Following a slow start in the first quarter of 2011, the CW Group Cement Equipment Order Intake (CEOI) index plummeted to 68.0 for that quarter, its lowest value since the inception in Q4 2009. The second quarter of 2011 saw orders grow and the CEOI index rose to 91.6. On the other end, the CW Group Cement Equipment Order Backlog (CEOB) index remained virtually unchanged through the first half of 2011.

A number of cement plants celebrate their hundred-year anniversaries in 2011, and with this milestone it seems appropriate to acknowledge the contribution of some of these ‘centenarians’ of the cement industry. CemWeek looks at four of Europe’s longest-operating cement plants for a historical perspective on the cement industry and to trace some key developments through the last century.

CW Group introduces its latest contribution to the regional cement sector surveys – the 2011 CemWeek Brazil and Americas Cement Sector Sentiment Survey. Over 200 organizational units participated in the survey across North and South America. We extend a special thank you to all the participants for their contribution to this highly anticipated survey.

In this report, the CW Group shares the findings of the Second CemWeek India Cement Sector Sentiment Survey carried out in April and May of 2011. Over 270 organizations participated in the survey organized by the CW Group Research and CemWeek and we thank all participants for their contribution to this initiative.

We wish to particularly thank the sponsors of this study (in alphabetical order): Cachapuz, Chryso, FLSmidth, KHD Wedag, Lindner, Loesche, and Siemens. These companies, each strongly committed to the Indian cement sector, have provided valueable support in providing better coverage of the Indian cement sector

The fourth cement and lime conference in Brazil sets high benchmark as well-attended event brings industry together. The CW Group presents on the cement sector in South America.

That cement markets in many emerging countries around the world have demonstrated strong growth over the past few years, while markets in the developed countries have languished, is no secret. Faced with long-term falling profit margins in more developed markets, global cement manufacturers such as Lafarge, Holcim, and HeidelbergCement, have for some time allocated resources increasingly in favor of emerging markets such as Africa, the Middle East and Russia. These strategic objectives have helped global providers to insulate their operations against the recent economic weaknesses noted in U.S. and European markets.

Global demand for cement rose in 2010, despite many of the developing markets seeing tough trading conditions. The CW Group and CemWeek demand tracking universe of cement volumes, which represents 85 percent of global demand, indicated year-over-year (YoY) global volumes increased just over 12 percent from 2009 to 2010.