Construction demand on the rebound? Large sees cement market up 0 to 5%

French Lafarge group, the biggest player on the local cement market, anticipates sales volume to go up by merely 0 to 5% this year, after a 34% slump in 2009 as a result of dwindling demand caused by the economic crisis. Cement consumption is one of the most important indicators of the economy. In times of boom, cement demand sees significant increases, while during recession it is among the first hit, as happened in 2009, when the market fell by 30%.
“We hope that the stabilisation of the political situation, the decline in interests and the start of some infrastructure works will lead to a certain rebound of the market. Visibility, however, remains very limited,” Phillipe Platon, chief financial officer of Lafarge Ciment, the local subsidiary of the French group told ZF.
The company posted 242.8 million-euro turnover last year, down 34.4% compared with 2008, with 2009 also the first year since entry on the Romanian market when the French posted lower profit.