COLOMBIA: Acción de Cementos Argos alcanzó a subir 4% en la Bolsa de Valores de Colombia

La fiebre se les bajó cuando la empresa, y su dueño mayoritario, Inverargos, desmintieron versiones de una posible transacción de venta al grupo brasileño Camargo Correa.

Aún así el título de la cementera subió al final de la sesión bursátil un 1,21 por ciento y el de Inverargos 1,86 por ciento, aunque más atribuido al apetito que existe actualmente por las acciones colombianas.

Mientras que Camargo Correa guardó silenció, Cementos Argos e Inverargos dijeron en un comunicado que enviaron a la Superintendencia Financiera que no hay acercamiento con nuevos socios y tildaron de falsa la versión que difundió un portal de Internet.

UAE: Times are tough for cement firms as prices fall and demand drops

Dubai: Cement companies serving the Dubai market are being buffeted by low prices and are seeking to sell their products elsewhere in the Gulf and Middle East to bolster their balance sheets.

Demand for cement in the emirate has dropped from more than 20 million tonnes in 2008 to 13 million tonnes today, a senior industry executive said.

Antoine Duclaux, CEO of Lafarge Emirates Cement, has called on the authorities to assist the industry.

The Lafarge Cement Factory in Dubai. Demand for cement in the emirate has dropped from more than 20 million tonnes in 2008 to 13 million tonnes now, a senior industry executive said.

"Investors in the cement industry put $4 billion (Dh14.6 billion) into the sector over the past 10 years. The government enjoyed good relationships with the players, but current profitability is zero and in some cases negative. Something has to be done; some will be leaving," he told Gulf News.

The UAE has 20 cement companies — 10 large ones and 10 grinders. On the ready mix side, 45 players with a capacity of 23 million cubic metres a year in 400 plants across the country are competing for a smaller pool of clients.

"They are all still in the game but with difficulties. Prices had to be adjusted so profitability is poor. Many export to Oman, given the growth. But cement sales in Oman are also challenging," Duclaux added.

Price per tonne

The price of cement peaked at Dh400 per tonne in 2008, prompting the government to cap it at Dh360. The price today is around Dh200 per tonne for cement ex-factory and ready mix products fetch about the same value proportionately in cubic metres.

"The ready mix sector will face consolidation. We expect some adjustments and need help from the authorities if they want the industry here," Duclaux added.

The ready mix sector though has an advantage in as much as it is more mobile, Terry Mason, company manager for Lafarge Readymix Gulf, told Gulf News.

The company has three ready mix plants, one each in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, with a total capacity of 1.5 million cubic metres a year.

It is looking at new opportunities by sending products and machinery to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq.

"Here we're working now with the same few guys. Although the market has picked up a bit, one can't plan ahead," Mason added.

PERU: Quisqueya en Sodimac

A través de un acuerdo comercial celebrado entre Latinamerican Trading, filial de Cemex en Perú, y Sodimac, Cemento Quisqueya ahora será comercializado en las ocho tiendas que tiene la cadena en Lima Metropolitana.

Los productos Quisqueya que serán comercializados en Sodimac son Cemento Gris Portland Tipo I y Cemento Gris Portland Tipo I PM. Latinamerican Trading proyecta que la comercialización de sus productos a través de Sodimac representará entre 4% y 5% de sus ventas mensuales. Su marca está disponible en más de 700 puntos de venta en Lima y provincias.

DUBAI: Emirates Cement Company rebrands as Lafarge

Company aims to capture markets outside the region

Dubai: For Lafarge, surviving in an extremely competitive environment means innovation. This includes rebranding the company in the UAE and adding new products.

Formerly known as Emirates Cement Company, a joint venture with the Dubai Group, a member of Dubai Holding, and the Fujairah Government, it is now running under the name Lafarge Emirates Cement.

The company owns its own quarry and crusher and opened its first factory along Emirates Road in Dubai at the end of 2007 with a capacity of 3 million tonnes. Although it still churns out about the same amount of cement today, one third to 40 per cent is dedicated to exports, said CEO Antoine Duclaux.

"We're still happy with the volume of sales in the region. But at the time, like all manufacturers, the objective was to sell domestically in Dubai, which we did. But now like most big players we export to Oman and some other captive markets, like Kuwait and Iraq and we are also targeting the Indian Ocean islands, like Mayotte and Mauritius."

In comparison to Iraq's double-digit growth, Qatar's consumption has dropped. Saudi Arabia's demand is high but imports there face transport and pricing restrictions due to the local cement industry being subsidised, Duclaux explained.

"To survive in an extremely competitive market the only way is to innovate via products and services," he said.

Lafarge's cement, sold in bulk and bags, has been rebranded Classic (Portland cement) and Flexi (Portland with limestone). Shield (sulphate-resistant Portland cement) will be available next week.

"We benefit from the research and development carried out in Europe. Not all players have that," said Duclaux. Lafarge recently announced it developed a cement product that reduces CO2 emissions by 25 per cent.

"The product still needs to be industrialised but there could be certainly an opportunity, along with other new products and services, to introduce it into the market here. We're all for sustainable construction and have been involved with Masdar," Duclaux added.

DUBAI: Times are tough for cement firms as prices fall and demand drops

Lafarge ceo calls on authorities for assistance to get back on track

Tough times for cement producers

Dubai Cement companies serving the Dubai market are being buffeted by low prices and are seeking to sell their products elsewhere in the Gulf and Middle East to bolster their balance sheets.

Demand for cement in the emirate has dropped from more than 20 million tonnes in 2008 to 13 million tonnes today, a senior industry executive said.

Antoine Duclaux, CEO of Lafarge Emirates Cement, has called on the authorities to assist the industry.

“Investors in the cement industry put $4 billion (Dh14.6 billion) into the sector over the past 10 years. The government enjoyed good relationships with the players, but current profitability is zero and in some cases negative. Something has to be done; some will be leaving,” he told Gulf News.

The UAE has 20 cement companies — 10 large ones and 10 grinders. On the ready mix side, 45 players with a capacity of 23 million cubic metres a year in 400 plants across the country are competing for a smaller pool of clients.

“They are all still in the game but with difficulties. Prices had to be adjusted so profitability is poor. Many export to Oman, given the growth. But cement sales in Oman are also challenging,” Duclaux added.

Price per tonne

The price of cement peaked at Dh400 per tonne in 2008, prompting the government to cap it at Dh360. The price today is around Dh200 per tonne for cement ex-factory and ready mix products fetch about the same value proportionately in cubic metres.

“The ready mix sector will face consolidation. We expect some adjustments and need help from the authorities if they want the industry here,” Duclaux added.

The ready mix sector though has an advantage in as much as it is more mobile, Terry Mason, company manager for Lafarge Readymix Gulf, told Gulf News.

The company has three ready mix plants, one each in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, with a total capacity of 1.5 million cubic metres a year.

It is looking at new opportunities by sending products and machinery to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq.

“Here we’re working now with the same few guys. Although the market has picked up a bit, one can’t plan ahead,” Mason added.

The Lafarge Cement Factory in Dubai. Demand for cement in the emirate has dropped from more than 20 million tonnes in 2008 to 13 million tonnes now, a senior industry executive said.