Substantial changes were not observed on the local masonry market in terms of increased consumption in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2012, while in May and June, poor results were particularly reported for the entire sector, according to the information provided by Cemacon SA, one of the leading local manufacturer of ceramic blocks. In this context, the company has proposed a quantitative increase of 20% in sales for the first six months of 2013 in comparison with the first semester of the previous year, while for the full financial period the company's management maintains a growth forecast of 40% of the business. In terms of market share, an increase from 12% to 16% by the end of the year is forecasted. Liviu Stoleru, CEO and President of Cemacon SA, believes, overall, that the local brick market will maintain this year at the level registered in 2012, while the upward trend will resume in 2014. Now, in Romania, the small buildings represented by single family homes are predominant, whilst the large projects are increasingly rare. "New constructions are still needed, but the main problem remains the access to financing, not only for individuals, but also for legal persons. Developers prefer not to expose too much and build at a low scale. In the same time, customers no longer trust to borrow money. Given these premises, the profile sector will remain at the same parameters and we will have to be as creative and innovative as possible in order to increase our market share. It will take probably more than 5 years for a sustainable upward trend to resume", said Liviu Stoleru. According to the information provided by the company, the ceramic blocks market has experienced, lately, a pressure in what concerns the quality and performance of available products. "Both professionals (designers, architects, entrepreneurs) and beneficiaries pay more attention to the materials they purchase. Given the context, we aim at developing a performant portfolio of masonry products", said the manager of Cemacon. For further information and a detailed analysis of the current Agenda Constructiilor issue click here!