US: Vulcan Materials raised its sales by 6.4% year-on-year in 2023, from US$7.32bn to US$7.78bn. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 24% to US$2bn, while its profit grew by 25% to US$1.95bn. Vulcan Materials’ full-year concrete volumes dropped, during which time it also divested some concrete operations. Altogether, the producer plans to invest US$625 – 675m in maintenance and growth projects in 2024.

Chair and CEO Tom Hill said "We carry momentum into 2024, and our focus is the same - compounding unit margins through all parts of the cycle and creating value for our shareholders through improving returns on capital."

UK: The UK Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) has launched a competition for projects that promote the commercial adoption of reduced-CO₂ concrete. The competition aims to foster collaboration between concrete users and clean technology developers. It commands US$3.78m in total available funding from Innovate UK. Winning projects will claim full funding up to a total value of US$631,000. Applicants can participate by submitting a real world demonstration of their innovation or an equivalent approach on the Innovate UK website.

The competition is supported by the Concrete Commitment Cohort (CCC), a new alliance of UK concrete users that includes Anglian Water, the Environment Agency, Ferrovial Construction, HS2, JN Bentley, Laing O’Rourke, National Highways, Sellafield Sites, Transport for London, United Utilities and WSP.

US: Martin Marietta Materials has signed a deal to buy 20 aggregates operations in the Southeast US from Blue Water Industries for US$2.05bn. Reuters has reported that the partners expect to close the deal later in 2024. Martin Marietta Materials says that the acquisitions will help it to meet rising national demand for building materials. The North Carolina-based group operates aggregates sites in 28 US states, Canada and the Bahamas.

Martin Marietta Materials previously indicated that recent divestitures in its ready-mix concrete business and other areas would help it to ‘redeploy the proceeds into pure-play aggregates acquisitions.’

Sweden: Heidelberg Materials has won a contract to supply its evoZero net-zero concrete. product for the construction of the new Nobel Center in Stockholm. Heidelberg Materials says that its memorandum of understanding with the Nobel Foundation ‘symbolises an important link between science and the green industrial transformation.’ EvoZero concrete achieves its carbon neutrality through Heidelberg Materials’ use of carbon capture at its cement plants.

Jon Morrish, member of Heidelberg Materials’ managing board responsible for Europe, said “Together with the Nobel Center project, we aim to set a new standard for sustainable construction and pave the way for other future-orientated players. The collaboration enables us to combine the world of science and innovative solutions from our own sector such as evoZero in an exciting way.”