yr fiscal impact.
US: Continental Building Products (CBP) has appointed James 'Jay' Bachmann to the position of president and CEO, effective immediately. Bachmann has served as interim CEO since November 2014 and CFO since January 2014. He will continue to serve as CFO in an interim role, pending the appointment of a permanent CFO.
CBP has also announced the appointment of Dennis Romps to the position of chief accounting officer (CAO). Romps will also continue to serve as senior vice president and corporate controller, positions he has held since January 2014.
Bachmann formerly served as CFO at Lafarge USA and co-chief financial officer of Lafarge North America from November 2012 through December 2013. He also held multiple executive responsibilities at Lafarge since 2002, including senior vice president of finance (Investor Relations) of Lafarge SA from January 2008 through October 2012 and senior vice president and controller of Lafarge North America from November 2005 to June 2006. Prior to Lafarge, he worked at Arthur Anderson from September 1990 to April 2002.
Romps previously served as CBP's CFO from August 2013 to December 2013. He formerly served as co-chief financial officer of Lafarge North America from December 2006 until August 2013, while also holding a variety of vice president positions in finance, IT and supply chain of the gypsum division of Lafarge North America from 2005 until August 2013.
Cement worker's body discovered in Bristol silo collapse
12 January 2015US: After more than three days of searching, on 11 January 2015 firefighters found the body of a worker who was missing after a full cement silo collapsed in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania. The missing worker was identified as Anthony Gabriele (48) of Tullytown. The collapse happened at the Riverside Cement distribution facility in the Riverside Industrial Complex on 8 January 2015. An investigation into the collapse is still ongoing.
US/UK: HeidelbergCement has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with an American affiliate of Lone Star Funds to sell its North American and UK building products business for an aggregate purchase price of US$1.4bn. HeidelbergCement said that up to US$100m will be payable in 2016, depending on the performance of the business in 2015. The deal excludes HeidelbergCement's Western Canada business. HeidelbergCement expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2015.
The sale of Hanson Building Products is consistent with HeidelbergCement's strategy of focusing on processing and refining raw materials for its core products of cement and aggregates and further downstream activities, according to a HeidelbergCement spokesperson. HeidelbergCement will retain its Hanson units in the cement, crushed stone, sand and asphalt businesses in the UK.
EPA sets national coal ash regulations for US
22 December 2014US: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the first national regulations to provide for the safe disposal of coal ash from coal-fired power plants. The ruling establishes safeguards to protect communities from coal ash impoundment failures and establishes safeguards to prevent groundwater contamination and air emissions from coal ash disposal.
"The EPA is taking action to protect our communities from the risk of mismanaged coal ash disposal units and putting in place safeguards to help prevent the next catastrophic coal ash impoundment failure, which can cost millions for local businesses, communities and States," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
The new federal regulations include:
- The closure of surface impoundments and landfills that fail to meet engineering and structural standards and will no longer receive coal ash;
- Reducing the risk of catastrophic failure by requiring regular inspections of the structural safety of surface impoundments;
- Restrictions on the location of new surface impoundments and landfills so that they cannot be built in sensitive areas such as wetlands and earthquake zones;
- Protecting groundwater by requiring monitoring, immediate clean up of contamination and closure of unlined surface impoundments that are polluting groundwater;
- Protecting communities using fugitive dust controls to reduce windblown coal ash dust;
- Requiring liner barriers for new units and proper closure of surface impoundments and landfills that will no longer receive coal combustion residues.
In response to feedback on the proposal, the ruling clarifies the technical requirements for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the country's primary law for regulating solid waste. Implementation of the technical requirements will be reported through disclosure to States, and communities. Examples of this include power plants providing information to the public and States and new transparency requirements, including recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as well as the requirement for each facility to post specific information to a publicly-accessible website. This final rule also supports the responsible recycling of coal ash by distinguishing safe, beneficial use from disposal.
2014 in cement
17 December 2014For the last issue of Global Cement Weekly before the Christmas and New Year break we're following our tradition of reviewing some of the major industry news stories of the year. Remember this is just one view of the year's events. If you think we've missed anything important let us know via LinkedIn, Twitter or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Lafarge and Holcim merger
The year has been dominated by one story: the merger of the two largest European-based cement producers, Lafarge and Holcim. The implications are massive. At a stroke the new company can dispose of less profitable units, clear debts and benefit from new mega-economies of scale. As Europe emerges from the recession, LafargeHolcim will be ready. Worldwide it is a rebuff to the consolidating Chinese cement producers who are poised, if they wish, to emerge from China and dominate international markets. The process has appeared surprisingly smooth so far with considerable forward planning. This week the European Commission has approved the proposed merger.
Lafarge CEO Bruno Lafont described the deal as 'a merger of equals'. What he didn't say is that the merger will leave LafargeHolcim with no equal. However, one question remains. Once the merger is complete will the new company be profitable?
China heads abroad
State planners in Hebei Province revealed plans to move excess cement production capacity outside of China in their usual sparse style. The quiet tone of the announcement failed to match its intentions to move 30Mt of capacity abroad by 2023. It is the next step after becoming the world's biggest cement producer, capturing swathes of the equipment market and consolidating its many local producers. How Chinese cement producers will fare in the wider global market remains to be seen. Yet while its economy remains strong the gobbling up of European utilities by Chinese companies suggests that, if all else fails, money talks.
