Displaying items by tag: retail
Quinn Building Products and National Buying Group extend deal
17 December 2019UK: Quinn has announced that it will proceed with the exclusive supply of its Master Grade cement to the UK-based wholesale builders’ merchant National Buying Group (NBG) until the end of 2021, extending the term of the companies’ 2018 agreement. “Our partnership with NGB has made a significant contribution to the success of our bagged cement range, so we’re delighted to agree an extension to our exclusivity deal with NBG for supply to their merchant members,” said Lee Gillman, Quinn’s Great Britain Sales and Marketing Director. Quinn’s bagged range also consists of Premium Grade and General Purpose cement.
SLK-Cement consolidates web presence
06 December 2019Russia: SLK-Cement has launched a website that combines the functions of its previous websites, which served its Sukhoi Log and Korkino plants individually. Slkcement.com will serve as an information base and communication channel, based on the architectural platform of Buzzi Unicem’s website, according to AMF. The website’s inception coincides with the launch of rebranded SLK-Cement cement.
Eurocement extends cooperation with Castorama
15 November 2019Russia: Eurocement has announced an expansion in its cooperation agreement with consumer goods retailer Castorama. Eurocement’s regional subsidiary Mikhailovcement, which operates a 2.0Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Ryazan, dispatched the first batch of cement to Castorama in October 2019. Mikhailovcement and other Eurocement subsidiaries will now supply bagged cement to all of Castorama’s 19 branches across Russia.
South African regulator confiscates cement from supplier
10 October 2019South Africa: The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) has confiscated cement supplied by Rainbow Power Cement due to non-compliance with the requirements of the compulsory specification on cement. The NRCS has issued a directive against the sale and supply of such products.
“Rainbow Power Cement does not have the authority to manufacture and supply cement in South Africa as it had failed to meet minimum safety requirements in line with the NRCS Act. This has therefore led to withdrawal of the Letter of Authority as previously issued by the NRCS,” said the regulator in a statement. It added that sub-standard cement can negatively affect the sustainability of buildings and structures leading to higher maintenance costs and even structural failures.
The NRCS said that non-compliant cement was initially identified and confiscated in Gauteng province but that there were signs that the cement had also been distributed in other provinces.
Rainbow Power Cement said that it is moving to a new certifying body, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). It acknowledged that it is unable to sell any cement until this process is completed.
Cemex Mexico launches concrete sales website
02 August 2019Mexico: Cemex Mexico has launched a new website to sell concrete. It is intended to serve builders, contractors, small business owners, architects, construction entrepreneurs and the general public for any size of project from 1m3 upwards.
The site includes an online calculator to help customers work out the amount of concrete required for a project and technical support to aid the transaction. It also supports scheduling delivery at a specific time and date, as well as having visibility and tracking of the order in real time. The company says it is the first conle concrete sales channel in the country with ‘express’ service and full coverage.
Holcim Philippines promotes retail mobile app
17 July 2019Philippines: Holcim Philippines is promoting its retail mobile app called Easybuild. It is intended to allow customers to place orders, check delivery status and review account history and credit, among others functions. The company has initially partnered with leading financial institution Metrobank for an online payment facility. Nearly 700 customers are using the system. It is the latest version of Holcim Philippines’ online customer service portal, which it pioneered in the cement industry in 2001. Already available for the Android operating system, an iOS version will be launched in August 2019.
Ireland: CRH has agreed to sell its Europe Distribution business to private equity funds managed by Blackstone for Euro1.64bn. The business comprises CRH’s entire General Builders Merchants business in Europe, including its Sanitary Heating and Plumbing business. It supplies building materials to professional builders, specialist contractors and DIY customers through a network of local and regional brands across six countries in Western Europe. The divestment follows a strategic review of the business in 2019. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.
LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast launches online sales
24 June 2019Ivory Coast: LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast has launched online sales of its products on the Jumia e-commerce platform. The online store is aimed at individual and small business customers, according to the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse. The project is starting in a pilot phase in Abidjan and Bingerville. Deliveries of orders made online are coordinated with the company’s Binastore network around the country.
Peru: The Supreme Court has upheld a fine of nearly US$2m by the National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI) on UNACEM. The penalty was levied due to UNACEM and its distribution network refusing to allow retailers to sell cement made by its competitor, according to the Gestión newspaper. INDECOPI said that in 2014 UNACEM and its collaborators refused to allow retailers to stock its Sol brand of cement if they were selling the rival Quisqueya brand produced by Mexico’s Cemex.
Holcim Mexico to invest up to US$50m in 2019
22 January 2019Mexico: Holcim Mexico plans to invest up to US$50m in 2019 as part of a project to improve plant efficiency and its Disensa distribution network. The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim said it wants to implement improvements at both its cement and ready-mix concrete plants, according to Reuters. It has a particular focus on reducing emissions. On the distribution side the building materials company said that its distribution business is a part of its long-term plan for Latin America.