Gypsum industry news

Russia: Knauf Petroboard and the local government of the Leningrad region have signed a Euro54m deal to upgrade a gypsum wallboard liner plant in Kommunar. Two thirds of the funds will be used to upgrade equipment at the site with the remainder targeted at treatment works, according to the Stroygaz newspaper. Start-up for the equipment is scheduled for the end of 2018. The agreement has been announced as part of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum framework.

Mexico: PPG has completed its sales of its Plaka plasterboard and cement-board business to Knauf. No financial value for the deal has been disclosed. PPG originally purchased its Plaka business in 2014 when it acquired Consorcio. The company produces wallboard, plasterboard and cement board primarily for the Mexican market.

Oman: Exports of gypsum rose by 29% year-on-year to 3.29Mt in the first five months of 2017 from 2.55Mt in the same period in 2016. The boost in export volumes mainly arose in April and May 2017, according to data from the Oman Gypsum Association. Data from the Department of Primary Industries and Mines (DPIM) in Thailand suggests that gypsum exports have fallen from that country so far in 2017. Omani gypsum producers hope to take advantage of a growing supply deficit in Asian export markets.

Switzerland: Sika has appointed Paul Schuler, currently Regional Manager Europe Middle East Africa (EMEA), as its chief executive officer (CEO) with effect from 1 July 2017. He succeeds Jan Jenisch who has accepted to become the new CEO of LafargeHolcim. Schuler has worked at Sika for 29 years and has been a member of the group management since 2007. He served as Regional Manager North America from 2007 to 2012 and as Regional Manager EMEA from 2013 until the present.

France: Julie Bonamy has been appointed as the Vice-President, Corporate Strategy and Planning at Saint-Gobain with effect from 1 June 2017. She will replace Delphine Geny-Stephann, who has been appointed as the Vice President and General Manager Silicon Carbide & Quartz within the Innovative Materials sector. Bonamy will report to Guillaume Texier and she is a member of the Senior Management Committee.

Bonamy is a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Studies (IEP de Paris) and the National School of Public Administration (Ecole Nationale d'Administration). She started her career as a civil servant (inspectrice des finances) for the French government in 2011, before joining the Office of the French Minister for the Economy, Industry and the Digital Sector in October 2014. She was appointed advisor for the budget and digital sector in July 2015.