Global Cement News

Chile: Cemento Polpaico, part of LafargeHolcim, reported a profit of US$5.93m in the first half of 2018, a 52.6% rise with respect to the US$3.9m profit it achieved in the first half of 2017. Its operating revenues from continuing activities were US$120.7m, a 32.2% year-on-year increase.

The company reported that the higher operating revenues were mainly due to an increase in sales volumes of cement and concrete, driven by the greater economic activity.

US: LafargeHolcim has acquired Metro Mix, LLC, a leading provider of ready-mix concrete in the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado. With Metro Mix, LafargeHolcim reports that it has further strengthened its position in the United States, where it is already present with operations in cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and asphalt.

Jan Jenisch, CEO of LafargeHolcim, said, “This is our fourth acquisition this year, in line with our Strategy 2022 - 'Building for Growth'. Metro Mix's operations are highly complementary to our existing footprint and will allow us to gain a larger share in a growing market with immediate commercial and operational synergies. I very much welcome all employees of Metro Mix to our company.”
Metro Mix operates two ready-mix concrete plants and reported net sales of around US$30m in 2017.

Morocco: Cement consumption in Morocco was higher in July 2018 than for any July since 2012 at 1.3Mt, a 0.1Mt (7.8%) year-on-year increase.

The upturn was reported by local press as having been expected by cement companies, which now hope to finish the year level or even slightly up on 2017, if conditions remain favourable.

According to data provided by the Professional Association of Cement Manufacturers (PCA), 10 out of 12 regions saw consumption increase in July 2018. Increases range from 0.33% for Oriental to 40.55% for Guelmim-Oued Noun.

Casablanca-Settat still has the lion's share of Moroccan cement consumption. The region was able to absorb 282,680t, an increase of 3.8% year-on-year. This zone was followed by Marrakech-Safi, which its volumes sold rise by nearly 21% compared to July 2017, thus accumulating 180,131t.

Colombia: Cement production reached 1.02Mt in Colombia in July 2018, a 5.2% year-on-year fall compared to July 2017, according to DANE, the country’s statistics authority. In July 2018 the country shipped 0.99Mt to the domestic market, a 4.7% year-on-year fall.

So far in 2018, cement production reached 6.98Mt, a decrease of 1.8% compared to the period January - July 2017. In the 12 months to the end of July 2018, cement production reached 12.2Mt, a decrease of 2.2% compared to the period August 2016 to July 2017.

UK/Nigeria: Aliko Dangote, the owner of Dangote Cement, has reiterated his intention to list the company on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), following a meeting with the UK Prime Minister Theresa May in Lagos. May was in the country as part of a multi-stop trade tour of African nations ahead of the UK’s departure from the European Union in March 2019. Dangote Cement is worth an estimated US$7bn.

During the visit May said, “Already the finance and business links between Lagos and London are bringing enormous benefits to businesses and people in the UK and in Nigeria. London is a world-leading financial centre and, as the UK leaves the European Union, it will play an even greater role in financing the fastest-growing economies across Africa and the world.”