African Review of Business and Technology articles from February 2006

African Review of Business and Technology archives from February 2006

Editor's note.
February 1, 2006... WELCOME TO OUR first issue of the year and to our first buyers' guide for 2006. In response to the ever growing role that information technology is continuing to play in all areas of our lives, this year we are giving the sector greater...

Knorr-Bremse has secured a contract to provide electronic braking and distributed power equipment to the South African railway company Spoornet.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... KNORR-BREMSE HAS secured a contract to provide electronic braking and distributed power equipment to the South African railway company Spoornet. Under this contract Knorr-Bremse will retrofit 58 locomotives and about 3,000 coal wagons with...

The Chinese equipment manufacturer (OEM), XCMG.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... THE CHINESE EQUIPMENT manufacturer (OEM), XCMG, is becoming increasingly active in Botswana, Angola and Mozambique. The company also plans to increase its service teams in South Africa as part of its drive to compete with other OEMs in the...

Vectis Capital.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... GREECE-HEADQUARTERED VENTURE capital firm Vectis Capital is establishing a new private equity fund focusing on investments in companies and businesses principally based in West Africa. The fund will have a particular emphasis on Nigeria. The...

The America Express Service.(purchasing of vessel in order to ensure customer trading)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... THE AMERICA EXPRESS SERVICE (AMEX) service between Southern Africa and North America is set to return to a fixed day, weekly service early in 2006. This follows a decision by Safmarine and vessel-sharing partners Maersk Sealand and MSC to add...

Denorco.(axial flow pumps )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... DENORCO RECENTLY DELIVERED and installed a total of 37 Tsunami axial flow pumps to the River Nile State in Sudan, in a project which will see the transformation of 50,000ha of arid desert into arable farmland. This R40mn project is believed...

ARG Resources Corporation.(alumina factory )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... THE CONSTRUCTION OF an alumina factory will start in Sierra Leone shortly. According to ARG Resources Corporation of Scotland, construction of the factory will start in Kambia and Pepel. Speaking during the signing of the MOU, a...

First Survey and Design Institute of China.(Ghana's eastern rail network)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... A 13-MEMBER DELEGATION from the First Survey and Design Institute of China has conducted feasibility studies on Ghana's eastern rail network which runs from Accra through Tema to Paga. The results of the study will enable the team to sign an...

Miramar International Ltd.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... MIRAMAR INTERNATIONAL LTD emerged as preferred bidder for the sale of 75 per cent government equity in Nigerian Machine Tools Company when its N1.5bn bid beat the N450mn bid submitted by its only rival, Bronwen Nigeria Ltd.

The Dangote Group.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... THE DANGOTE GROUP is reported to have begun construction of 50 MW power plants in Nigeria at Mfamosing and Etankpal, both in Cross River State. A company spokesman is reported to have told the Nigerian press that the plant will help ensure...

Uganda's National Water & Sewerage corporation.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... UGANDA'S NATIONAL WATER & Sewerage corporation (NW & SC) has won a US$12mn contract to run Ghana Water Company Ltd as part of a three-member consortium together with the Dutch firm, Vitens, and RandWater of South Africa. The contract is for...

Venture Communications.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... THE UGANDAN MINISTRY of Finance has partnered with the IT telecoms solution provider, Venture Communications for the rollout of a WAN infrastructure that forms part of a financial management solution. As the government relies on donor funds...

Uganda's Serana Hotel and Nile Conference Centre.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... UGANDA'S SERANA HOTEL and Nile Conference Centre, will be the venue for the opening ceremony of the Common-wealth Meeting to be attended by 53 heads of governments in 2007. Other hotels to host the pre- summit conference are the Hotel...

The Boeing Company and Kenya Airways.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... THE BOEING COMPANY and Kenya Airways have announced planned additions to the airline's fleet with an order for its fourth 777-200ER and an option for a fifth, as well as plans to lease its sixth 767-300ER in 2006. The 777 ordered is scheduled...

