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Cementos Argos cierra el semestre con el 73% de sus ingresos generados en dólares

Los despachos de cemento crecieron 15% en el semestre mostrando una buena dinámica en todos los mercados.

 

Cementos Argos será proveedor del 70% de las unidades funcionales de las obras 4G adjudicadas a la fecha en Colombia.

 

Argos continúa siendo un aliado estratégico de los países donde tiene presencia al ser protagonista de la construcción de importantes proyectos de infraestructura, comercio y vivienda en las Américas.

 

Cementos Argos, filial de Grupo Argos, cierra el primer semestre del año con resultados positivos y un buen panorama macroeconómico en sus mercados más relevantes. Los volúmenes de cemento despachado alcanzaron los 8 millones de toneladas, creciendo un 15% y los despachos de concreto fueron de 5,4 millones de metros cúbicos, decreciendo un 7%.

 

La compañía alcanzó así 4.2 billones de pesos en ingresos y 641 mil millones de pesos en ebitda, resultados 4% y 26% menores a los del primer semestre de 2016, respectivamente. Sin embargo, contrario a los resultados obtenidos de enero a marzo, los del segundo trimestre muestran una recuperación en la utilidad neta alcanzando 48 mil millones de pesos entre abril y junio y dos mil millones de pesos en el acumulado del semestre; lo que representa para la compañía mejores perspectivas en el mercado en Colombia y el logro progresivo de sus metas en eficiencias operativas, así como una mayor contribución a los resultados del negocio proveniente de Estados Unidos.

 

Se destaca que, al culminar el primer semestre del año, el horizonte de la compañía es favorable gracias a su estrategia de internacionalización, en línea con el objetivo de diversificar el riesgo propio de competir en una industria cíclica. “Los buenos resultados obtenidos en EEUU y en Caribe y Centroamérica, compensan en gran medida los retos que estamos enfrentando en el mercado colombiano. A junio 30, el 73% de los ingresos y el 77% del ebitda fueron generados por fuera del país, en dólares o en monedas altamente relacionadas al dólar. Adicionalmente, esperamos un mejor segundo semestre en el mercado local como resultado del crecimiento en despachos a proyectos de 4G y la recuperación en el consumo que debe presentarse como resultados de la reducción en las tasas de interés”, afirmó Juan Esteban Calle, presidente de Cementos Argos.

 

A continuación, se destacan los principales hitos y resultados para cada regional:

 

  • Estados Unidos contribuye con el 52% de los ingresos del semestre y el 40% de la generación de ebitda, así como con el 36% y el 67% de los volúmenes de cemento y concreto despachados, respectivamente. A junio 30, Argos USA generó 759 millones de dólares en ingresos y 99 millones en ebitda, en línea con las expectativas anunciadas por la compañía a inicios de 2017.

 

Al expresarse en pesos colombianos, estos resultados equivalen, en el mismo orden, a 2,2 billones de pesos y a 289 mil millones de pesos.

 

En esta regional, Argos suministra cemento y concreto a importantes obras como las oficinas de Procter & Gamble en West Virginia, de Liberty Mutual en Texas y de State Farms en Atlanta y es proveedor clave en la construcción del estadio de los Atlanta Falcons, donde se jugará el Super Bowl 53 en febrero de 2019. Adicionalmente, recibió el premio World of Concrete por la aplicación de Palette Crete® en la renovación de la sede administrativa de The Coca-Cola Company en Atlanta.

 

  • En Colombia es destacable la recuperación en los niveles de suministro de cemento que crecen al 8,6%, muy por encima de los niveles del mercado que caen al 2,7% y la participación en las Unidades Funcionales (UF) ya adjudicadas de las obras de Cuarta Generación (4G), en donde la compañía participará en 39 de las 56 adjudicadas (70%) y continúa presentando su propuesta de valor en otras 46 UF que actualmente están en negociación.

 

Se resalta la participación de Argos en proyectos bandera tales como Pacífico 1, 2 y 3; las vías Honda – Puerto Salgar – Girardot, Neiva – Espinal – Girardot, Santana – Mocoa – Neiva; el Tercer carril de la vía Mosquera – Anapoima; el Viaducto Gran Manglar en Bolívar; el Puente de Flandes en Tolima; centros comerciales a lo largo y ancho del país e importantes proyectos de vivienda residencial y de Interés Social y Prioritario.

 

Al cierre del semestre, esta regional representa el 28% de la generación de los ingresos de la compañía con 1.2 billones de pesos y el 23% del ebitda con 163 mil millones de pesos.

 

Asimismo, los 2,7 millones de toneladas de cemento y los 1,5 millones de metros cúbicos de concreto despachados, representan el 33% y el 29% de los despachos totales de cemento y concreto de la compañía en la primera mitad del año.

 

La compañía fue reconocida de nuevo por Merco (Monitor Empresarial de Reputación Corporativa), como la mejor empresa del sector cementero en Colombia para atraer y retener su talento y se ubicó en la posición 8 en el ranquin general del país, una distinción que ratifica la importancia que tiene para la compañía la gestión del talento humano como uno de sus pilares estratégicos.

 

  • En Caribe y Centroamérica se destaca el crecimiento, frente al primer semestre de 2016, en los niveles de suministro de cemento y concreto con tasas del 7,6% y 7,5% respectivamente. Con 291 millones de dólares generados en ingresos y 92 millones de dólares en ebitda, esta regional aporta el 20% y el 37% en cada rubro.

 

Honduras y Panamá continúan siendo los principales motores de esta regional. Se destaca la participación de la compañía en proyectos clave para el desarrollo de la región como la estación espacial europea en Guayana Francesa, el tercer puente sobre el canal de Panamá, la Planta de tratamiento de Aguas Residuales en República Dominicana, el Centro Cívico Gubernamental en Honduras, el Hotel Royalton en Santa Lucía y el Hospital Nobo en Curacao, entre muchos otros.

 

Cementos Argos alcanzó hitos adicionales durante el semestre, tales como la apertura de un nuevo molino en San Lorenzo, Honduras, la compra de una planta de cemento integrada en Puerto Rico, el lanzamiento de nuevos productos como el concreto avanzado y el suelo cemento y la integración de la nueva planta en West Virginia, entre otros.

 

Igualmente, se dieron importantes avances en el programa BEST (Construyendo Eficiencia y Sostenibilidad para el Mañana por sus siglas en inglés), destacándose el crecimiento en el uso de combustibles alternativos, la venta de activos no operativos y la incorporación de tecnologías livianas, que contribuyen al propósito de continuar siendo un aliado del progreso de los países y territorios en los que tiene presencia y convertirse en el productor más eficiente en estos mercados.

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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

Creamos valor a través de nuestro compromiso con el desarrollo responsable y transparente de nuestras actividades.