The multinational Holcim Argentina, a world-class player in the manufacture of cement and other products for construction, has just announced
the purchase of the company Tensolite
, dedicated, for 94 years, to the manufacture of precast and prestressed concrete.
The operation was closed for US$ 30 million
and is part of the Holcim Group's strategy to diversify its portfolio of products and services. Last year, it added a glue and plaster plant from the global brand “Tector” and also bought the majority stake in Quimexur, the roof paint and waterproofing factory.
The Swiss cement company - which is listed on the local stock exchange - arrived in Argentina decades ago, through the purchase of Minetti in Cordoba and currently
has four production plants in the country:
in Jujuy, Mendoza, Buenos Aires (Campana) and in the Mediterranean province.
Its strategy involves
expanding especially in the interior of the country
, despite the fact that Buenos Aires consumes 45% of the total cement produced. In the local market it competes with
Loma Negra, from the Fortabat family, and with Cemento Avellaneda.
As of the purchase of Tensolite, the 150 employees of this firm will become part of Holcim Argentina, which thus adds some 1,500 direct employees. It also retains the two production plants located in
Los Pocitos, province of Tucumán, and in Río Segundo, in Córdoba.
These plants have an installed capacity of more than 12 million blocks and more than 14 million linear meters of joists per year.
According to the CEO of Holcim Argentina, Christian Dedeu, the acquisition allows the cement company to enter the most attractive segments of construction. It happens that today,
about 80% of single-family homes in Argentina are built with concrete joists,
which is Tensolite's main product, representing a market with great potential.
Asked about the impact of the stoppage in public works decreed by the Government, Dedeu explained that “construction in Argentina is driven by the private sector, that is, multi-family housing, renovations, etc., which today is slowed down due to the economic crisis. and waiting for an improvement in macroeconomic variables. Meanwhile,
public works represent 25%
,” he said.
In any case, the recession has an impact on the activity of its plants, which
today are at 60% of their installed capacity
. when until last year they came with 75% and 80%. Another piece of information about the state of the market indicates that in the first quarter of this year,
the cement industry fell 30%
compared to the same period of the previous year.
However, while waiting for market normalization, the cement multinational plans the expansion of the company through its marketing network. Until now, it did so through 550 distributors under
the Disensa brand
and after the purchase of Tensolite, it will add another 350 distributors to its commercial network located in different parts of the country that will allow them, among other things,
to export to Uruguay and Paraguay.