Despite the lower dynamism in private construction, cement production increased by 4.8% in 2016, due to greater demand generated from public infrastructure projects.
An article in Revista Construir reports that "...Private sector Construction has been registering a decrease, cement production in Nicaragua has registered a growth, which has been driven mainly by the dynamism in public investment.In 2016the production of this material increased by 4.8% compared to 2015.According to the Index of the Volume of Industrial Goods, published by the Central Bank of Nicaragua, cement production reached 314.2 points in 2016, higher than the 302.4 points it averaged the previous year."
The Costa Rican companies MECO and Productos de Concreto have formed an alliance with the Nicaraguan Lacayo Fiallos to create the construction company Concrenic, which has already started operations in Nicaragua.
With a joint investment of $5 million, the company Concrenic has announced the start of operations in Nicaragua, where it will specialize in the construction of pipes, pavers, blocks, poles and tiles, among other products.
Despite the fact that the amount of area under construction fell by 5.5% in the last quarter, the total for the year confirmed dynamism in the sector.
From a report by the Central Bank of Nicaragua:
The square meterage of construction actually built in the fourth quarter of 2015 showed an annual reduction of 5.5%, while the annual cumulative growth averaged 17.5%, having registering a construction area of 1,537,398 square meters.
While in the US the number of man hours needed to build a house is 9.4 hours per square meter, in Costa Rica it takes between 40 and 60.
Low labor productivity, on top of the cost of building materials, social charges and high costs of other materials such as energy, are preventing firms from being more competitive in an industry where both end house prices for completed works and gray works, exceed those in neighboring countries.
For a period of 20 years Corpus Christy Mineral Development could extract nonmetallic minerals in the village of Las Margaritas, district of Chepo.
The company could "... exploit 256.33 hectares in Las Margaritas and if the comply with the obligations satisfactorily, could have the permit extended for 20 years as stipulated in the contract ...", reported Prensa.com.
The construction of the hydroelectric station Tumarín, and the eventual realization of the Grand Canal project, have created great expectations for business deals in the sector.
Holcim is waiting for clear signals about the canal project, a project that could represent a great opportunity for the company.
On the other side is the hydroelectric station Tumarín, over which they have had been making approaches for several years, even though it has not yet fully started. "While the company has had to reorganize, expand its staff and equipment, and increase its investments in order to keep pace with the growth of the sector, the construction of the canal (a Pharaonic project) will force the two cement companies to work flat out to meet the requirements for the work," noted an article in Confidencial.com.ni.
The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala is inviting participants to join a delegation to the World of Concrete 2013, from 4 to 8 February 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Commercial Service of the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala cordially invites you to join the delegation to the World of Concrete 2013 event.
Exhibition Dates: 5-8 February 2013 Seminar: 4-8 February 2013
With growth in infrastructure projects and general construction, companies in the sector are investing in improvements and expansion of their production capacities.
The companies Cementera Mexicana (Cemex) and Productos Industriales de Concreto (Proinco, SA) with investments of $5.8 million and $3.2 million respectively, are counting on increasing their operating capacities.
Products like stone No.4, espavé wood, concrete and sand mix became more expensive by 23.2%, 12.9%, 7.1% and 5.9% respectively in the month of July.
These four materials had the largest increases in their prices according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census of the Controller General of the Republic.
"The increases are attributed to the high prices of oil and its derivatives, to the economic crisis affecting some countries and the high demand for some commodities", reported Prensa.com.
The Guatemalan PreCon Group has opened its production plant at km 17.5 on the road to Leon.
Investment in new plant was $2 million, and the production area is 1,400 square meters.
An article in Trincheraonline.com reports that "The products that will be marketed in Nicaragua are building materials such as blocks, ‘Blocón’ system, paving stones, curb stones and slabs or beam with with LK moldsh."
The company will begin production of a new brand of concrete that offers better quality and resistance, and that is currently being sold in international markets.
CEMEX will soon start producing a new brand of concrete, Hidratium, a technology using internal curing of the concrete which is already available in France, Ireland, Mexico, Poland and Guatemala.
Some 13 products, including sand, steel rods and the stone became more expensive by up to 18% in December.
The prices of various building materials went up 18%, reveal official statistics of Panama.
In Panama and San Miguelito, the retail prices of 13 products went up in December, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census of the Controller General of the Republic.
Prices of materials such as iron rods and cement, among other things, have gone up compared to 2010.
The rise in the price of oil and other raw materials at international level is one of the main reasons for the sharp increase observed in the prices of building materials in Guatemala.
The price of iron, a major material in construction, rose between 35% and 50% last year, depending on the caliber and quality.