Shareholders approved a new dividend within the framework of the extraordinary assembly of Colombian company Argos

Sala de prensa

agosto 31, 2021

Thanks to the outstanding results of the first half of 2021, the outstanding generation of cash flow and the low financial leverage, Argos, the cement company of Grupo Argos, proposed to its shareholders, in the framework of an extraordinary meeting held on August 25, the payment of a dividend of 79.97 COP per common and preferred share. This dividend seeks to reward and recognize shareholders, especially minority ones, among which more than 10,000 natural persons stand out, for the trust and support they have given the company during the difficulties derived from the pandemic and its consequent economic effects.

92.66% of the shares represented at the meeting voted in favor of the extraordinary dividend, which will be paid in a single payment on September 7, 2021.

“The approval of this extraordinary dividend is a recognition of the decisive and fundamental support of our shareholders throughout the history of Argos, which today, after many challenging months of pandemic and social and economic uncertainty, we can sustain thanks to the good operational performance of the company , its deleveraging, the accelerated recovery of the countries and markets where we operate and the positive prospects for the future. With resilience and momentum, we will continue to trace paths that allow us to advance in our purpose of creating social value and transforming the lives of millions of people.».

Juan Esteban Calle

Argos CEO

Summary of corporate results:

Consolidated revenues during the first semester were 4.8 trillion COP, an increase of 11% compared to the same period in 2020.
The EBITDA * rose 27.7% and was 967,000 million COP. It is especially noteworthy that the adjusted EBITDA margin for the first semester, excluding the gain on the sale of concrete assets, reached a record of 20.2%, the highest since 2013.
Concrete volumes decreased 1.6%.
Cement shipments in these first six months were 8.6 million tons, which is equivalent to an increase of 26.9%.
The company’s debt indicator measured as net debt to EBITDA closed the semester at a level of 3.1 times, the lowest since 2013.

Argos continues to reiterate its commitment to creating social value through job creation and the continuity of its social programs in the different territories where it operates.

Fecha

Últimas noticias

Más de 500 personas en Barranquilla tienen acceso a condiciones de vivienda más dignas gracias al programa Hogares Saludables de Cementos Argos

Cementos Argos y Comfama se unen para facilitar el acceso a vivienda en Antioquia

Industry positioning

Description
Objectives
Achievements
Indicators
How is it
managed?

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.

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

Description
Objectives
Achievements
Indicators
How is it
managed?

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:

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.
Pre-Selection: We validate the suitability of suppliers through due diligence and review aspects of sustainability and financial health to ensure long-term relationships.
Negotiation: We select suppliers with high standards, considering technical, economic, sustainability and service aspects.
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.
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.