Displaying items by tag: New Zealand

New Zealand: Fletcher Building has appointed Thornton Williams as CEO of its Concrete division. Williams has served as acting CEO of the division since 29 March 2024. The group noted Williams’ ‘significant’ leadership role in driving culture, customer satisfaction and sustainability. He has also been its chief financial officer (CFO) from 2021, before which he was group general manager, treasury and risk. He previously worked in dealer roles at Australia-based banking group ANZ and the Bank of New Zealand. Williams holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Incoming group CEO and managing director Andrew Reding said "Thornton brings to the role a deep understanding of the commercial drivers of the Concrete business and the competitive landscape. He is therefore well-positioned to lead this high-performing division, not only as Fletcher Building navigates the current challenging trading conditions but also as economic conditions start to improve and opportunities for profitable and sustainable growth emerge.” Reding added “I look forward to working closely with Thornton and the Fletcher Building executive team when I formally commence my role on 30 September 2024. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank acting CEO Nick Traber for his support and commitment in enabling an orderly and smooth handover of the CEO role.”

New Zealand: Ready-mix concrete plants produced 3.92Mm³ of ready-mix concrete in the 2024 financial year, which ended on 30 June 2024. According to data from Statistics New Zealand, this corresponds to an 11% year-on-year decline from 2023 financial year levels. Volumes also dropped in the fourth quarter of the 2024 financial year, by 9% year-on-year to 978,000³.

New Zealand: Recycling company Central Environmental has secured a US$972,000 grant from the Ministry for the Environment. Local press has reported that the grant will go towards a US$2.43m expansion of its construction and demolition materials recycling operations. The company says that this will allow it to expand its footprint across southern and central North Island.

Managing director Ian Butcher said that the company has diverted 60 – 70% of parent company Central Demolition’s waste from landfill. It processes 80,000t/yr of concrete into materials for roadbuilding.

New Zealand: Fletcher Building's Concrete Division, comprising Firth, Golden Bay, and Winstone Aggregates, has stepped up its commitment to developing innovative and increasingly sustainable concrete solutions with the opening of New Zealand's first commercial Concrete Innovation Lab, in Christchurch, South Island.

The Concrete Innovation Lab has been established to fast track the development of new concrete products and solutions with a particular focus on innovating to decarbonise concrete. The aim being to support customers as their building needs and specifications change in response to the need to build for climate change.

Dene Cook, Divisional Technical Manager, said "As an industry we have committed to decarbonising concrete, with the Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA), detailing a roadmap to net zero by 2050. Fletcher Building is excited by this challenge and the work we will do in the Concrete Innovation Lab will turn this from a paper commitment to a reality."

Australia: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has called for public comment on Switzerland-based Sika's proposed acquisition of Germany-based fellow construction chemicals producer MBCC Group. The commission has raised 'preliminary concerns' over the possible competition impacts of Sika obtaining an 80% Australian market share as a result of the deal.

Sika group responded to the ACCC's concerns with an offer of an undertaking to divest MBCC Group's entire Australia and New Zealand business.

New Zealand: The Global Cement and Concrete Association has welcomed Fletcher Building’s concrete division as its first member from Oceania. Scoop News has reported that the concrete’s division’s business spans the entire concrete value chain, including 26 limestone and aggregates quarries and 80 ready-mix concrete batching plants. Its cement subsidiary Golden Bay Cement operates the 0.9Mt/yr Portland cement plant in Whangārei, New Zealand.

Fletcher Building concrete division CEO Nick Traber said "Fletcher Building firmly believes we can play a significant part in a carbon zero and circular future. Our Golden Bay EcoSure cement is one of the lowest-carbon cements in the world already, with 13 - 22% less embodied carbon than imported products. We believe having access to the global research and knowledge from the GCCA will help us improve this further and continue to lead Australasia in best practice decarbonisation of the built environment."