Chilean cement company Empresas Melón posted an 8.37bn-peso (US$13.4mn) consolidated net profit in the first quarter, up 17.6% from 1Q03, the company said in a statement to the country’s securities regulator (SVS).  Last month, Melón finance director Joao Pereira said a decision whether to build a new cement plant in southern Region VIII or a limestone plant in Region III would be made in September. The cement plant would be built in the town of Coronel and the limestone plant would be built in the town of Vallenar.