Holcim 1Q Cement Sales In Romania Rise 15.7% On Year

05.04.2011 By Florentina Dragu

Swiss-based building materials maker Holcim on Wednesday reported a 15.7% increase in first-quarter cement sales in Romania, despite overall declining activity in constructions.

"Nevertheless, due to the low figures in the previous year and the mild weather conditions, the group's companies, with the exceptions of Hungary, increased delivery volumes. The strongest increases in cement sales were achieved in Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic," Holcim said in its quarterly report.

In Europe, Holcim's cement sales rose 19.9% on the year to 5.2 million tons in the first quarter.

However, global sales nudged down 1.8% on the year to CHF4.65 billion, Holcim said.

Operating profit fell 17.1% to CHF753 million in the first quarter, but net profit soared 85% to CHF122 million.

Holcim runs businesses in over 70 countries worldwide and employs around 90,000 staff. In Romania, the group operates two cement factories, one grinding station, 19 eco-friendly concrete stations, five aggregates stations and one cement terminal.

In 2010, Holcim Romania reported total sales worth EUR200 million, down 20% on the year. (EUR1=CHF1.279)