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FLSmidth appoints new Group Financial Officer
Written by Global Cement staff
12 March 2014
Denmark: FLSmidth has appointed Lars Vestergaard as its new Chief Financial Officer and member of Group Executive Management. Vestergaard succeeds Ben Guren who has decided to leave the company due to personal reasons. Vestergaard will take up the position as CFO on 1 April 2014. Brian Iversen, Vice President Corporate Finance, FLSmidth will be acting CFO until Vestergaard starts.
Vestergaard, aged 39 and a Danish citizen, holds a Master of Science in Business Management and brings with him international experience in the role as CFO as well as international experience in change management, IT management and treasury from his various management positions in Carlsberg (2004 - 2014) and the global facility service provider ISS (2000 - 2004).
Guy Sidos appointed chairman of Vicat Group
Written by Global Cement staff
12 March 2014
France: The Vicat board of directors has appointed Guy Sidos as the new chairman, in addition to his current position as chief executive officer. The board also appointed Jacques Merceron-Vicat as honourary chairman.
Sidos, aged 51, is the son-in-law of outgoing chairman and former CEO Jacques Merceron-Vicat. His appointment is intended to continue Vicat's independent outlook. Sidos is a graduate engineer of France's Navy School. After joining the Vicat Group in 1999 he held a number of operational positions, particularly in the US, before being appointed COO in 2004, then CEO in 2008. He will henceforth hold this position alongside that of chairman after the annual general meeting on 6 May 2014.
Indonesian Cement Association warns on imports 12 March 2014
Indonesia: The Indonesian Cement Association (ASI) has warned that imported cement from Thailand and Vietnam is damaging the fortunes of local cement producers. ASI chairman Widodo Santoso predicted that demand for Indonesian-made cement in eastern Indonesia fell by 29.5% year-on-year to 93,000t in the first quarter of 2014. He blamed the 'drastic' fall of demand from Nusa Tenggara and Papua on imported cement.
National demand for cement in Indonesia grew by 1.6% year-on-year in February 2014 with cement sales at 4.47Mt. Cement demand in Java, the country's largest provincial consumer, rose by 3.4% year-on-year in February 2014.
In December 2013 the Indonesian Trade Ministry issued the Trade Minister Regulation No.40/2013 on the Import of Cement Clinker and Cement, which required cement importers to have a registered license prior to receiving imports approval. According to Widodo, imports would be prioritised for cement producers who build new cement plants. Other reasons for the country's lower increase in cement demand have been attributed to excessive rain, the eruption of Mount Kelud and preparations for elections.
The ASI estimates that cement sales in 2014 will reach 62Mt/yr, an increase of 5 - 6% over 2013. Exports are predicted to reach 1.5 - 2.0Mt/yr.
Egypt: Minister of Trade and Industry Mounir Abdel Nour has announced that cement companies can start using coal from September 2014. He added that using coal will save 12.7Mm3/day of natural gas.
In a separate announcement, an official source at the Petroleum Ministry said that the amount of natural gas supplied to cement factories during January and February 2014 dropped by 35% from contracted levels. Total natural gas and mazut (heavy duty fuel oil) levels fell by 23% during the same period. During the second half of 2013 the amount of natural gas supplied fell by 17% from contracted levels with compensation from the use of mazut.
Zambezi Portland ups output 12 March 2014
Zambia: Zambezi Portland Cement (ZPC) increased its cement production by 5% to 475,000t/yr in 2013 from 452,000t/yr in 2012. ZPC sales and marketing manager Isaac Ngoma said that ZPC had seen its output grow by 25% year-on-year to nearly 70,000t for the first two months of 2014. ZPC has expansion projects planned for 2014 and the company also intends to increase its mining and aggregate sales.