Australia: Boral’s cement business, Boral Australia, reported a 2% year-on-year rise in cement sales volumes in the financial year to 30 June 2018. Its external sales fell but this was compensated for by growing local sales in support of its concrete business. It’s said that the earnings and margins for its cement business improved due to an improvement programme. However, these benefits were partly offset by cost inflation and higher energy costs.

Overall, Boral Australia’s sales revenue rose by 34% year-on-year to US$2.62bn in the financial year to 30 June 2018 from US$2.40bn in the same period in 2017. Boral Australia’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBTIDA) increased by 15% to US$462m from US$402m. Total group sales rose by 34% to US$4.28bn and EBITDA grew by 47% to US$770m due to the acquisition of Headwaters.

“We have continued to optimise our networks and grow volumes in Australian east coast markets, where demand is very strong, and we continue to focus on full cost recovery through price and strengthening margins through improvement programs,” said chief executive officer and managing director Mike Kane.

Brazil: Brazil's antitrust watchdog Cade has approved a joint-venture between Votorantim Cimentos, Tigre Participações and Gerdau Aços Longos for a construction materials products loyalty scheme. The initiative will be called Juntos Somos Mais. Votorantim Cimentos will hold a 45% share of the scheme. The civil construction materials company Tigre and Gerdau Aços Longos, the steel division of the Gerdau, will hold a 27.5% share each.

Cade said that the companies will remain operationally and commercially independent in their main activities, so that the only common ground between them will be the functioning of the coalition's loyalty program. Other companies in the construction industry will be able to join the program as partners.

Uruguay: An 88 day strike has reduced cement sales at Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland (ANCAP). Its cement sales fell by 24.1% year-on-year to 0.12Mt in the first half of 2018 from 0.16Mt in the same period in 2017. Despite this, the loss from its cement business decreased to US$3.4m from US$6.06m. Its earnings were also negatively affected by rising petcoke prices. Overall, the oil and gas company reported a profit of US$52.6m across all business lines.

UK: Lafarge Cement is celebrating 50 years of production at its Cookstown plant in Northern Ireland. The plant opened in 1968 and today it employs almost 100 staff both in Cookstown and at a cement terminal in Belfast. Lafarge Cement was later acquired by Aggregate Industries in 2015 as part of the merger between Lafarge and Holcim that created LafargeHolcim.

“Fifty years is a significant milestone and follows the successful 60th anniversary celebrations that took place at our sister cement plant in Cauldon in 2017,” said plant manager Russell Larmour. “The success at Cookstown is testament to the many generations of people here in County Tyrone who have helped shape the business today. As we now look to the future, and many more years of production, we are committed to maintaining our position as a leading, sustainable business partner at the heart of the UK’s construction industry.”