Gypsum industry news

UK: Siniat has invested more than Euro300,000 in the construction of a new laboratory facility at its manufacturing plant in Portbury, Somerset.

The lab provides a high-specification environment for Siniat's production, maintenance and quality assurance teams and has enabled it to consolidate all three functions, which were previously based in different parts of the site, in one central, integrated location at the heart of the plant. Construction work began in May 2013 and is now complete, with the lab fully operational.

The facility will also act as an area where Siniat can welcome customers and other visitors to discuss its latest innovations and demonstrate key product performance capabilities such as fire and water resistance.

The project is just one step in a long-term vision for improving the site, says Stephane Mettavant, Plant Manager. "We've embarked on an ambitious programme of change for our Bristol plant since becoming Siniat (in October 2012). It's focused on improving facilities for our customers and our employees and creating an environment in which we can share our expertise."

"The programme has already delivered tangible results and helped us to streamline our processes throughout the plant," said Mettavant. "We have been successful in reducing the number of customer complaints we receive to industry-leading levels and the new lab represents the next stage of reinforcing that quality assurance.

Siniat was formerly known as Lafarge Plasterboard. It was acquired from Lafarge by Belgium's Etex group at the end of 2011 and began trading as Siniat in October 2012.

Belgium: Etex Group reports that its revenue rose by 38% to Euro3.17bn in 2012 compared to Euro2.30bn in 2011. The building materials group said that the stable revenue reflected some volume losses with sustained margins.

"Despite the economic circumstances, Etex performed well in 2012. The free cash flow generated will enable us to continue to invest substantially in promising segments," commented Fons Peeters, CEO of Etex.

Etex's operating income rose by 65% to Euro290m in 2012 from Euro176m in 2011. Its profit rose by 73% to Euro152m from Euro88m.

In 2012 Siniat's European gypsum business was integrated within Etex, making the group's Cladding and Building Boards the biggest of Etex's four business segments. This segment saw its revenue rise from Euro614m in 2011 to Euro1.46bn in 2012.

By region for its gypsum business, Etex noted in its annual report that Western Europe was affected by difficult macro-economic conditions, particularly in France. In Eastern Europe, Poland and Ukraine saw stable market demand and Romania and the Balkan states had investment to support growth. Siniat Latin America showed 'good' progress in 2012 with investments in Brazil and Peru on the way.

Romania: Siniat Romania has said that construction works on a Euro50m wallboard plant in Turceni in southwestern Romania will start in June 2013. The plant was originally scheduled to start construction in March 2013.

The project is entirely financed by Siniat's parent company, Belgium's Etex group. Production at the new plant is scheduled to start in March 2015. The new plant will have an initial wallboard capacity of 27Mm²/yr. Its capacity may be boosted to 50Mm² depending on market demand. Some 50-60% of its output will be exported to Balkan countries.

Siniat Romania exported some 35% of its wallboard output in 2012. The company turnover rose by 1.5% to Euro22.1m in 2012. Siniat added that its market share in Romania stood at 25% in 2012, when the local wallboard market contracted to 38Mm².

Looking forward the company plans to raise its market share on the local wallboard market, which is predicted to grow by 5% in 2013. Siniat Romania runs a wallboard plant in Bucharest.

Romania: Siniat Romania plans to start building a gypsum board factory in the southwestern town of Turceni in March 2013.

"We reached an agreement with the Turceni energy complex, which will provide the raw materials for the plant, and this is the reason we considered this investment," said Siniat Romania director general Marc-Andre Fritsche.

Belgium's Etex group, which controls Siniat Romania, will finance the plant's construction. The investment is estimated at tens of millions of Euros. The plant is scheduled to start operations from the beginning of 2015.

Siniat Romania, formerly Lafarge Arcom Gips, reported a turnover of Euro22.6m in 2011 and projects a slight increase for 2012. Siniat runs a gypsum board plant in Bucharest and a plant for plasters and coatings in the northwestern county of Cluj. Currently 35% of its total output is exported.