The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, has met with a delegation of the international group of companies CRH, which is the largest producer of construction materials in North America and Europe, the press service of the Office of the President said on Tuesday evening.
It is noted that the delegation was headed by the group’s chief operating officer Randy Lake, and also included Peter Buckley, president of CRH in Europe, and Guillaume Cavalier, director of CRH in Southern and Eastern Europe.
During the meeting Yermak emphasized that Ukraine is ready to facilitate investments from such powerful global players in every possible way and to discuss all necessary issues with foreign and domestic businesses. According to him, today it is important to understand what exactly needs to be changed to improve the business climate. Strong institutions are needed, and Ukraine even during the war continues reforms, heading towards full membership in the EU.
“For our part – the President, the Office, and the Government of Ukraine – we are ready to fully support you. We are interested that such large investors work in our country and have comfortable conditions. It is very important that despite all the circumstances, the war, you are here and ready to continue to work,” – said Yermak.
As reported, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine AMCU on January 23 reported on the beginning of consideration of the case on concerted actions in the form of implementation of provisions on refraining from competition, enshrined in the concentration agreement between the Irish group CRH and Dyckerhoff GmbH, owning assets in Ukraine.
In June 2023, Italian cement producer Buzzi, listed by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) as an international sponsor of war, through its subsidiary Dyckerhoff GmbH, reached an agreement to sell part of its business in Eastern Europe to Irish group CRH, including Ukrainian assets in the form of two cement plants. The transaction is expected to close in 2024.
Later, in September 2023, the AMCU returned CRH’s application for concentration without consideration due to non-compliance with the requirements, and also noted that the group occupies about one-third of the Ukrainian cement market. In October of the same year, the agency reopened the case.
CRH has been operating in Ukraine since 1999. Since November 2021, its cement enterprises in Ukraine have been operating under the Cemark brand: Podolsk Cement JSC (Khmelnytskyi oblast), Cement LLC (Odessa) and Mykolaivcement PJSC (Lviv oblast).
A separate line of CRH business in Ukraine is production of concrete and reinforced concrete products. PoliBeton Energo’s Bila Tserkva Reinforced Concrete Plant is a specialized enterprise that produces supports for power transmission lines. PoliBeton’s concrete unit in the north of Odessa joined CRH in 2020.
CRH is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction materials. The company employs about 71,000 people at its 3,200 plants in 28 countries. It is the largest producer of building materials in North America and Europe. The company is also present in Asia. CRH’s American depositary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has returned without consideration the application of the Irish CRH group for permission to concentrate the assets of the Italian Buzzi in Ukraine, Forbes Ukraine reported citing the agency.
According to the publication, the application submitted by CRH did not meet the requirements of the committee. In addition, the AMCU pointed to the presence of an oligopoly in the Ukrainian cement market, with CRH already holding about a third of the market.
Interfax-Ukraine contacted CRH for comment.
As reported, Italian cement producer Buzzi has reached an agreement to sell its Ukrainian business and ready-mixed concrete assets in Slovakia to CRH for EUR100 million. The deal is expected to be completed in 2024.
Buzzi Unicem SpA (Italy) unites companies producing cement, concrete, sand, gravel, etc. The group’s core business is cement production, which is produced at its own facilities in Germany, the USA, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. Buzzi’s Ukrainian subsidiary, Dickerhoff Cement Ukraine, operates branches based at Volyn Cement (Zdolbuniv, Rivne region) and Yugcement (Olshanske, Mykolaiv region). The group also operates in the ready-mix concrete sector in Kyiv, Odesa and Mykolaiv.
In Eastern Slovakia, Buzzi’s assets consist of six ready-mix concrete plants.
As reported, in March 2023, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) added the Italian cement producer Buzzi Unicem to the list of international sponsors of war. In Russia, Buzzi operates through SLK Cement LLC, which owns two cement plants, Sukholozhskcement and Korkino, a terminal in Omsk, and the Cemtrans transportation company. According to the NACP, the company is among the top five leaders in the Russian cement industry.
Ireland’s CRH Plc, the world’s largest manufacturer of building materials, which owned six construction mix plants in Russia, announced its withdrawal from the Russian market.
CRH entered the Ukrainian market in 1999 by acquiring the Kamianets-Podilskyi cement plant in Khmelnytskyi region. Currently, CRH also owns Odesa Cement Plant and Mykolaivcement (Lviv region).
CRH’s separate business in Ukraine is the production of concrete and reinforced concrete products. PoliBeton Energo, a Bila Tserkva-based concrete goods plant, is a specialized enterprise that produces power transmission towers. PoliBeton’s concrete hub in the north of Odesa joined CRH in 2020.
Italian cement producer Buzzi, through its subsidiary Dyckerhoff GmbH, has reached an agreement to sell part of its business in Eastern Europe to CRH, a leading provider of building materials solutions, for EUR0.1 billion, according to an official website on Tuesday.
As clarified in the release, the deals include a business in Ukraine and assets for the production of ready-mix concrete in Eastern Slovakia. Completion of the deal in Ukraine depends on obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals and is expected in 2024.
Buzzi Unicem SpA (Italy) combines businesses producing cement, concrete, sand, crushed stone, etc. The main activity of the group is the production of cement, which is produced in its own enterprises in Germany, the USA, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. Dikerhoff Cement Ukraine PJSC, the Ukrainian branch of Buzzi, has branches set up at Volyn-Cement (Zdolbuniv, Rivne region) and YuGcement (Olshanske, Mykolaiv region) plants. The group also operates in the ready-mix concrete sector in Kiev, Odessa and Nikolaev.
Buzzi operates six ready-mix concrete plants in Eastern Slovakia.
It was reported in March 2023 that Italian cement producer Buzzi Unicem was listed by the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) as an international sponsor of war. Buzzi operates in Russia through OOO SLK Cement, which owns two cement plants, Sukholozhskcement and Korkino, a terminal in Omsk and the transport company Cemtrans. According to the NAZK, the company is one of the five leaders of the Russian cement industry.
Irish CRH Plc, the largest manufacturer of building materials in the world, in Russia owned six plants of building mixes, announced its withdrawal from the Russian market.
CRH entered the market of Ukraine in 1999, acquiring Kamenets-Podolsky cement plant in Khmelnitsky region. At the moment CRH also includes Odessa cement plant and Nikolaevcement (Lvov region).
A separate direction of CRH business in Ukraine is the production of concrete and reinforced concrete products. PoliBeton Energo’s Bila Tserkva Concrete Plant is a specialized enterprise that produces supports for power transmission lines. The PoliBeton concrete unit in the north of Odessa joined CRH in 2020.