Ksh3bn.(Briefly)
February 1, 2006... THE KENYA AIRPORTS Authority is scouring the financial markets for Ksh3bn (US$40mn) to cover a gap in funding the upgrading and expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. A sum of US$100mn is required over the next two years for the...

New CEO for Orange in Botswana.(Commercial Review)
February 1, 2006... ORANGE IN BOTSWANA has announced the appointment of Thapelo L Lippe as its new chief executive officer. Thapelo previously held the position of chief information officer for Orange in Botswana, a role in which he has played an instrumental...

SA improves economic freedom score.(Sahara African)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... ALTHOUGH IT HAS slipped position slightly globally, from 48 in 2005 to 50, SA has improved its score on the Heritage Foundation's 2006 Index of Economic Freedom from 2.83 to 2.74. The Index of Economic Freedom is conducted by the...

Burundi qualifies for AGOA assistance.(African Growth and Opportunity Act)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... PRESIDENT BUSH HAS added Burundi to the group of countries eligible for development assistance under the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in his annual review of the programme. But he dropped Mauritania for failing to meet...

COMESA plans a shipping line.(Commercial Review)
February 1, 2006... THE COMMON MARKET for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has announced plans to establish its own shipping line. This was revealed by the COMESA Assistant Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya during his meeting with the Congolese Minister of...

Banner year for emerging markets, says IFC.(Commercial Review)
February 1, 2006... THIS PROMISES TO be a banner year of performance for the emerging markets, but major challenges remain on macroeconomic stability, corporate governance, and environmental and social issues, according to the International Finance Corporation,...

SA and Uganda strengthen links.(South African)(focussing on investment and trade)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... PRESIDENT MUSEVENI AND Thabo Mbeki, who was on a state visit to Uganda in December, held official talks focussing on investment and trade between their two countries. The two presidents are to chair a joint permanent economic commission. ...

Nigeria consolidates banking industry.(Commercial Review)
February 1, 2006... THE CENTRAL BANK of Nigeria has announced that 25 banks have emerged from its restructuring process, whilst 14 weak banks that failed to achieve the minimum capital requirement of N25bn will have their licences revoked. The number of...

LNG expansion starts producing.(Oil News)
February 1, 2006... THE FIRST cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Train 4 of the Nigeria LNG complex sailed from the Bonny island facility in January. Nigeria LNG said Train 5, being built simultaneously with Train 4, is being prepared for start-up,...

Nigeria-Sao Tome e Principe.(Oil News)(Joint Development Zone)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... THE FIRST WELL is being drilled in the Joint Development Zone offshore area between the two countries. Chevron is drilling the well in Block 1--still the only block in the zone to have been licensed. The well will be in 1,700 metres of water,...

Kenya.(Mombasa refinery)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... AN INITIAL DESIGN contract covering the upgrading of the Mombasa refinery was awarded to Foster Wheeler. The construction of import terminals for liquefied petroleum gas and refined products is also being studied. The refinery is owned by the...

Nigeria.(Shell's Bonga )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... THE FIRST SHIPMENT of crude from Shell's Bonga field was exported in late-December, a month after the field came on stream. The 200,000 barrels cargo was loaded onto the Arion tanker in the first use of the field's unique deepwater...

Prospects for multi-field development in Angola.(Oil News)
February 1, 2006... Total drilled a successful appraisal well at its ultra-deepwater Gengibre discovery in Block 32, raising prospects for a multi-field development in the block. The firm's Gengibre-2 well passed through a number of oil zones, two of which were...

Exchange rates.(Financial Forecast)
February 1, 2006... Exchange Rates The currencies shown below are valued at the middle rates between buying and selling on 30 January. The rates are an indication of the value and are not intended to be used as the basis for transactions. The publisher...

Forecast movements against the dollar.(Financial Forecast)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2006... Forecast movements against the dollar 30 Jan 2006 end-Feb April July (actual) 2006 2006 2006 Japan (Yen) 116.9 ...

More dollar weakness expected.(Financial Forecast)
February 1, 2006... AMIDST THE EXCITEMENT of the African Cup spare a thought for new Chairman of the US's Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke who has to decide if even more interest rate rises are needed to keep US inflation under control this year. Currently this is...

