Boral announces new measures to control inventory levels

The chief executive of Australia’s Boral Ltd, Mike Kane, has commented on the reduction of new orders in the Australian and US construction industries, and also announced new measures to stop the build-up of inventory levels in this environment.

The company will now close its Berrima cement kiln in New South Wales (NSW) for three weeks in June, as Mr Kane noted it was not possible to run a kiln at partial strength. "You need to turn the kiln on or off,'' he said.

The company is now expected to use its inventory levels as a gauge to determine whether further plant shutdowns are necessary.

In April the company also temporarily shut its Dunmore quarry in the Illawarra region, NSW. Concrete volumes declined 16 per cent in the first four months of 2020, partly due to the impact of bushfires, while the full effects of COVID-19 are yet to come, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Boral also announced that David Mariner, CEO of Boral North America, will step down from the role at the end of May and leave the company in June.