Holcim announce 8.1 percent rise in sales

HOLCIM Group have announced their results for the first half of 2010. Consolidated net sales of CHF 10.9 billion were reported, up 8.1%, compared with the same period of 2009, while operating EBITDA rose by 9.3% to CHF 2.3 billion.

The biggest contributions to the result came from the mature markets in Australia and North America, and from the Group region Africa Middle East – supported by stringent cost management for the area.

In the first six months of the year, sales of aggregates increased by 17.1% to 73.2 million tonnes, while ready-mixed concrete grew by 13.5% to 21.9 million cubic metres and cement rose by 4.1% to 67.8 million tonnes. The main contribution to volume growth came from the newly consolidated Holcim Australia. Group companies in the UK, Canada, Brazil and Morocco sold significantly more aggregates, while firms in Canada, India and Vietnam achieved marked increases in sales of ready-mixed concrete.

Net income, however, declined 22.4% to CHF 611 million and, according to Holcim, the economic trend in Group regions Europe and North America remains considerably uncertain despite some positive market signs. The company expects demand in most countries of Latin American to be stable but will see the Africa Middle East and Asia Pacific markets grow further.

In the second half of 2010, Holcim will continue to concentrate their efforts on factors they can directly influence, such as cost-efficiency along the whole value chain and the efficient commissioning of new state-of-the-art production facilities in the fast-growing emerging markets. The company is confident of coping well with these challenges, thanks to the operational measures initiated at an early stage.