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11,5% crecen los despachos de Cementos Argos en el primer trimestre

Se cierra el primer período en el que la compañía incluye en sus resultados la más reciente adquisición en el estado de West Virginia, EEUU. Volúmenes de cemento vendido en este país crecen 43%.

 

La oferta de valor de Argos le permite ser el líder en Colombia en suministro a proyectos de 4G e incrementar su participación de mercado, con lo que se beneficiará del inminente aumento en el consumo de cemento del sector construcción.

 

Cementos Argos reporta resultados trimestrales en donde destaca: resultados por encima de lo previsto en Estados Unidos en un trimestre de invierno que afecta en mayor medida algunos de los estados donde tiene operaciones; un período retador en Colombia con perspectivas positivas dado el incremento en su participación de mercado y el comienzo de despachos a las obras de Cuarta Generación (4G) y,

una estable y rentable operación en la Regional Caribe y Centroamérica, con recuperación en volúmenes de concreto explicados por el reinicio de obras de infraestructura en Panamá.

 

 

En el consolidado, el volumen de cemento despachado por Argos creció un 11,5% al alcanzar los 3,8 millones de toneladas métricas y el de concreto disminuyó un 6% al llegar a los 2,6 millones de metros cúbicos. En el período, la compañía generó ingresos por 2,1 billones de pesos y un ebitda de 274.000 millones de pesos. Al cierre del trimestre Argos arrojó una pérdida de 46.000 millones de pesos, lo que se explica principalmente por los resultados en Colombia, las mayores depreciaciones en Estados Unidos, el efecto de la revaluación del peso colombiano y gastos no recurrentes derivados de la implementación del plan de eficiencias Best, factores sumados ascienden a 79.500 millones de pesos.

 

 

“El buen comportamiento de volúmenes en todas nuestras regionales, la recuperación de participación de mercado en Colombia, la dinámica de construcción de vías 4G esperada para el segundo semestre del año y el inicio de la temporada de altos consumos de cemento en Estados Unidos con la llegada de la primavera, soportan las estimaciones positivas de la compañía. En línea con lo anterior y apalancados en nuestros esfuerzos en eficiencia enmarcados en el programa Best, seguimos anticipando el mismo rango de ebitda consolidado que habíamos dado al inicio del año y que está entre 1,8 y 2 billones de pesos para 2017”, expresó Juan Esteban Calle, presidente de Argos.

 

 

Análisis de la operación de la compañía en sus tres regionales:

 

 

En Estados Unidos los despachos de cemento aumentaron 43% y los de concreto se redujeron en 8,7%, disminución motivada esencialmente por las condiciones del clima ya señaladas. Se destaca la tasa de crecimiento de los despachos de cemento de la compañía, muy superiores al 1,7% al que crece el mercado de este país. En el trimestre, Argos EEUU incrementó sus ingresos en 8% al alcanzar 361 millones de dólares, y generó un ebitda de 32 millones de dólares que disminuye en 4,5%.

 

 

En Estados Unidos, Argos estima un crecimiento sostenido, derivado de grandes obras para las que está suministrando material, tales como “Midtown Express”: el proyecto de infraestructura más grande de Dallas, Texas y que consiste en una autopista de 45 km de longitud, que abarca 5 ciudades y contempla la construcción de 28 nuevos puentes y la rehabilitación de 44 existentes.

 

 

 

En línea con lo anterior, en La Florida, estado que representa el mayor volumen en ventas de cemento y el segundo en ventas de concreto para Argos en EEUU, se aprobó un plan por 10,8 billones de dólares que se invertirán entre 2017 y 2018. La ejecución de este plan impulsará la construcción y mejora de infraestructura, incrementando con esto el gasto anual del Estado en cerca del 30%.

 

 

 

“Estados Unidos sigue superando nuestras expectativas y este trimestre nuevamente ratifica la decisión de expandir las fronteras de la compañía. Logramos resultados por encima de lo presupuestado considerando que el 90% del ebitda de esta regional se logra entre abril y diciembre. Nos enorgullece participar en las principales construcciones de los 13 estados en los que hacemos presencia directa e indirecta y, mejor aún, estar cada vez más preparados para atender el gasto público en infraestructura que ha anunciado el actual gobierno gracias a las inversiones que hemos realizado en este país durante los últimos 12 años”, concluyó Juan Esteban Calle.

 

 

 

En Colombia se destaca que los despachos de cemento crecieron un 10% y los de concreto, que disminuyeron en un 2,3%, tuvieron mucho mejor desempeño que los de la industria. En esta regional la compañía reportó ingresos por 599.000 millones de pesos y un ebitda de 82.000 millones. No obstante, Argos mantiene sus perspectivas positivas en el país por el esperado inicio de las obras

de 4G y los aumentos en construcciones residenciales y comerciales, en las cuales la compañía es proveedora de importantes proyectos a lo largo y ancho del país.

