Displaying items by tag: marketing
Germany: ScrapeTec will present its latest generation DustScrape dust management system at the SOLIDS Dortmund bulk handling technologies exhibition in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. ScrapeTec says that the new model boasts increased box robustness and is specifically designed for use in closed transfers with high material pressure. It works without the use of energy and also saves energy by enabling users to switch off existing dust extraction systems.
Holcim to acquire Duro-Last
07 February 2023US: Holcim has signed an agreement with Duro-Last to acquire the roofing systems producer for US$1.29bn. Reuters has reported that the acquisition will be Holcim's largest for all of 2022 and 2023 so far. Once the parties complete the transaction, Duro-Last's business will join Holcim's products and systems division. Holcim expects the deal to yield synergies of US$60m/yr, primarily through a reduction in the cost of materials.
Holcim expects its products and systems division to contribute a majority of its profit in North America once increased investment under the US government's Inflation Reduction Act begins to take effect. In 2022, the division accounted for 40% of regional profit. The group is committed to a global target of 30% of sales being attributable to the products and systems division by 2025, compared to 19% of sales in 2022.
Lehigh Hanson rebrands as Heidelberg Materials North America
04 January 2023Canada/US: Lehigh Hanson has rebranded as Heidelberg Materials North America, with immediate effect. The cement producer said that the new brand reflects its broad, innovation-driven approach to becoming the North American industry leader in sustainability and digital solutions.
President and chief executive officer Chris Ward said “This is a major step change for our company, both globally and here in North America. We are thrilled to begin this transformation in North America today, and continue our global journey to grow our business beyond cement and aggregates and become the most sustainable company in the sector.”
US: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering has launched a new carbon capture alliance with energy company ExxonMobil. Under the partnership, ExxonMobil will deploy Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering's liquid amine carbon capture model for its customers across multiple industries. Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO) will also support the deployment in more CO2-intensive industries, including cement.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering president and CEO Kenji Terasawa said “Carbon capture and storage technology and innovation are critical to our path to net zero. As an expert in advanced engineering, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is committed to leading the way in achieving decarbonisation goals through strategic collaboration and investments in new technologies. We look forward to partnering with ExxonMobil to continue advancing carbon capture technologies, to provide essential carbon neutrality solutions for various industries.”
UNACEM updates branding for 10th anniversary
16 November 2022Peru: UNACEM (Unión Andina de Cementos) has updated its branding, including its logo, for its 10th anniversary following the merger of Cemento Andino and Cementos Lima. The new logo is intended to convey its essence, origin and its commitment to union and sustainable construction, according to the Ojo newspaper. It is based around the letter ‘U’ and is also meant to be reminiscent of a quarry seen from above. The rebranding exercise is also being run at the same time as the company’s 'Co-building Peru' campaign, where it seeks to promote the message that, “...the infrastructure of a country is built with cement, a homeland is built by all of us, working together.”
Cookstown Cement rebrands as Cemcor
10 November 2022UK: Cookstown Cement has rebranded as Cemcor. The company formed in January 2022 following its acquisition of the 0.45Mt/yr Cookstown cement plant from Holcim in January 2022. It then announced investments of around Euro14m towards making environmental and process upgrades at the unit. The company also purchased a limestone quarry in Cookstown, a shale quarry in Dungannon and a terminal at Belfast Harbour.
Votorantim Cimentos redesigns logo
05 October 2022Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has launched its new visual identity. Its new logo consists of a lime green and dark blue V, next to its name, with the Votorantim written in capital letters and the Cimentos in lowercase. The producer says that the V honours its legacy, while figuratively representing a movement toward the future. The colour and font combination embodies the company's solidity and flexibility.
Corporate communications and branding head Geraldo Magella said “Votorantim Cimentos is on a journey of evolution and transformation. We redefined our strategy, revised our culture, grew, expanded. This long-term vision opens new paths and new areas of activity through the development of products and services to meet the needs of society. We want to create changes while remembering our history - hence the need to translate all this into a new brand, which communicates everything we do, from ground level to the highest point in a city."
