Australia: Boral's profit after tax has risen by 8% year-on-year to US$204m in its financial year which ended on 30 June 2016 from US$190m in the previous year. Its sales revenue fell, by 2% to US$3.28bn, but revenue from continuing operations rose slightly. Revenue from continuing operations benefitted from stronger residential activity in Australia and the US, which offset the decline in resource-based and other major project activity. The company's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) also rose due to operational cost improvements, lower fuel costs and some pricing gains.

"We have continued to improve our performance across our businesses in line with our strategy, managing our portfolio more efficiently and maintaining a strong balance sheet," said CEO and managing director Mike Kane. "The continued growth in Boral's earnings demonstrates the great work that has been done to improve our cost base, grow margins, and efficiently supply market demand, which continues to be strong in Australia and Asia, and is growing in the US."

The group's joint-venture with USG, USG Boral, saw its revenue rise by 10% to US$1.06bn from US$965m. This was attributed to growth in Sheetrock product
wallboard sales resulting in higher pricing, and growth in adjacent product (non-board) sales. Strong volume growth in Australia was offset by contraction in key Asian markets and price competition in South Korea. EBIT increased by 27% to US$136m from US$107m.

Thailand: Gypman Tech plans to raise its sales revenue by listing on the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) in 2018, in order to further increase its production capacity. The gypsum wallboard producer increased its production capacity to 12Mm² in 2015 from 6Mm² in a move that is intended to double its sales revenue by the end of 2018, according to the Nation newspaper.

Managing director Supachai Hirunyanitiwatna established Gypman Tech in 2014 to produce gypsum wallboard to serve local demand. The company operates a plant in Nakhon Sawan province close to a gypsum mine.

Spain: Alier has announced an agreement with creditors to restructure its debts. The agreement, to be officially settled in court, will make it possible for the plasterboard liner producer to continue the investment plan on industrial modernisation and quality improvements. The deal, supported by the major creditor banks, was made with the majority of the creditors on 28 June 2016.

Alier has forecast that its production of plasterboard liner for the gypsum wallboard industry will be 155,000t in 2016. Following its expansion plan this could reach 200,000t.

US: Arizona Instrument has released the Computrac Vapor Pro XL (VPXL), the latest in its line of moisture analysers. The Computrac Vapor Pro instrument line provides a moisture specific alternative to Karl Fischer titration without the use of chemical reagents. New features for the VPXL include an upgraded heater, compatibility with multiple sizes of sample vials, stepped temperature testing capabilities and a touch screen interface. Applications for the Computrac moisture analyser line include gypsum purity testing as well as uses in plastics, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals and chemical production.