Gypsum industry news

Canada: Canadian Gypsum Company (CGC) plans to build a US$155m gypsum wallboard plant in Wheatland County, Alberta. The producer has acquired 86.6 hectares of land near the town of Carseland. It will also use the site for a 15MW solar power plant. CGC has hired Duane Van Duuren as the upcoming plant’s general manager.

Van Duuren said "The solar field will be more than enough to support our energy needs with clean power, and so this is really exciting for our company. We want to bring the best products to Western Canada and be a great community member both socially and environmentally.”

Saudi Arabia: Mada Gypsum Company has announced the appointment of Sami Helmy as its president. The company noted Helmy’s distinguished track record in the industry and considerable experience in leadership roles. He has served as operations director at the company since 2017, and was previously technology director at The Industrial Group and Banawi Industrial Group. Helmy is a mechanical engineer by training, holding a degree from the University of King Abdulaziz in Jeddah.

Mada Gypsum Company said “Mr Helmy leads Mada Gypsum towards a future defined by innovation, success and Building Excellence.”

Australia: France-based Saint-Gobain has submitted a non-binding indicative offer of US$5.44bn for building materials producer and land banking entity CSR. CSR’s businesses include insulation producer Bradford, fibre cement systems producer Cemintel, wallboard producer Gyprock, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) block producer Hebel and roofing producer Monier. Together, CSR’s building materials units accounted for 72% of its sales in 2023.

Saudi Arabia: National Gypsum Company expects its cost of sales to rise by 11% following a hike in fuel prices by Saudi Aramco from 1 January 2024. In an exchange filing, the company said that the increase will show in its results from the first quarter of 2024.

New Zealand: Fletcher Building announced the retirement of its chief executive officer Ross Taylor on 14 February 2024. As part of a board renewal review, chair Bruce Hassall will also leave. Fletcher Building’s People and Remuneration Committee chair, non-executive director Barbara Chapman, will lead the search process for replacements. Handovers are scheduled to take place in October 2024.

The producer said “The board thanks Bruce and Ross for their leadership and contribution since 2017. During this period, they have led the turnaround of Fletcher Building, which has seen the core businesses becoming more focussed and profitable, with improved earnings, margins and returns.”