 

 

Con respecto a los proyectos 4G estos se dividen entre cuatro a seis Unidades Funcionales (UF). Al cierre del trimestre se habían adjudicado 128 UF para cemento y concreto, de las cuales 81 fueron ganadas por Cementos Argos, convirtiéndolo en protagonista de la modernización de la infraestructura del país, con el 63% del total de dichas adjudicaciones.

 

 

Finalmente, en las operaciones de la Regional Caribe y Centroamérica en las que Argos tiene presencia local, los volúmenes despachados de cemento y concreto también presentaron buenas dinámicas, lo que le permitió a la compañía aumentar sus ingresos en 3,4% al alcanzar 144 millones de dólares y reportar un ebitda de 45 millones de dólares.

 

 

Cementos Argos mantiene sus positivas perspectivas para 2017 en esta región, pues se estima que en Honduras se inviertan cerca de 1.300 millones de dólares en vivienda e infraestructura en los próximos años y que en Panamá, a su vez, la inversión pública ascienda a los 2.700 millones de dólares.

 

 

Durante el trimestre, la compañía alcanzó importantes hitos en sostenibilidad, innovación y gobierno corporativo, como el haber recibido la distinción Gold Class en el Anuario de Sostenibilidad RobecoSAM; la construcción del primer puente en concreto avanzado en Latinoamérica; la producción y comercialización de microcemento, insumo clave para la impermeabilización de túneles; y haber sido reconocidos con el primer lugar en el Monitor de Inversión Social Privada impulsado por el Departamento de Protección Social y el cuarto puesto en el ranking de Responsabilidad Social de Merco.

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PIEDAD MONSALVE

Gerente de Comunicaciones
pmonsalve@argos.com.co
(57 4) 3198700

DANIELA VALLE

Directora de Comunicaciones
dvalle@argos.com.co

Atmospheric emissions

We are committed to reducing our emissions through actions that achieve more efficient processes and the implementation of abatement measures, contributing to good air quality in the places where we operate.  Our cement-, concrete- and aggregate-production processes generate punctual and scattered particulate matter (PM) emissions, as well as emissions of sulfur oxides (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the clinkering furnaces of the cement plants.

  • For society:  To contribute to mitigating the impact on air quality in the areas where we operate, acting responsibly and promoting relationships of trust with our Stakeholders.

 

  • For the company:  To develop more efficient processes that allow us to reduce our atmospheric emissions and contribute to responsible production, complying with local regulations in the countries where we operate and – in some cases – going beyond compliance with said regulations, contributing to the profitability of the business and preparing to face future challenges.

The “Emissions” pillar of our Environmental Strategy focuses on: Working on the adequate measurement, control and reduction of SO2, NOx and particulate-material (PM) emissions generated by our production processes in the cement business and on the prevention and mitigation of our dispersed emissions of particulate material (dust), originated mainly by the activities of transportation, transfer, unloading and storage of materials in the cement, concrete and aggregate processes. The foregoing, through operational control, optimization and renewal of emission-control systems to achieve continuous improvement.

Industry positioning

We position ourselves as strategic allies for the development of the territories where we are present, directly and through the empowerment of our value chain.  We do it through the construction of housing and sustainable infrastructure that enables the closing of socioeconomic gaps, the generation of employment, the improvement of the quality of life and the reduction of the impacts generated.

  • For society:  To sustainably respond to the growing demand for housing and infrastructure of the world population with the aim of improving people's quality of life, interconnecting regions and developing innovative solutions. 

 

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    For the company:  To be strategic allies of the actors in our value chain in order to maintain the Company's leadership in the market, ensure its competitiveness over time and increase the generation of sustainable value.

We are committed to the role we have as a Company in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda goals, the consolidation of territorial development plans where we operate, and the economic reactivation of the countries affected by the pandemic. Therefore, we focus our efforts in the development of sustainable housing and infrastructure projects that contribute to closing socioeconomic gaps, generating employment under safe conditions, environmental protection, and investment in improving people’s health systems and quality of life. 

Our work unfolds in three large lines:

 

Cities for everyone:

 

With nearly 54% of the world  population living in urban areas, the pandemic made inequality of those who live in the cities of the world

manifest. Nearly 90% of the COVID-19 cases are concentrated in the urban

centers that have, among others, challenges associated with access to basic services and decent housing conditions. For this reason, we work together with our value chain to develop projects that benefit the lessfavored population, facilitate access to housing, and promote development in

the areas of influence.

 

Interconnected cities

 

The need to connect urban areas with rural areas to expand the coverage

of basic services, such as health, has been a priority of developing countries

since before the pandemic. Therefore, during 2020, we continued working on creating innovative solutions that allow us to be present in the large projects of the countries and territories where we are present.

 

Intelligent cities

 

In recent years, the acuteness of the effects of climate change became the

risk of greatest impact to the world. Therefore, in the global stage, a need

has grown to transition to a low-carbon economy, an opportunity that becomes more relevant amid post-pandemic recovery scenarios and the effort we are making as a Company to generate new business models that respond to environmental and social challenges. For this reason, our Climate-Change Strategy includes actions aimed at mitigating the impacts associated with our productive processes, adapting our operating model and innovating from the identification of optimization opportunities.

