Gypsum industry news

Belgium: Etex Group reports that its revenue rose by 38% to Euro3.17bn in 2012 compared to Euro2.30bn in 2011. The building materials group said that the stable revenue reflected some volume losses with sustained margins.

"Despite the economic circumstances, Etex performed well in 2012. The free cash flow generated will enable us to continue to invest substantially in promising segments," commented Fons Peeters, CEO of Etex.

Etex's operating income rose by 65% to Euro290m in 2012 from Euro176m in 2011. Its profit rose by 73% to Euro152m from Euro88m.

In 2012 Siniat's European gypsum business was integrated within Etex, making the group's Cladding and Building Boards the biggest of Etex's four business segments. This segment saw its revenue rise from Euro614m in 2011 to Euro1.46bn in 2012.

By region for its gypsum business, Etex noted in its annual report that Western Europe was affected by difficult macro-economic conditions, particularly in France. In Eastern Europe, Poland and Ukraine saw stable market demand and Romania and the Balkan states had investment to support growth. Siniat Latin America showed 'good' progress in 2012 with investments in Brazil and Peru on the way.

Romania: Siniat Romania plans to start building a gypsum board factory in the southwestern town of Turceni in March 2013.

"We reached an agreement with the Turceni energy complex, which will provide the raw materials for the plant, and this is the reason we considered this investment," said Siniat Romania director general Marc-Andre Fritsche.

Belgium's Etex group, which controls Siniat Romania, will finance the plant's construction. The investment is estimated at tens of millions of Euros. The plant is scheduled to start operations from the beginning of 2015.

Siniat Romania, formerly Lafarge Arcom Gips, reported a turnover of Euro22.6m in 2011 and projects a slight increase for 2012. Siniat runs a gypsum board plant in Bucharest and a plant for plasters and coatings in the northwestern county of Cluj. Currently 35% of its total output is exported.

Belgium: Etex Group has reported a revenue rise of 17.6%, from Euro1.96bn in 2010 to Euro 2.3bn in 2011. In 2011 the Belgium-based manufacturing group acquired major gypsum interests from Lafarge and had a former manager jailed in a major Italian asbestos trial.

Etex acquired 80% of the European and South American gypsum activities of Lafarge in November 2011, increasing its controlling interest to 80% in its South American gypsum business. On a like-for-like basis its revenue increased by 10.3%. The newly acquired gypsum activities added a further 7.3% to the revenue increase from 2010. The Group's operating income decreased by 4.9% to Euro176m in 2011, from Euro185m in 2010. Profit decreased by 29% to Euro88m from Euro 124m.

In its annual report the Group attributed the fall in operating income to the setup of a provision in response to the outcome of the Italian Eternit asbestos trial in February 2011. Etex was judged civilly responsible for the actions of one of its former top managers. Damages from the case were over Euro100m.

France: Lafarge has received Euro850m from the sale of its European and South American gypsum assets to Belgium's Etex Group. Lafarge will retain a 20% interest in the new partnership. The new entity created by the acquisition will have an annual revenue of around Euro1bn, according to Etex.

Europe/South America: The Belgian building-material company Etex Group has received approval from the European Commission (EC) to buy the European and South American gypsum activities of French cement group Lafarge for over Euro1bn (USD1.4bn). The EC ruled that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition.

The activities, which generated Euro895m in revenue for Lafarge in 2010, will be incorporated into a new entity, in which Lafarge will hold a 20% stake. The divestment is in line with Lafarge's strategy to reduce its debt by Euro2bn in 2011.

World: In the first major gypsum deal since the onset of the recession on 14 July 2011 Lafarge announced that is would sell its gypsum interests in Europe and South America to the Belgian Etex Group, its current joint-venture partner in South America.

Under the proposed agreement, Lafarge would receive net cash proceeds of approximately Euro850m and in addition would receive a 20% interest in the new partnership. The partnership would combine the European and South American Gypsum activities of both groups.

Lafarge's European and South American Gypsum division manufactures gypsum wallboard and other gypsum-based products such as plaster, joint compounds and plaster blocks. In 2010 the European and South American operations generated combined sales of Euro895m and their combined earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were Euro115m. The group's other gypsum interests, including its joint-ventures in Asia with Boral, represent sales of around Euro500m/yr.

The deal will have to receive the approval of the relevant anti-trust authorities and the group will also conduct an information and consultation process with the relevant employee representative bodies.

Above: Summary of Lafarge wallboard assets 2010. The Global Gypsum Directory 2010 lists 45 Lafarge wallboard plants across 30 countries, with a total capacity of approximately 1.3BnM²/yr in 2009-10. Nearly 8000 people are directly employed by the unit. Key: Number of plants (Capacity in MM²/yr).

In a conference call, Bruno Lafont, Chairman and CEO of Lafarge said that Lafarge's gypsum interests represented a modest 9% of its sales in 2010 and that the sale was consistent with Lafarge's plan to focus on its core activities, which he listed as cement, concrete and aggregates. He highlighed the group's focus on providing building materials to rapidly-growing, developing markets with fast population growth rates and a need for new housing and infrastructure development.

He stressed that Lafarge would keep a 20% in the new joint-venture, which he expected to contribute positively to the group's balance sheet and was in line with the best interests of its shareholders.

Lafont summarised the assets in the deal, stating that all of the European interests held by Lafarge in France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands represented around 60 industrial sites and that the move would affect approximately 3300 employees. In Lafarge's native France, the move affects four wallboard plants, seven associated plants that make jointing compounds and metal studs, five gypsum quarries and a total of 1400 employees.

In South America, the move affects four countries, namely Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. In these countries, Lafarge and Etex have been engaged in a joint-venture project dating back several years.

Lafont added that despite it being a small component of its operations, Lafarge currently has gypsum interests on all continents and will, for the meantime, be keeping hold of those in Asia, Australasia, Africa and North America. He said that keeping a 20% stake in its existing interests in the affected areas would allow it to, "benefit from the upturn when it comes." He said that it was appropriate for the group to 'keep a link' to gypsum, adding that Lafarge has the right to sell its 20% interest after five years.

He also said that the transaction would help Lafarge improve its relationship with existing partner Etex and allow both groups to expand the positive relationship that has been developed in South America throughout their newly-combined European operations. Lafont commented that the two groups shared the same values and a similar management style.

Speaking personally, he said that he was pleased to announce the deal and concluded that it was a positive move for Lafarge through maintaining its 20% stake, Etex and the shareholders of both groups.

In a statement issued by Lafarge before the conference call Lafont said, " This project unlocks immediate value for the Group while allowing Lafarge to participate in the new entity's future success. We are very pleased with the future prospects of this reinforced partnership with Etex Group, a strong industrial company with expertise in building materials and systems. This operation is positive for Lafarge and its shareholders and will contribute to the strengthening of the group's balance sheet and to the optimisation of its portfolio."

France: Lafarge has chosen a handful of bids, including those of investment funds Cinven and Bain Capital, for its plaster unit Lafarge Gypsum, from at least 10 different offers. Belgian building material group Etex is also reportedly still in the race, while Advent, Carlyle and TPG have been ruled out.

Other offers were reportedly made by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Eagle Materials Inc., USG Corp and Saudi Arabia's National Gypsum Company. The bids are around Euro900m on average.

Lafarge Gypsum's operating profit jumped 80% on the year in the first quarter to Euro18m, while its sales rose by 9% to Euro375m. The US activity, however, struggled with a loss in 2010. It is not known whether or not the assets will be split up geographically, as had previously been suggested.