Executives' calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2006... FEBRUARY 15-17 Eastern Cape Industrial Trade Show PORT ELIZABETH Exhibitions for Africa, Randburg. Tel: +27 (0)11 886 3734. Fax: +27 (0)11 789 6497. e-mail: ...

Malawi on Emirates SkyCargo's route map.(Business Travel)
February 1, 2006... EMIRATES SKYCARGO has recently launched services between Lilongwe and Dubai. The service is being operated jointly with Air Cargo Ltd, a subsidiary of Air Malawi--the country's national airline. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Emirates...

Entebbe airport security cleared.(Business Travel)
February 1, 2006... THIS YEAR ENTEBBE International Airport is to be classified under category A by the US's Federal Aviation Administration. The airport will handle direct flights from the US and scheduled flights from Entebbe to the US. The Authority received...

Code share for SAA.(Business Travel)
February 1, 2006... CUSTOMERS CAN NOW purchase tickets and earn miles to even more destinations in Africa and Europe when booking travel on code-share flights between United and future Star Alliance member, South African Airways. United and South African...

Virgin Nigeria expands to South Africa.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... ACP HAS BEEN appointed GSSA for Virgin Nigeria's services in South Africa. The Lagos-headquartered airline began three-times-a-week operations to Johannesburg on 24 November. Virgin Nigeria already flies between Lagos and London and has...

Resurgent Africa follows a new path: the African economy should be buoyant in 2006 and may exceed 2005's strong growth rate, but performances remain somewhat diverse across the resource-rich continent.
February 1, 2006... MOST AFRICAN COUNTRIES are expanding briskly, but a few have yet to climb out of economic stagnation. The region's prospects continue to hinge on good governance and progress with market-based reforms, including privatisation, deregulation...

Intelsat contract with virtual university.(Information Technology)
February 1, 2006... INTELSAT HAS BEEN selected by the African Virtual University (AVU) as its strategic communications partner in an initiative to establish a higher education bandwidth consortium which will make Internet bandwidth more widely accessible to...

BSI2000 files optical bank card patent.(Information Technology)
February 1, 2006... BSI2000, INC. (BULLETIN BOARD: BSIO), a developer of integrated optical card-based systems and technology, says it has filed a patent application in South Africa entitled Optical Banking Card. The application, filed through Spoor & Fisher,...

E-schools project introduced to Kenya.(e-school pilot project )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... THE NEW PARTNERSHIP for Afrian Development (NEPAD) has initiated an e-school pilot project in six schools in Kenya. The Kenyan schools are joined by 90 others in 16 countries in Africa which have similar programmes. The six schools are...

IT's the CEO's baby; it's not just IT, IT's about business.(Information Technology)
February 1, 2006... IN THE LAST two instalments of this column we have briefly discussed the dramatic impact information technology has been having over business and business models. More recently, IT has shifted its role from being an enabler to a driver of...

Telecom trends: it's good to talk! How times have changed, and are continuing to change, for providers and consumers of Nigeria's telecom services. Bola Olowo reports from Lagos.(Telecommunications)
February 1, 2006... YEARS AGO, BEFORE the advent of the mobile revolution in Nigeria, an editor of a widely read national daily approached the Minister of Communication, having failed through other means to have a telephone line in his house--and the minister, a...

Mobile with payphone features.(Information Technology)
February 1, 2006... MOTOROLA, IN COLLABORATION with a South Africa-based GSM solutions provider SharedPhone International has launched the world's first mobile handset with payphone features. While confirming the development, SharedPhone International...

Vodacom appoints new chairman.(Information Technology)
February 1, 2006... THE VODACOM GROUP has announced the appointment of Adv Oyama Mabandla as its new non-executive chairman. The three-year contract is with effect from 1 January 2006 and Adv Mabandla will replace Vodacom's chairman of six years, Wendy Luhabe....

Xerox wins 318 awards in 2005.(Information Technology)
February 1, 2006... Xerox, distributed in sub-Saharan Africa by Bytes Document Solutions, has earned 10 new honours from independent testing organisations and IT publications, bringing its total number of worldwide product awards in 2005 to 318. More than 100...