Supplier management

Supplier management is a fundamental pillar of our Supply Chain Strategy; it seeks to build and strengthen relationships with strategic allies who have the ability to contribute to the Company in terms of efficiency, productivity, customer service and innovation.  For this reason, we carefully select our suppliers, transfer knowledge to promote their development, promote good practices and recognize those who are an example of sustainable, innovative, safe and responsible management.

  • For society:  To develop our suppliers, promote transparent practices and responsible conduct, to improve the productivity and competitiveness of our society and support the construction of a better future.

 

  • For the company:  To seek to add value throughout the Company's supply chain, from the purchase of goods and services to the delivery of products to clients.  Through the mitigation of risks and potentiation of opportunities, the implementation of good contracting practices and service excellence, we create relationships of trust and turn suppliers into business allies.

Our management is divided into five stages:

  1. Identification: We determine the goods and services required for our operation and the category to which they belong, according to our Category Tree. This groups our suppliers into macro-categories which – in turn – are subdivided into two more specific levels.
  2. Pre-Selection: We validate the suitability of suppliers through due diligence and review aspects of sustainability and financial health to ensure long-term relationships.
  3. Negotiation: We select suppliers with high standards, considering technical, economic, sustainability and service aspects.
  4. Retention and evaluation: We carry out knowledge-transfer processes with those suppliers with growth potential.
    • We characterize our suppliers as critical suppliers or with potential risk in sustainability.
    • We measure the management of critical suppliers through performance evaluations in terms of quality, service, occupational health and safety, having constant feedback and identifying key factors for their development.
    • We apply the Sustainability Index to suppliers with potential sustainability risks, to identify challenges, opportunities, and to develop joint action plans in environmental, economic, social and Human-Rights matters.
    • We implement additional controls and development plans to suppliers belonging to categories where the greatest potential risks have been identified. This is how, for example, we develop road-safety strategies for our logistics suppliers; with mining suppliers, we carry out a more rigorous pre-selection process, and with contractors, we have special controls on occupational health and safety.
    • We have a Transparency Line for Stakeholders to report possible improper actions and to implement the pertinent corrective actions. 
  5. Recognition:  Every two years, through Growing Together (Creciendo Juntos), we recognize the suppliers that have shown outstanding performance in innovation, sustainability, health and safety and development and comprehensiveness.

 

Additionally, we have:

 

Contracting manual: transparent action framework that guides the negotiation and contracting of our suppliers to allow the process to be agile, make use of best practices and carry out adequate risk management.

 

Code of conduct for suppliers: in which we define the principles and behaviors that we expect from our allies in terms of respect for human rights, protection of workers, environmental management, business ethics and responsible business practices.

Ethics and compliance

We are convinced that ethics and integrity are fundamental and non-negotiable; that is why we live by these principles, integrating them into our operations, processes, and strategy, thus generating value responsibly for our business, our Stakeholders, and for society.  Through the Global Governance and Compliance Program, our ethics and business conduct system, we seek to promote that our actions are consistent with the pillars of corporate culture and integrity as the guiding principle of our business activity.

  • For society:  To promote transparent, competitive, and sustainable business environments that strengthen trust and ethics in business, generating positive impacts for the market and society.

 

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    For the company:  To promote that our actions are consistent with the pillars of culture and that integrity is the inspiring principle of all members of the Organization.  This is how we consolidate ourselves as a competitive, reliable company in the eyes of investors and other Stakeholders.

We have voluntarily adopted a self-regulatory framework that confirms our commitment to business ethics as a way to promote transparent practices that contribute to the development of competitive environments. This framework* incorporates mandatory principles of ethics and conduct:

 

 

For the proper implementation and application of these guidelines, the strengthening of the ethical culture, the prevention and control of incorrect actions, our Board of Directors approved the Global Governance and Compliance Program (GGCP, in Spanish). The program structure incorporates international best practices to evaluate compliance programs, such as ISO 37001, ISO 19600 and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) guidelines. The program has the following scope:

 

 

Likewise, it systematically groups together the activities carried out to promote integrity in the Company's actions, its employees, and members

of the value chain, which allow the updating and permanent strengthening

of the program. Operating Scheme:

 

Efficiency and productivity

We materialize our Corporate Strategy through actions aimed at the efficient use of resources, the improvement of our financial flexibility and the maximization of income generation and business profitability.  We focus on the application of efficient, safe production processes and circular economy models, on the diversification of energy management models and on the efficient management of the supply chain.

  • For society:  To provide solutions and products that meet the needs of our clients through the responsible, appropriate use of resources and the incorporation of raw materials and alternative energy sources.

 

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    For the company:  To guarantee business sustainability, optimize working capital and capital investments, reduce costs and the level of indebtedness, and mitigate risks regarding the availability of resources necessary for our operation and the emergence of new business realities, environmental requirements and new regulations.

Creamos valor construyendo relaciones sólidas que transforman el futuro de la sociedad

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