Spain/Portugal: Saint-Gobain Placo Iberia has selected 32 finalists for its Golden Gypsum Trophy for innovative use of its products. The Spain and Portugal subsidiary of Saint-Gobain selected projects for innovative and operational excellence in projects representing six categories: laminated plasterboard, plasters, innovation and sustainable solutions, residential sector, non-residential sector and commercial sector. The public will be able to vote for winners of each category on the Saint-Gobain Placo website from 10 October 2019 to 31 October 2019.

Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan produced 7000t of building gypsum in the eight months to the end of August 2019, a decrease of 82% from 38,000t in the corresponding period of 2018. Total production in the construction materials sector grew in value by 4.3% to US$303m from US$291m from January to August 2018.

Germany: Hosokawa Alpine will sell and rent out pre-owned process-technological machines. It has announced that its new rental and used equipment division will uphold the usual Alpine quality.

US: Munson has launched a ribbon blender for the homogenisation of dry bulk solids, including gypsum plaster. The unit, which can also blend solids with liquids from its spray lines to pastes or slurries, has a volume of 2.4m³. The company reports that its novel bag dump, which draws dust into filter cartridges by intermittent blasts from a number of nozzles, will improve worker safety and plant hygiene.