Gypsum industry news

El Salvador: Sika is setting up a sales and distribution subsidiary in El Salvador. The unit will be the Swiss company's 99th national subsidiary around the world.

"Sika already has a strong market position in El Salvador, as we have been supplying the construction sector out of Guatemala for many years. With this new national subsidiary we can develop the market more efficiently and grow more rapidly. Our aim is to further develop Sika's leading position, particularly in the Sealing & Bonding target market," said José Luis Vázquez, Sika's Regional Manager for Latin America.

Belgium: Etex has reported 'top line' growth for its Etex Building Performance division, particularly in France, Poland, and the UK. Outside of Europe the group said that its South Africa market is suffering from political instability whilst sales in Peru grew, thanks to a new housing concept that was successfully launched.

Overall the group's half-year revenue rose by 3.9% year-on-year on an adjusted basis to Euro1.41bn in the first half of 2017. It reported sales of Euro1.48n in the same period in 2016 but the sale of its ceramic floor and wall tiles business in Latin America in September 2016 had an impact upon its results. Its operating income rose by 4.2% to Euro125m from Euro119m.

In July 2017 Etex reach an agreement to become the majority shareholder of Pladur, a Spanish manufacturer of gypsum products. The deal, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to complete by the end of 2017.

India: Thomas Paul, the operations director of USG Boral, has met with the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, N, Chandrababu Naidu, to discuss building a plant in the state, according to the Hindu newspaper. Earlier in 2017 the wallboard producer said that it was building a 30Mm2/yr wallboard plant near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

Germany: Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Hummel died on 18 August 2017 at the age of 63. Prof. Dr. Hummel had worked at Knauf since 1992 and led its research and development activities for more than 20 years. Most recently he was responsible for the Product Management, Patent Management and Quality Management departments of the Knauf Group.

A Knauf press release stated that his strong interest in new topics and his visionary ideas inspired his colleagues and carried the company forward in the technical and scientific fields. It added that he contributed decisively to the success of the Knauf Group with his future-oriented developmental work and great personal commitment and that he was a respected and appreciated leader, who was always receptive to the matters of his colleagues. Knauf said that it was 'highly grateful' to Prof. Dr. Hummel and that it would continue to honour his memory.

Prof. Dr. Hummel was Global Gypsum 'Personality of the Year' 2010.

Image source: Knauf website (adapted).

Australia: After a construction period of just 11 months, the US$55m Knauf gypsum wallboard factory at Bundaberg, Queensland has produced its first wallboard. The plant received its first delivery of gypsum at the plant in late July 2017.