Gypsum industry news

Romania: France’s Fives has supplied a new FCB TSV1600 MF for Etex’s calcined gypsum grinding plant in Aghires. The project is part of an upgrade to the unit to close the existing open circuit. Commissioning took place in late January 2019.

Peru: Eternit plans to upgrade its gypsum wallboard plants at Cercado in Lima and Huachipa. Wallboard consumption is 0.4m²/yr per capita in Peru compared to 2.7m²/yr per capita in Chile, according to the Gestión newspaper. The subsidiary of Belgium’s Etex plans to increase its revenue from wallboard to 50% from 40% at present.

Spain: Pladur Gypsum has officially opened its 12Mm²/yr Gelsa wallboard plant. The unit had an investment of Euro60m and it has created 75 jobs, according to the Periódico de Aragón newspaper. Start-up at the plant began in September 2018 and full production started in January 2019. The unit currently has a three-shift work pattern and this is expected to change to four shifts by the end of 2019.

Belgium: Etex’s Building Performance division’s sales revenue rose by 5.35% year-on-year to Euro1.53bn in 2017 from Euro1.45bn in 2016. Strong performance in the UK, France and Germany contributed to this result in Europe. In Latin America growing markets were noted in Argentina, Brazil and Peru. The group acquired full control of Spanish gypsum wallboard manufacturer Pladur in 2017.

Overall, the group reported that its revenue rose by 4.5% on a like-for-like basis to Euro2.79bn across all business lines. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation rose by 7% to Euro432m from Euro404m.

Spain: Etex has become the sole shareholder of Pladur following the completion of a deal to buy all the remaining shares from Coemac. The deal was first announced in July 2017 and following customary closing conditions it closed on 22 December 2017. Pladur operates one gypsum wallboard plant near Madrid and it has been building a second plant at Gelsa that was due to open in mid-2017.

Colombia: Grupo Etex is projected to invest US$77m in its production activities. 50% of the funds will be used to increase productivity, with 25% allocated to innovation and further 25% invested in safety and maintenance. According to the manager of Grupo Etex, Mauricio Lopez, the company will focus on rural housing in Colombia, the demand for which continues to grow thanks to the recent peace agreement and development of the agricultural industry.

Furthermore, Lopez anticipates a growth in exports to Venezuela and Ecuador, as well as the Caribbean and Central American regions in 2018, motivated by the recent devastation caused by a series of hurricanes. Currently, Grupo Etex is experiencing a strong demand from Puerto Rico, especially for Superboard cement panels and gypsum wallboard.

Colombia: Gypsum wallboard producer Gyplac and cement producer Skinco Colombit will rebrand as Grupo Etex. The group also has investments worth US$77m planned over the next five years, according to Dinero magazine. The company holds a 12% share of the building materials market locally.

Spain: An agreement has been reached to make Etex the majority shareholder of Pladur, a Spanish manufacturer of gypsum products. Spanish sector peer Coemac currently owns 59.31% of the company, while Etex holds the remaining 40.69% of the shares. The agreement, which is subject to customary closing conditions, provides for the sale by Coemac of 35% of the shares to Etex, with an option for Coemac to transfer the remaining 24.31% in 2020. Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in December 2017.

Belgium: Revenue from Etex's Building Performance division rose slightly to Euro1.44bn in 2016 from Euro1.43bn in 2015. The division produces gypsum wallboard as well as fibre cement boards and other dry construction materials. The group said that it had posted sound results in 2016, particularly in Europe, its largest market, where it performed within expectations.

However, the company's overall revenue fell by 5.6% year-on-year to Euro2.88bn from Euro3.05bn. It blamed this on the sale of its ceramics floor and wall tiles business in Latin America and unfavourable exchange rates. On a like-for-like basis it said that its revenue rose by 1.5% in the period. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 10.4% to Euro404m from Euro366m.

Belgium: Etex's sales revenue has fallen by 2.8% year-on-year to Euro1.48bn in the first half of 2016 from Euro1.52bn in the same period in 2015. However, on a like-for-like basis the group said that its revenue rose by 2.6% when exchange rates and scope were taken into account. Its profit fell by 12% to Euro55m from Euro63m.

The group reported that markets in Germany and France remain weak due to manufacturing capacity being downsized. In Latin American countries growth was realised with the exception of Brazil. The profitability of this growth was under pressure from exchange rates and increased competition.