New range of Atex-approved radios.(commercial waterproof transceivers)
February 1, 2006... ICOM (UK) LTD HAS launched new ATEX- approved versions of its popular IC-M87 marine (VHF) and IC-F51 (VHF) and IC-F61 (UHF) commercial waterproof transceivers. Each model has been tested and approved in compliance with European Directive...

Middleware moves into the mainstream: long a key part of the software stack for savvy IT directors, middleware has moved into the enterprise mainstream. But there are key technical and management challenges to meet before making changes to your IT world, writes Karen Young.(Information Tachnology)
February 1, 2006... ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN around for some time in various guises, middleware has been critically misunderstood across the end user community. Finally, however, it's moving hard into the enterprise space, driven by user realisation that it can...

Enterprise software buyers' guide 2006: Africa's annual where-to-buy guide.(Directory)
February 1, 2006... SECTION ONE -- Listings by category SECTION TWO -- Suppliers of software and their local agents, page 24 SECTION THREE -- Contact details of African agents listed by country, page 30. PLEASE MENTION AFRICAN REVIEW WHEN...

Konica Minolta celebrates number 1 position in Europe for full colour systems.(Advertisement)
February 1, 2006... In 1990, Konica Minolta launched its first colour copier. Since then, Konica Minolta has led the way in business imaging through its groundbreaking colour technology. In 2005 Konica Minolta introduced award winning multifunctional colour...

Fast freight for fresh produce: Ronald Watts looks at the growth in air freighted trade with Europe, stimulated partly by increased tourism, and the challenges that will be faced in the future.(Aviation)
February 1, 2006... IT IS EIGHT years since an executive of UK supermarket chain Tesco was welcomed by growers of mange tout peas in Zimbabwe as the king of the state of Tesco! Since then Zimbabwe's exports of fresh vegetables by air have grown and contribute...

Britcom International--a driving force behind commercial vehicle export.(Company Focus)
February 1, 2006... WITH ITS 25TH anniversary coming later this year Britcom International Ltd is proud of its global reputation for supplying quality used (secondhand) trucks, trailers and plant equipment worldwide over many years. All equipment supplied is of...

Oil matters with municipal vehicles: lubrication is at the heart of any municipal vehicle maintenance programme. Above all else, ensure all operators keep proper records, and never ignore warnings in the cab.(Commercial Vehicles)
February 1, 2006... EVEN A SECONDHAND ambulance, commuter bus or waste truck is a major investment in Africa, so proper maintenance at the right time with the right materials is essential for economic operation in Africa's challenging urban conditions. No...

Getting the continent onto the right lines: higher speeds and light rail technology have transformed the railway industries of industrialised countries. But few of these benefits have reached Africa, with piecemeal development being the norm.(Railways)
February 1, 2006... AFTER DECADES IN the sidings rail travel has made a comeback nearly everywhere except in most of Africa. Passenger numbers have been soaring and new or rebuilt lines opening as fuel shortages and congestion have risen. Many journey times have...

Offshore West Africa leads the way in E & P: the Offshore West Africa Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Abuja from 14-16 March, will focus on the enormous opportunties in the world's largest deepwater and subsea market.(Oil and Gas)
February 1, 2006... WEST AFRICA DOMINATES the international deepwater market and will attract over 40 per cent of the US$48bn in deepwater exploration and production spending projected for the next five years. Building on its 10 years of experience in the...

Safe supplies in remote locations: electrical power must be handled carefully at all times. and this is especially true in remote locations. Listed below are some hints and suggestions for keeping your workplace safe.
February 1, 2006... THE BEST SAFEGUARD against electrocution is the residual current device (RCD) or safety switch. A fixed RCD can be installed instead of a fusebox in your house, shed or workshop, or portable RCDs can be used with individual power tools. ...

IFC grants US$3mn for fuel cell project in South Africa.
February 1, 2006... THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCE Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has awarded a US$3mn grant to IST Holdings (Pty) Ltd and Plug Power Inc, who will install 400 fuel cells in remote locations and cities of South Africa...

