On the aggregate market, Holcim sales in Romania more than doubled, as prices on the market dropped 8.5%, the company said in a report Thursday.
In Romania, Holcim benefited from several large construction projects, especially in the Bucharest area, which boosted cement sales, whole sales declined in most other countries in the region, the company said. Aggregate sales in Eastern Europe grew on all markets except Serbia.
Holcim’s cement sales in Europe declined 9.6%, to 4.7 million tons, mainly due to declines in France, Switzerland and Russia, while aggregate sales rose 10.9%, to 17.4 million tons.
Globally, the group posted a 5.5% decline in cement sales, to 31.2 million tons, while aggregate sales increased 1.2%, to 29.5 million tons.
Holcim posted a net profit of CHF310 million (EUR296.4 million) and its net sales decreased 2.8%, to CHF3.9 billion (EUR3.7 billion).
Holcim and France’s Lafarge agreed in April last year to merge to create the world’s largest cement producer, with annual sales totaling around EUR40 billion. The two companies decided to sell the assets of one company in Romania, Germany and Hungary. In Romania, the asserts up for sale are those of Lafarge.
At the beginning of February, CRH reached an agreement with Holcim and Lafarge to acquire the bulk of assets the two companies are selling, including those in Romania, for EUR6.5 billion. Holcim and Lafarge agreed to merge in April last year to create the world’s largest cement producer, with annual sales totaling around EUR40 billion.
Holcim Romania had 792 employees at the end of last year and a local production capacity of 6.1 million tons of cement.