Cement News tagged: Corporate
PPC continues to study AfriSam proposal, South Africa
PPC said that its board is continuing to consider the indicative non-binding proposal from AfriSam Group for a merger between the two South African cement producers. The company said it would make a further announcement in due course once its board had concluded the consideration process. “Shareholders are hereby advised that the Board is continuing to consider the indicative proposal an...
Australia: Boral set for building price boost
Price increases for building materials products suggest Boral Ltd shares could go higher, says Deutsche Bank. Dow Jones reports that the broker notes suppliers of construction materials such as cement are targeting price increases of 8-20 per cent from April. "While price increases were relatively unsuccessful in 2014, we believe there is a greater likelihood of success this year given dema...
Vicat shows good profit growth in the USA, India and Africa
Vicat’s turnover increased by six per cent in 2014 to EUR2422.7m and the EBITDA emerged 3.6 per cent ahead at EUR442m, while at unchanged parameters the increases would have been eight and seven per cent respectively. The trading profit rose by 12.3 per cent to EUR263.1m.The net financial charge was 8.2 per cent higher at EUR47.6m and after a slightly higher contribution from associates the...
ASEC Engineering wins Ethiopian plant management contract
ASEC Engineering and Management, a subsidiary of Egypt's Qalaa Holdings (formerly Citadel Capital), has signed a plant management agreement with Ethiopia’s National Cement Share Company. The one-year contract is renewable for a five-year term, according to ASEC. It will provide full technical assistance to National Cement Share Company, one of the largest producers of cement in Ethiopia, f...
Cementir performs well in Denmark
Cementir Holding's turnover in 2014 declined by 4.1 per cent to EUR948m, but EBITDA improved by 13.4 per cent to EUR192.4m. The trading profit advanced by 35.7 per cent to EUR104.1m and the pretax profit rose by 57.5 per cent to EUR99.5m. Net attributable profit recorded a 78.5 per cent advance to EUR71.6m. Net debt at the end of 2014 was 14.3 per cent lower at EUR278.3m, giving a modest gea...
Macedonia: Usje's unconsolidated net profit falls
Macedonia's sole cement producer Usje said on Tuesday its unconsolidated net profit fell five per cent to MKD1.46bn (EUR23.7m) in 2014. Operating revenue rose two per cent to MKD4.12bn last year, while operating costs were two per cent lower at MKD2.56bn, Usje said in an unconsolidated financial statement filed with the Macedonian Stock Exchange. Usje is owned by Greek building materials man...
Semen Baturaja full-year profit advances 5%
State-owned cement producer PT Semen Baturaja Tbk reported a five per cent increase in net profit to IDR328.336bn (US$25m) in 2014 from IDR312.184bn in the previous year. Operating income rose four per cent YoY IDR1.215trn in 2014. Company`s president director Pamudji Rahardjo said the 2014-2017 period will be important for Indonesia given the implementation of the government's Master Plan of...
Bosnia: TCK expects flat output
Bosnia's Tvornica Cementa Kakanj (TCK), part of the HeidelbergCement Group, sees its cement output flat this year after producing 420,000t in 2014, the company's director said. “Our cement production fell by around 10 per cent in 2014, which was probably the most difficult year since the war for the Bosnian economy and its citizens as the country went through political turmoil in February fol...
China Resources Cement net rises 26% YoY
China Resources Cement (CRC) announces that it made HKD4.21bn (US$ 542.6m) net profit in 2014, up 26 per cent YoY. Earnings per share were 64.4 HK cents. The company gained HKD 32.67bn in incomes last year, up 11.3 per cent YoY. Gross profits increased 22.3 per cent to HKD10.23bn and gross profit margin rose from 28.5 per cent to 31.3 per cent thanks to price and sales increases. Analyst...
Cemex to invest US$7m in San Pedro de Macoris
Cemex is investing DOP315m (US$7m) in a new packing and palletising line at its San Pedro de Macoris plant, Dominican Republic, to increase capacity and cover market demand for the next five years. In addition, the company will also carry out an upgrade to one of the works’ mills. This will allow the company to increase output and ensure a greater continuity of operation. Cemex is also inv...
PPC Zimbabwe on course for 2016 mill commissioning
PPC Zimbabwe Ltd is expected to commission its new cement mill at its plant in Harare next year, an official has said. "We are spending about $75m on our Harare mill this year and we are expecting to commission it in the first quarter of 2016," PPC Zimbabwe managing director Njombo Lekula told AllAfrica news. Mr Lekula said that the company was also investing over $6m dollars on their Bulawa...
New appointments at Cemex
Martin Langvad has been appointed as vice president of cement operations and technology (northern Europe). Mr Langvad has worked for Cemex for 19 years and has more than 30 years of experience in the cement industry. With the reorganisation of Cemex in Germany, he has taken over responsibility for cement production in the UK and will continue to be the head of the Northern Europe cement operat...
Lafarge increases stake in Unicem
Lafarge Africa Plc has notified the Nigerian Stock Exchange that Nigerian Cement Holdings BV (NCH), a 50 per cent affiliate of Lafarge Africa, has completed the acquisition of a 15 per cent stake in Unicem from FMN Cement Industries Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc . NCH had a 70 per cent share interest in Unicem and following the acquisition, has now increase...
Qassim Cement approves dividend, Saudi Arabia
Saudi cement producer Qassim Cement Co (QCC) approved at a general meeting on Sunday a cash dividend payment of SAR270m (US$72m), or SAR 3 per share, for the second half of 2014. The total dividend for 2014 stands at SAR6/share, or SAR540m, as QCC has already paid a dividend of SAR270m for the first half of 2014. The company booked a net profit of SAR563.6m for the 12 months to December 2014...
Italcementi improves margins
Italcementi's 2014 turnover declined by a further 1.8 per cent to EUR4155.6m but the underlying EBITDA did improve by 3.2 per cent to EUR649.1m. The depreciation charge declined by 3.1 per cent to EUR408.3m and impairment charges dropped by a further 70.9 per cent to EUR9.2m and the trading profit advanced by a further 42.3 per cent to EUR226.7m. Net financial charges rose by 14.3 per cent ...
HeidelbergCement inaugurates 0.7Mta CimBurkina works
HeidelbergCement has started production at its 0.7Mta CimBurkina grinding plant in Kossodo, Burkina Faso. The EUR42m grinding facility will be supplied with clinker from HeidelbergCement’s new 1.5Mta plant in Tabligbo, Togo, currently under implementation. This Cimburkina plant is a partnership with two local businesses. The latest addition to the Burkina production base sees three cement pr...