Concrete

Largest concrete takeover

Published

14 years ago

January 29, 2012

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The construction equipment industry, dominated by the US, has a new challenger from the Chinese markets in the form of Sany. Sany Heavy Industry Co., the construction-equipment maker run by China’s richest man, employing 70,000 people worldwide with operations in 150 countries and a three quarter turnover of $1.7 billion, agreed to buy German concrete pump maker Putzmeister Holding GmbH in the largest Chinese-German transaction yet.The company competes in China with Caterpillar and hometown rival Zoomlion.Sany and Chinese private equity company CITIC PE Advisors Ltd. will buy 100 percent of Putzmeister for an undisclosed price, according to an e-mailed statement today. Aichtal in Germany will become Sany’s new headquarter for concrete machinery and Norbert Scheuch will remain in his position as the head of Putzmeister under the Chinese owner.Putzmeister has 3,000 employees and sales of 570 million euros ($751 million). Chinese companies are increasingly hunting for European targets. Recently Volvo cars was bought by Chinese auto maker Geely in a $2.7 billion deal in 2010 from Ford. Chinese solar-panel maker LDK Solar Co. plans to buy Germany’sSunways AG (SWW) and Italian luxury-yacht builder Ferretti Group was sold to Shandong Heavy Industry Group-Weichai Group."With this merger Putzmeister and Sany will create a new and global market leader for concrete pumps," said Liang Wengen, chairman and founder of Sany, in the statement. Meanwhile closer home in China, due to the current slowdown in infrastructure spending, Sany Heavy has announced that it will lay off 30 percent of its current workforce and impose pay cuts of more than 50 percent on remaining employees as part of its wage reform plan.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

2 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

2 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.

Concrete

Cortec® Corporation applauded for its strong safety performance

Published

2 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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Cortec® Corporation has been recognised for its strong safety performance, receiving its sixth Governor’s Workplace Safety Award for its outstanding performance in 2025. As a Silver Achievement recipient, the company continues to maintain safety metrics well above national industry averages, an impressive accomplishment for a chemical manufacturing organisation. This achievement reflects Cortec’s proactive approach to workplace safety, focused on early hazard detection and employee involvement. The company will be formally recognised at the Minnesota Safety and Health Conference in May, highlighting how industrial companies are effectively strengthening workplace safety standards.