CRH sees first half profits drop 10%
Posted: 26 August 2008Irish materials firm CRH has reported a 10% drop in pre-tax profits for the first half of 2008.
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Kingspan buys US-based Metecno for £60m
Posted: 22 August 2008Irish materials firm Kingspan Group has bought pre-fabricated composite panel manufacturer US-based Metecno for around £60m.
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Eco-town shortlist delayed as projects falter
Posted: 19 August 2008Eco-towns have hit yet another hurdle with a shortlist of bidders delayed until next year.
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Queen goes green with hydroelectric power at Balmoral
Posted: 19 August 2008The Queen has gone green and turned her Scottish estate Balmoral into a biodiversity haven.
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Oxfordshire merchant Southern Brick and Tile in administration
Posted: 14 August 2008An Oxfordshire-based brick and tile merchant has shut one of its major branches and gone into administration.
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Creagh Concrete Products to axe 90 staff
Posted: 13 August 2008Ireland’s Creagh Concrete Products has announced plans to axe 90 of its staff around the UK.
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Copper theft causes five-hour train delays
Posted: 11 August 2008British Transport Police are investigating an audacious theft of copper wire from signalling equipment on the East Coast Mainline on Saturday.
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Greenpeace slams UK firms for using illegal plywood
Posted: 08 August 2008Greenpeace has ordered construction firms to “clean up their act” after investigations found most UK firms use illegal and unsustainable timber.
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Green Building Council seeks carbon cutting consensus
Posted: 08 August 2008GBC chief Paul King wants builders to reach a consensus on how to cut carbon emissions from existing homes.
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Cost of energy-saving technologies set to fall
Posted: 05 August 2008The cost of environmentally-friendly technologies that could cut energy bills may finally be on the way down, according to manufacturers.
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Energy price hikes hammer materials firms
Posted: 05 August 2008Soaring gas and electricity prices force firms to slash costs government is urged to bring prices in line with those across Europe.
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Cemex to make green fuel from local waste
Posted: 05 August 2008Plans afoot for a plant capable of diverting 75% of Warwickshire's future waste from landfill to cement fuel.
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Shard builder pins down materials costs
Posted: 30 July 2008Forward purchasing of glass and steel has helped developer of central London skyscraper to remain within its budget.
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Michelmersh: brick manufacturers mothballing production units
Posted: 23 July 2008The big three brick manufacturers – CRH, Weinerberger and Heidelberg Cement – have already mothballed some of their production units, but it is still not enough and there will be more to come, says Michelmersh chairman Eric Gadsden.
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Cement firms may have to close quarries
Posted: 23 July 2008Cement and aggregate producers caught out by the speed of the economic downturn are considering mothballing quarries to rein in costs.
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HMRC using Google to target contractors for Aggregates Levy
Posted: 22 July 2008HMRC is turning its attention to construction sites in an effort to boost revenue generated by the Aggregates Levy.
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Consultants warn over Parliament asbestos risk
Posted: 17 July 2008There are "significant dangers" of asbestos exposure for "all persons" in the Palace of Westminster, according to a leaked safety report.
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Tarmac back to nature wirth biodiversity management
Posted: 17 July 2008Tarmac has discovered that a home-grown approach to 'biodiversity management can deliver ecological and business benefits. Contract Journal explains
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Tarmac announces 300 job losses
Posted: 16 July 2008Tarmac has joined a growing list of companies announcing redundancies with 300 jobs to go across its business.
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Wolseley axes 6,000 jobs as profit plummets
Posted: 16 July 2008Materials giant Wolseley has announced the loss of 6,000 jobs worldwide as it battles the global economic slowdown.
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