Coal for India
If you can't fire-up your kiln you can't make clinker. With Indian cement producers reporting falling profits in 2014 the squabbling over coal allocation in the country summed up some of the input cost and infrastructure problems facing the country's cement industry. The coal blocks are due to be auctioned off from January 2015. Meanwhile analysts predict that Indian cement demand is unlikely to grow until 2016.
Sub-Saharan scares and skirmishes
The creation of Lafarge Africa means that three producers are now in a skirmish in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lafarge, Dangote and PPC. All three companies are present in multiple countries and expanding fast. This week, for example, PPC announced proposed merger plans with AfriSam. Given the low cement consumption per capita in this region the benefits of getting in early are immense. Unfortunately, there are many speed bumps along this road to development. One is the on-going Ebola epidemic. Left unchecked it could cause untold economic damage.
ASEAN set to open up
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is set to drop import tariffs in 2015 as it establishes a common market. Already in preparation cement producers have started to change their strategies, thinking regionally instead of nationally. Holcim Philippines, for example, announced in February 2014 that it was considering delaying building a new plant as it analysed the situation. The region, including high-growth countries like Indonesia and Thailand, could see its cement industry go into overdrive. However, the benefits may not be uniform as countries like the Philippines may lose out.
The US, fracking and falling oil prices
Of the western economies recovering from the 2007 recession, the US cement industry has rebounded the fastest, due in part to fracking which has brought down the cost of energy. The Brent Crude price hit a low of US$60 per barrel this week and this has consequences for everybody in the cement industry as fuel procurement strategies adapt.
For starters, cement producers gain a fuel bill cut as the cost of fuels fall. Producers in Egypt who have been frenziedly converting kilns from gas to coal may suddenly find their margins improve. Low energy prices also take away financial motivation to co-process alternative fuels in cement kilns. Finally, what of the giant infrastructure projects in Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) like Saudi Arabia? Take away the petrodollars propping up these builds and cement demand may evaporate.
For more a more detailed look at trends in the cement industry check out the Global Cement Top 100 Report.
Global Cement Weekly will return on 7 January 2015. Enjoy the festive break!
Ash Grove announces new Chanute plant manager
17 December 2014US: Ash Grove Cement Company has announced Alan C Finch as the new plant manager of its Chanute works in Kansas, USA, effective immediately.
"We are pleased that Alan will assume the leadership role of our Chanute plant," said Mike Hrizuk, senior vice president of manufacturing. "This plant opened in 1908 and is the longest running plant in our fleet of eight plants in the USA. We are eager to introduce Alan to the employees and community."
Finch has a 17-year career in the cement industry and comes to Chanute from Ash Grove's Durkee plant in Oregon, where he has been production manager for the past nine years. He previously held the production superintendent position at the same plant for three years.
US cement growth to meet expectation
08 December 2014US: Despite a late start to the construction season and weaker than expected housing start numbers, a recently released report from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) shows that cement consumption in the USA will meet 2014 forecast expectations.
The PCA's cement forecast remains essentially unchanged since the September 2014 forecast. "The United States' cement market is expected to grow by 8.2% in 2014, followed by similar rates of growth in 2015 and 2016," said PCA Chief Economist and Group Vice President Edward Sullivan. "However, minor adjustments have been made regarding the construction sub-sectors. Housing starts, for example, have been trimmed slightly compared to forecasts released earlier in 2014."
While single-family housing starts are not reaching projected levels, the report indicates a new emphasis on multi-family starts. Demographic trends and strict mortgage standards are pushing more potential homebuyers into rental units.
Additionally, the oil price environment has changed significantly since summer 2014 and these new impacts have been integrated into the forecast projections for the paving sector. Going forward, Sullivan noted that the underlying economic fundamentals are strengthening and are reflected in the labour market. Sustained gains in monthly job creation, stronger state and local tax receipts, more favourable return on investments for commercial building and stronger household formation can lead to stronger construction spending in 2015.
Eagle Materials announces the appointment of Michael Haack as COO
02 December 2014US: Eagle Materials has announced the appointment of Michael Haack as chief operating officer (COO), reporting to Steve Rowley, president and CEO. The COO position is a newly-created one in response to the company's significant growth and continued strategic expansion in construction and energy-related markets.
Michael joins Eagle from Halliburton Energy Services, where he enjoyed a 17 year career with successively important operating positions, most recently with the management of Global Operations for Sperry Drilling, a company in the drilling and evaluation division of Halliburton with operations in every major global oil and gas market. He was awarded a Master of Business Administration degree from Rice University and holds a Master of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University, both in Industrial Engineering.
"We are proud to have such a high-calibre and experienced individual as Michael joining the Eagle team," said Rowley. "His placement in this newly created position is timely given our growth progress and strategic aspirations. Haack's experience will be especially valuable given our growth into energy-related markets, most notably in frac-sand and specialty oil well casing cement. This represents a significant step in the expansion of our strong operating leadership team and is aimed at ensuring the long-term continuity of Eagle's enviable performance track record."