Gypsum industry news

US: L&W Supply Corp., a distributor of gypsum wallboard, ceiling systems, steel framing and other building materials for contractors, has announced the acquisition of Rose & Walker Supply.

Rose & Walker is a five-branch distribution company based in Columbus, Ohio. The family-owned business started in 1986 and provides wallboard products, metal studs, ceiling systems and insulation. Rose & Walker has branches in Bloomington, Columbus, Lafayette, Indianapolis and Terre Haute.

L&W says that, as a leading distributor of interior building products, the acquisition supports its overall growth strategy. With this acquisition, L&W now operates 163 locations in 35 states.

China/US: China’s Ministry of Commerce has proposed placing retaliatory tariffs on products from the US, including gypsum and gypsum products. The list covers 5207 items and proposes adding import taxes of up to 25% on them. It includes gypsum and gypsum wallboard. The ministry said that the new tariffs will take effect at a date to be announced later on.

US: Continental Building Products’ net sales in the second quarter of 2018 have risen due to higher gypsum wallboard sales volumes driven by ‘strong’ demand. The company reported an 11.6% increase year-on-year on wallboard volumes to 67Mm² from 60Mm². Its net sales rose by 6% to US$256m in the first half of 2018 from US$241m in the same period of 2017. Its net income rose by 44% to US$35.5m from US$24.6m.

France: Saint-Gobain’s sales rose by 1.9% year-on-year to Euro20.8bn in the first half of 2019 from Euro20.4bn in the same period in 2017. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell very slightly to Euro2.07bn.

"The second quarter marks a return to supportive trends in all our main markets. After a disappointing first quarter, affected by harsh winter weather in Europe, which weighed on results, the second quarter was far more encouraging in terms of volumes and prices. The group succeeded in further raising sales prices amid continued raw material and energy cost inflation. Despite a combination of temporary one-off factors, our first-half results progressed once again,” said Pierre-André de Chalendar, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Saint-Gobain.

The group’s Interior Solutions division, including gypsum wallboard and insulation production, reported 7.1% organic growth, with rising sales prices in the period although raw material and energy costs inflated. The group noted that although its operating margin was held back by weather conditions in Europe in the first quarter and by the on-going shift from synthetic to natural gypsum, it benefited over the half-year period from a positive price-cost spread in terms of raw materials and energy.

US: USG has blamed falling operating profits on costs relating to its ‘Customer-First’ strategy and rising general costs, including those from transportation. Its operating profit fell by 32% year-on-year to US$121m in the first half of 2018 from US$179m in the same period in 2017. Its net sales rose by 6% to US$1.67bn from US$1.58bn.

For its wallboard and surfaces business the company said that its wallboard price increased by 2% from the second quarter of 2017 due mostly to a price increase in January 2018. Wallboard sales volumes increased by 2% compared to the second quarter of 2017. However, wallboard costs were US$12m higher than the previous year primarily due to rising input and transportation costs.

The building materials producer confirmed that its merger with Germany’s Knauf is expected to complete in early 2019, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.