A cement producer by any other name
21 September 2022HeidelbergCement’s latest sustainability target has been to reduce the ‘cement’ footprint from its own name. From this week it has become Heildelberg Materials. Of the top ten global cement producers in Global Cement Magazine’s roundup in the December 2021 issue only three now have the word ‘cement’ in their names.
In Heildelberg Materials’ own words, the “new brand identity underlines the company's pioneering role on the path to carbon neutrality and digitalisation in the building materials industry.” Chair Dominik von Achten then goes on to explain that the company is proud of its cement business but its range of services goes far beyond cement. This is certainly true but in 2021 the cement business generated 44% of the group’s revenue. 19% came from aggregates, 25% from ready-mixed concrete plus asphalt and the remaining 12% from services and other lines.
Yet, Heidelberg Materials is also a leader in driving innovation in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) for the cement sector with a full production line capture unit planned for commissioning in 2024 at the Brevik plant in Norway. When it opens it will be the only full scale CCUS unit at a cement plant anywhere in the world. The group further plans to reduce the CO2 footprint of its cementitious products to below 500kg/t CO2 by 2030 and aims to generate half of its revenue from low-carbon products. These are not small achievements or ambitions.
Meanwhile, Holcim completed the divestment of its Indian business to Adani Group this week for US$6.4bn. For Holcim the move marks a milestone in the reshaping of its business away from developing markets and the diversification on its product lines into light (and more sustainable) building materials. So why would a company like Adani Group move into the cement sector when multinationals are getting out?
Money is the obvious answer and the one group owner Gautam Adani raised at a speech marking his latest mega-acquisition. He said, “Our entry into this business is happening at a time when India is on the cusp of one of the greatest economic surges seen in the modern world.” He expects his new cement arm to become the most profitable cement producer in the country although his competitors may have other ideas. As well as operational efficiency, Adani also plans to inject US$2.5bn into the business as part of plans to increase its production capacity to 140Mt/yr in the next five years, from around 70Mt/yr at present. However, the financial press in India and elsewhere has wondered how much debt Adani Group can cope with and whether it will consolidate its latest acquisitions or simply use them to buy into even more sectors. Time will tell.
Lastly, it should be noted that Adani Group’s new rival UltraTech Cement has targeted a production capacity of 154Mt/yr by 2025. Any growth in the Indian market will clearly be contested. It is also worth noting that the latter company has retained ‘cement’ in its name. For now at least.
Heidelberg Materials unveils new corporate identity
21 September 2022Germany: The former HeidelbergCement launched its new name and branding as Heidelberg Materials at a group level on 20 September 2022. The new two-word moniker underlines the cement producer's pioneering role on the path to building materials digitisation and carbon neutrality. 'Materials' stands for its innovative portfolio of sustainable and intelligent building materials, as well as digital solutions. The group's subsidiaries will also change their names to Heidelberg Materials from the beginning of 2023. Among the first to undergo the transformation will be US-based Lehigh Hanson, which will become Heidelberg Materials in early 2023.
Managing board chair Dominik von Achten said “We are proud of our cement business, but the company's range of services goes far beyond cement. Today, and even more in the future.Our future is sustainable. Our future is digital. Customer demands, markets and competitors are changing rapidly. Opportunities and challenges go beyond country borders; communication is becoming increasingly global. Differentiation opportunities arise." Concerning the company's cement business, von Achten said "We will be the first company in the world to offer carbon-free cement at large scale as early as 2024. We are vigorously driving forward the scaling of our CCUS activities: by 2030, we will reduce our CO2 emissions by 10Mt/yr with the projects we have already launched. "
Holcim Ecuador launches ECOPlanet cements
19 July 2022Ecuador: Holcim Ecuador has launched its new portfolio of ECOPlanet reduced CO2 cements. The products bear the new green and blue branding of the Holcim group.
CEO Dolores Prado said that the company began its green transition with the September 2019 carbon neutral certification of its Agrovial, Base Vial and Maestro cements.