US: Taiheiyo Cement Corporation subsidiary CalPortland has entered into an agreement to acquire Vulcan Materials' ready-mixed concrete business in California for US$712m. The assets are situated in San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area. This marks CalPortland's first entry into the San Francisco Bay Area. Completion is expected before the end of 2025.

CalPortland says that it anticipates ‘robust’ ready-mix concrete demand in both markets, driven by the data centre and energy sectors in the San Francisco Bay Area and residential and urban renewal projects in San Diego.

Mexico: Holcim México has integrated Grupo Comosa into its ready-mix concrete business in Atlacomulco, Cuautla, Cuernavaca, El Marqués, Polotitlán, Toluca and Xochitepec. The integration adds seven new ready-mix concrete batching plants, with a combined capacity of 300,000m³/yr. Local press has reported that Holcim México previously acquired the Balvanera and San Juan del Rio, Queretaro, plants from Grupo Comosa in May 2024.

Following the latest integration, Holcim México now operates 70 batching plants across Mexico.

UAE: RAK Ports has signed an agreement with China-based Jianhua Holdings Group and injection device technologies supplier PHC Technologies to build a US$32.7m large-diameter prestressed high-strength concrete (PHC) piles plant in Ras Al Khaimah. When operational, the plant will employ 500 people and supply concrete piles for infrastructure projects across the Middle East, with anticipated revenues of US$5.45m/yr.

The parties originally signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the facility in September 2024.

South Korea: The Korea Ready-mixed Concrete Industry Cooperative Federation (KORMIC) has signed an agreement with steel producer POSCO and its decarbonisation division POSCO Eco & Challenge for the use of recycled steel by-products in ready-mixed concrete. The initiative will involve joint mix design reviews and other research and development projects by KORMIC members, with technical support from POSCO.