Displaying items by tag: Switzerland
US: Switzerland-based Sika is starting up production at a new concrete admixtures plant at Stafford in Virginia that opened earlier in 2022. The 3950m2 facility has a production capacity of 50,000t/yr and two mixers with a capacity greater than 27,000l each. The unit is intended to serve markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions along with the company’s existing concrete admixtures plant at Fairless Hills in Philadelphia.
Christoph Ganz, Regional Manager Americas said "This investment allows us to significantly expand our production capacity while creating the best possible conditions for continued growth in the North American market. Our concrete admixtures satisfy the construction sector’s most demanding requirements and make it possible to produce higher-performance, resource-saving concrete. Sika admixtures enable the realisation of critical infrastructure projects, are used in state-of-the-art high-rise construction, and help increase sustainability in megacities."
Switzerland: Holcim has announced a partnership with Norman Foster Foundation with the aim of turning emergency housing into resilient homes. The collaboration will leverage Holcim's concrete expertise to develop reusable designs. Holcim says that it will focus on innovations such as low-carbon concrete, lightweight prefabricated support structures and green cements for soil stabilisation.
Chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said “Currently, we have over 80m people who have been forced to flee their homes around the world. Emergency shelters can be more than just a roof over their head: they should offer people the dignity and safety of a home. We are excited to collaborate with the Norman Foster Foundation to put our solutions as well as our expertise in affordable housing to work to achieve this goal.”
France: Holcim has acquired six new aggregates quarries in Eastern France from FAMY Group. The group says that the quarries serve the Dijon, Lyon and Geneva, Switzerland, markets. It previously acquired new aggregates and ready-mix concrete operations in the ‘growing’ region in 2021.
Europe, Middle East and Africa regional head Miljan Gutovic said “This acquisition expands our footprint in the highly attractive Rhône-Alpes region, confirming our ambition to revitalise key urban areas from Lyon to Geneva. This expansion is in line with our strategy to accelerate green growth and play our part in Europe’s net-zero transition. Our combined businesses and improved market access will provide an excellent platform to further strengthen our range of sustainable building solutions, such as ECOPact green concrete. I warmly welcome all FAMY Group employees into the Holcim family and look forward to unleashing our next era of growth together.”