Regular maintenance makes for smooth running: fixing problems before damage occurs is the way to run a genset profitably. Some maintenance tasks have to be left to the supplier's representative--but you can do a lot yourself and eliminate costly downtime in the process.(Power Supply)
February 1, 2006... REGULAR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE is the way to both keep your engine generator set running smoothly--and greatly extend its working life. This applies whether the genset is in full-time use or is kept as a standby; in the latter case it is...

Meter reading tool.(Power Supply)
February 1, 2006... LANDIS+GYR, A leader in electricity metering, has released MAP110, a service tool that is easy to use and offers great functionality. The Landis+Gyr MAP110 is used to read out register data (billing and instantaneous data), profiles (event...

Sudanese sugar installation contract.(Power Supply)
February 1, 2006... B & W INSTRUMENTATION and Electrical of South Africa has recently won the contract for the low voltage electrical and instrumentation installation at the Sudanese Sugar Company's Assalaya Sugar Mill. The mill, situated about 300km south of...

Stapro, a company with a mission.(Srapro Industries Nigeria Limited )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... STAPRO INDUSTRIES MISSION statement is: "To provide Nigerian food crops for consumption in a hygienic and convenient manner using the appropriate technology, and to also promote such values beyond our shores." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Choice and maintenance of cables for gensets: one of the most important aspects of generating set installation is the choice of cables. Our power correspondent gives some timely advice on selection and maintenance of this vital component.(Power Supply)
February 1, 2006... CABLES IN GENERATOR set installations vary from light current control/communication types to large single-core ones. They are installed in open runs attached to structural surfaces, in trenches, on cable trays, in underground ducts or in...

Schneider Electric goes for growth: Schneider Electric is a world leader in automation and power control, and it is currently raising its profile in Nigeria.(Company Focus)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... SINCE ITS FOUNDING in France, Schneider Electric has grown from strength to strength. Its recent financial reports from 2004 and 2005 are gladdening indeed. Schneider, which has had a strong presence in Nigeria since 1978, has a history of...

Docking revolution with IPS joystick.(Volvo Penta introduces new product)
February 1, 2006... EVEN EXPERIENCED BOAT-owners can sometimes feel uncomfortable about the prospect of docking a large boat in a congested harbour. Volvo Penta's new IPS Joystick eliminates that problem. With just a few simple hand movements, the boat can be...

Major power generation project for Nigeria.(Power News)
February 1, 2006... IN WHAT WILI be one of the largest power generation agreements in the country's history, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Power and Steel has selected GE Energy to supply 18 gas turbines, additional equipment and services for five power plants...

Biodiesels fill energy gap.(Power News)
February 1, 2006... THE ESCALATING PRICE of crude oil, the need to meet emissions targets under the Kyoto Protocol, and declining capacity for electricity generation in the SADC region, are all issues that are leading governments to legislate the blending of...

Africa offers unique case study opportunities for genset maintenance planners.(continue growth in economic)
February 1, 2006... THE VITAL IMPORTANCE of having mission-critical power generation equipment in Africa has recently been highlighted by the failure of a essential component of one of two nuclear powered generators at the Koeburg power station near Cape Town....

New generating sets from Atlas Copco.(Company Focus)
February 1, 2006... THE NEW RANGE of QAS generating sets from Atlas Copco has been designed for global and national rental companies, construction applications and the public utilities sectors, ensuring improved environmental performance--particularly in terms...

Compact set extends QAX range.(Company Focus)
February 1, 2006... A NEW QAX 30 generating set has been introduced by Atlas Copco to extend the QAX range from 12-30 kVA. The new set, rated at 30kVA, has been designed to meet the basic electrical demands of rental fleet, construction applications and public...

QAS generator meets demands for power.(Company Focus)
February 1, 2006... ATLAS COPCO HAS introduced a new top-of-the-range QAS 325 generating set to meet the demands of rental companies, construction site power, and public utility sectors; extending the QAS range with outputs of 150 kVA--325 kVA. The new set...

