UK: Recycling company Scott Bros has begun commissioning its new €1.18m, 480m³/day alternative concrete plant in Haverton Hill in Stockton-on-Tees, prior to full-scale launch in May 2025. The plant will produce concrete using its Activated Filter Cake (AFC) alternative binder, reducing its CO₂ footprint by 25%. Scott Bros developed AFC in partnership with Teesside University from a clay by-product of its wash plants. The plant will use sand and gravel from recycled sources. Scott Bros invested a €720,000 grant from Innovate UK towards the project.

South Korea: Steel company Posco Group has partnered with seven South Korean cement and ready-mix concrete producers and five construction firms, along with the Korea Concrete Institute and the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, to develop novel concretes from slag. The Korea Herald newspaper has reported that Posco Group will supply its slag for the development process.

The project aligns with Posco Group’s ‘super-gap’ future market-orientated innovation strategy.

Malaysia: Meta Bright Group subsidiary Expogaya has won a US$6.94m concrete supply contract for China State Construction Engineering Malaysia’s Boulevard 360 Bundusan mixed-use development in Penampang, Sabah. Bernama Daily Malaysian News has reported that the order covers sections of the project currently under construction, with scope for possible additional orders. The Boulevard 360 Bundusan development will consist of three residential tower blocks and 33,000m² of commercial space.

Expogaya is Sabah's leading ready-mix concrete producer, with 7200m³/day of installed capacity across 16 batching plants.

US: Precast concrete producer Smith-Midland Corporation has appointed Dominic Hunter as its new chief financial officer (CFO). Investing News has reported that Hunter will have responsibility for accounting, treasury, financial reporting and investor relations. He brings 20 years’ financial leadership experience, having previously served as Vice President at research management society SRA International and CFO of defence equipment producer O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring. Hunter has served in the US Army and the US National Guard's 29th Infantry Division as an intelligence analyst. He graduated from University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.