Cement producer Holcim Romania hopes for market recovery on new infrastructure projects in 2015

The Romanian cement market is likely to go down this year again, after dropping to 7 million tons in 2013, but 2015 will be the year when large infrastructure projects will be decided, said François Pétry, general manager of Holcim Romania. Infrastructure projects generated about 40% of the EUR 202 million turnover posted by Holcim in 2013, but this weight should drop below 40% this year as the company’s sales are expected to stay the same. The lack of infrastructure projects was compensated by other projects, such as New Europe Property Investments’ Mega Mall, or the Bucharest One office tower, for which Holcim delivers cement. Pétry expects a return to profitability for Holcim Romania this year, after a loss of EUR 1.4 mln in 2013. The company is part of Swiss group Holcim, one of the largest cement producers in the world. Holcim owns two cement plants in Campulung and Alesd, a grinding station and a cement terminal in Turda, 13 ecological ready-mix plants, 3 aggregates plants, 2 special binders plants and a cement terminal in Bucharest, and employs around 950 people. Holcim group is currently undergoing a merger process with Lafarge. The new group will keep Holcim’s assets in Romania, but will sell Lafarge’s assets. editor@romania-insider.com