Thanks to thermal imaging, Erdinger Weissbrau ensures that kegs contain wheat beer--and nothing else!(Condition Monitoring)
February 1, 2006... A FLIR SYSTEMS infrared camera watches over the bottling of the world-famous Erdinger wheat beer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Erdinger Weissbrau is one of Germany's largest and most successful private breweries. The Munich-based brewery...

Improving the flow for Ugandans: the Uganda government is reducing water tariffs in an effort to attract more consumers. Geoffrey Muleme reports from Kampala.(Water Supply)
February 1, 2006... THE GOVERNMENT IN Uganda has reduced water tariffs country wide in a move aimed at extending services to the rural poor people and enabling more consumers to benefit from the water services by reducing the costs. The Minister of Water,...

Wheel loaders feature new engines.
February 1, 2006... TWO NEW H-SERIES medium wheel loaders, the 966H and 972H from Caterpillar, feature key changes to boost productivity and reduce owning and operating costs. New Cat engines featuring ACERTTM technology provide increased power and US EPA Tier 3...

Bell Equipment wins Technology Top 100 award.
February 1, 2006... THE KEY ROLE that technology plays in the growth of economies is recognized by all leading governments of the world. In South Africa the Dept of Science and Technology has set up the Technology Top 100 programme to recognise and encourage...

IFC backs Nigerian cement project.(Construction News)
February 1, 2006... THE IFC IS providing US$75mn for the construction and operation of a brand-new cement plant with a capacity of 4.4mn tpa. Located in Nigeria's Kogi State this is the country's largest private investment outside the oil and gas sector in...

Bypass road for Freetown.(African Development Fund)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... THE OPEC FUND for International Development has provided a loan of US$6mn for the construction of a four kilometres four-lane bypass road on the edge of Mount Auroel in Freetown. Connecting the east and west end of the capital, the road...

Zimbabwe's housing programme.(Construction News)
February 1, 2006... THE GOVERNMENT OF Zimbabwe has completed the first phase of its reconstruction programme being carried out in line with the objectives of the 2004-2008 national housing delivery programme adopted in 2003. The reconstruction programme,...

Metso Minerals extends after-sales service.(Construction News)
February 1, 2006... THE TREND IN the crushing plant market is for customers to transfer tasks relating to plant optimisation, maintenance and repair to the equipment supplier; so international rock processing specialist Metso Minerals, Finland-based and...

Better roads from recycling: suppliers of recycled materials could make a bigger contribution to the expansion of Africa's road network. Even abandoned tyres could be used.(Construction)
February 1, 2006... RECYCLING OF MATERIALS--for maintenance and new build--is standard practice in the road construction industry these days. It makes sense because all highway projects involve large numbers of truck movements, and the more material that can be...

Get the most from ground-engaging tools.
February 1, 2006... GROUND-ENGAGING TOOLS (GET) are the teeth and edges that take the brunt of the wear protecting more expensive machine parts and components like buckets, grader mouldboards and dozer blades. Proper GET management is essential, both to control...

Update on Uganda.(Construction)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... UGANDA'S MINISTER OF State for Works, Andruale Auzu, advised the newly created Architects Registration Board to clamp down on construction-related accidents in the country. He also urged the architects to collaborate with engineers, planners...

Platinum and PGMs reach seven-year high: demand for platinum group metals is forecast to soon meet a new all-time high, reports Priscilla Ross. And this means that demand will exceed mine supply for the seventh year in a row.(Mining)
February 1, 2006... THE OUTLOOK IS for improved demand for both platinum and palladium. Interestingly the volume for palladium demand is expected to grow by 410,000 oz to 6.89mn ounces in 2005, which slightly exceeds platinum demand, which is expected to grow by...

Quarrying sector gets blast off: a widespread upswing in construction activity means that African quarrying is on a roll. And, writes Kyran Casteel writes, motive power suppliers are trying to expand their input.(Mining)
February 1, 2006... THE CONTINUING BOOM in global construction activity has been good news for the quarrying industry. It has been particularly good for those companies that have been building global strength in cement supply for some years and have more...