A divergent growth trend could be seen in LafargeHolcim’s Europe business, as Eastern European markets performed strongly, while growth in West Europe was slower – although macroeconomic signals were positive in these regions.
Western Europe was also hit by a number of operational challenges, impacting LafargeHolcim’s French and Belgian business at the start of the year and its German operations at the end. These disruptions “have all since been resolved” the company said.
Overall, the company sold 42.8 million to of cement in Europe in 2017, a like-for-like increase of 3%. Sales of aggregates were also up, but ready-mixed volumes were down marginally. Recurring EBITDA was 3.7% higher on a like-for-like basis at €1.39 billion.
Looking ahead, LafargeHolcim noted the “extensive long-term infrastructure plans already in place (e.g. in France and the UK”, which it expects to see develop in coming years.
LafargeHolcim operates 56 cement and grinding plants in Europe with an installed capacity of 73.4 million. Key markets include France, Russia, Spain, Germany, and Poland.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/09032018/a-positive-european-story-for-lafargeholcim/