Cement Company Limited (CCC) made $5.9-billion profit for the year ended December 2025, or flat compared to year-earlier levels, despite the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Also, the island’s sole cement maker posted record revenue of $31.5 billion – a 13 per cent increase over 2024 – on the back of a major capacity expansion and stronger export volumes.
“CCC is strategically positioned to support Jamaica’s rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Melissa, while continuing to advance the country’s broader development objectives,” stated CCC in the preface to its financials.
It also wants to increase exports. “This export strategy is intended to optimise capacity utilisation, expand CCCL’s regional footprint and generate foreign currency earnings for Jamaica,” the directors stated. The company also cited improved kiln efficiency, reduced energy intensity, and 1,000 consecutive days without a lost-time safety incident as operational foundations for the year ahead.
Caribbean Cement is listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and is majority owned by Cemex, the Mexican building materials group. The full audited financial statements are available on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and the company’s website.
The results, published this week, reflect a year split sharply in two: a costly first half dominated by a planned kiln expansion and maintenance shutdown that compressed gross margins to 33 per cent, followed by a more profitable second half in which the completed expansion drove margins to 47 per cent.
“The expansion strengthened the company’s ability to meet domestic demand, even in the face of the adverse impact of Hurricane Melissa,” stated CCC.
CCC commissioned its enlarged plant last year after investing US$42 million over three years to increase its annual cement production capacity by approximately 300,000 metric tonnes, from more than 1.0 million tonnes to an estimated 1.3 million.
Earnings before taxation reached $8.1 billion, up 5.0 per cent from $7.8 billion in 2024. Operating earnings rose to $7.9 billion from $7.6 billion. Earnings per share came in at $6.95, fractionally below the prior year’s $6.99. The company ended the year with cash and cash equivalents of $11.6 billion, an increase of $3.1 billion, after paying $1.7 billion in dividends and investing $4.6 billion in capital projects.
Net cash flow from operating activities totalled $9.3 billion, down from $12.0 billion in 2024, a decline management attributed in part to working capital movements and higher tax payments. Total assets grew to $46.9 billion from $40.9 billion, driven largely by a $2.6- billion increase in property, machinery and equipment as the expanded kiln infrastructure was brought onto the balance sheet.
business@gleanerjm.com
