Gypsum industry news

UK: British Gypsum and CEVA Logistics have introduced a new fleet of 85 Volvo tractor units. CEVA will operate the new fleet transporting British Gypsum's interior lining systems from five plants to over 3500 stockists.

The new vehicles include safety features such as extra-low ride height for reducing blind spots and increasing visibility levels, an advanced camera system, anti-roll and drive away prevention device, full telematics and additional nearside vision panels in the passenger door. All trucks are fully FORS (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme) Gold compliant. In addition, trucks have audible left turn alarms, mobile CCTV camera systems and anti-spill fuel tanks. CEVA is a FORS Gold carrier while British Gypsum is a CLOCS compliant supplier (Construction Logistics and Community Safety).

"As a business, we always put safety first and in our case that means keeping our drivers and the communities in which they operate, safe. We have a desire to be the safest road transport network in the UK and these new high-tech, best-in-industry vehicles will help us to achieve that vision," said Brian Fisher, Distribution Manager at British Gypsum.

US: USG’s operating profit fell by 30% year-on-year to US$190m in the first nine months of 2018 from US$270m in the same period in 2017. The building materials company blamed this on rising costs in the third quarter, arising from transport costs and non-production costs linked to its Customer-First strategy. Despite this, net sales rose by 6% to US$2.52bn from US$2.37bn.

The company is currently being acquired by Germany’s Knauf. The takeover is expected to complete in early 2019. In its third quarter financial report USG said that Boral had started proceedings in late August 2018 to determine the value of the USG Boral joint venture. This process could lead to Boral exercising its right to purchase USG’s 50% interest in USG Boral.

China: Beijing New Building Materials’ (BNBM) operating revenue rose by 17% year-on-year to US$1.37bn in the first nine months of 2018. Its net profit grew by 31% to US$293m. However, both revenue and profit fell in the third quarter of 2018.

France: Saint-Gobain’s Interior Solutions division’s net sales grew by 4.2% year-on-year to Euro5.33bn in the first nine months of 2018 from Euro5.11bn in the same period in 2017. The group said that division performance in the third quarter of 2018 was driven by pricing. Western Europe progressed slightly despite lower volumes in the UK. In North America, the acceleration in price increases in the quarter reduced sales volumes. Asia and emerging countries reported good growth. Overall, the group’s sales rose by 1.8% to Euro31.1bn from Euro30.6bn.

“Saint-Gobain continues along its growth trajectory despite a tough comparison basis in the third quarter of 2017. Our focus on increasing prices – critical in an inflationary environment – continues to pay off. The industrial issues that had weighed on our profitability in the first half of the year are largely behind us,” said Pierre-André de Chalendar, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Saint-Gobain.

Germany: Gebr. Pfeiffer says it is planning to use its TRT Triplex dryer to partially calcine gypsum. Testing at the Gebr. Pfeiffer test station has yielded ‘positive’ results and further installations are being considered to explore the concept. The product uses the uniflow principle, where both material and hot gasses flow in the same direction and pass through the dryer tubes from the centre outwards.

The engineering company has received an order for a TRT 5000/8.0 Triplex dryer from Shree Cement in India. The dryer will be used to dry flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) gypsum from a captive coal-power plant for use in cement plants. In the planned dryer plant the moisture of the FGD gypsum will be reduced to a residual moisture of <2%. Artificial gypsum from the dryer will be used at other cement grinding plants in the country. The 50t/hr dryer will be installed at the end of 2018 and is expected to start commercial operation in mid-2019.