Martin Hüsler

Martin Hüsler requested more background on the nature and location of the cement plant outage, and questioned if the strong cement volume growth despite lower pricing indicated Amrize was chasing volumes with price rebates.

Answer

Ian Johnston, CFO, specified the cement plant outage was a temporary equipment issue in the Mountain region, lasting six weeks, leading to reduced production and increased distribution costs. Jan Jenisch, Chairman and CEO, clarified that strong cement demand was not driven by pricing concessions, and Amrize maintained strong pricing relative to the market.

Inquired about the new Schindler X8 product's market positioning and rollout strategy, and also asked for the reason behind the divergence between order intake in units (down) and value (up).

Answer

The difference between order intake in units versus value is attributed to market mix, particularly the lower value of units in China. The Schindler X8 is described as an 'innovation launch' rather than a global product launch, targeting selected premium residential segments in specific markets with new technologies that will eventually be used in other products. It is a premium product for small to mid-rise residential buildings.