Heidelberg Materials (formerly HeidelbergCement)
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Berliner Strasse 669120, Heidelberg, Germany Tel: +49 6221 481-13 227
Heidelberg Materials, formerly known as HeidelbergCement, is a German multinational building materials company. The company produces and markets construction aggregates, cement, and ready-mixed concrete.
Since 2007, Hanson Israel, owns and operates the Nahal Raba quarry in the occupied West Bank. The quarry is located on Palestinian lands, some privately owned, of the villages of Al Zawiya and Rafat in the occupied West Bank. The quarry produces aggregates used for concrete and asphalt mixes.
The company also operates asphalt and concrete factories in the Nahal Raba Quarry. The company holds a license valid through 2023 for the production of asphalt mixes and production of concrete. The company is licensed to provide these materials for highways, aprons and airfields.
In June 2020, the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) Planning Bureau in the West Bank published a plan for the expansion of the Nahal Raba Quarry. The plan titled 52/14/2, submitted by Hanson Israel, seeks to expand the existing quarry on the lands of the Palestinian villages of Al Zawya and Rafat by 432 Dunams. more specifically on land plots named Wad Al Qebleh, Jabal Al Qurus, Wad Sliman Al Yassin in the village of Al Zawya and land plots of al Nakra, Marj Kasfa, Khurbet Kasfa, al Jabl Al Azraq, Khurbet Umm Al Hakumm in the village of Rafat.
According to a response from the ICA to a Freedom of Information Request submitted by Who Profits, as of June 2023, the plan is yet to be approved.
In February 2019, the Israeli military announced the confiscation of more than 98 dunums of land from Rafat village, declaring it as "state land" in order to allocate the area for the Nahal Raba quarry.
In September 2021, the company replied to Who Profits letter by stating, "Hanson Israel signed a sale and purchase agreement for the Nahal Raby quarry with a third-party acquirer, which is still pending completion". Up to the moment of profiling the company, the quarry is still operated by Heidelberg Materials.
On July 20, 2023, Who Profits documented a Hanson Israel company truck with the HeiderlbergCement logo in Ramallah city, in the occupied West Bank.
In 2017, Who Profits documented a truck carrying gravel from the Hanson Nahal Raba quarry in the occupied West Bank going into Israel.
In 2016, a Hanson truck was documented delivering construction raw material to a construction zone in Ofarim settlement, an Israeli settlement, located near the Palestinian village al-Lubban al-Gharbi in the occupied West Bank.
In 2015, Who Profits documented Hanson trucks at the Qalandiya checkpoint. Also in 2015, Hanson Israel concrete truck was documented delivering concrete to the expansion of the Barkan settlement industrial zone.
In December 2023, the company responded to a Who Profits letter by stating “we contract external transport services to transport our material; some are allowed to put our company logo on their trucks, even though they do not exclusively provide us with their services. Therefore, although the trucks have our logo, it doesn’t mean that they are transporting our material in the first place. This may explain wrong conclusions from sighting trucks with our company logo at Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”
In addition, the company added by saying “In the last five years, we have ourselves identified only a few deliveries to the east of the Green Line.”
Services to Israeli Prison Service
In January 2022, a Hanson truck was documented in the Gilboa prison complex, where Palestinian prisoners are incarcerated, as part of work on enhancing the prison.
Heidelberg Materials, formerly known as HeidelbergCement, is a German multinational building materials company. The company produces and markets construction aggregates, cement, and ready-mixed concrete.
Since 2007, Hanson Israel, owns and operates the Nahal Raba quarry in the occupied West Bank. The quarry is located on Palestinian lands, some privately owned, of the villages of Al Zawiya and Rafat in the occupied West Bank. The quarry produces aggregates used for concrete and asphalt mixes.
The company also operates asphalt and concrete factories in the Nahal Raba Quarry. The company holds a license valid through 2023 for the production of asphalt mixes and production of concrete. The company is licensed to provide these materials for highways, aprons and airfields.
In June 2020, the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) Planning Bureau in the West Bank published a plan for the expansion of the Nahal Raba Quarry. The plan titled 52/14/2, submitted by Hanson Israel, seeks to expand the existing quarry on the lands of the Palestinian villages of Al Zawya and Rafat by 432 Dunams. more specifically on land plots named Wad Al Qebleh, Jabal Al Qurus, Wad Sliman Al Yassin in the village of Al Zawya and land plots of al Nakra, Marj Kasfa, Khurbet Kasfa, al Jabl Al Azraq, Khurbet Umm Al Hakumm in the village of Rafat.
According to a response from the ICA to a Freedom of Information Request submitted by Who Profits, as of June 2023, the plan is yet to be approved.
In February 2019, the Israeli military announced the confiscation of more than 98 dunums of land from Rafat village, declaring it as "state land" in order to allocate the area for the Nahal Raba quarry.
In September 2021, the company replied to Who Profits letter by stating, "Hanson Israel signed a sale and purchase agreement for the Nahal Raby quarry with a third-party acquirer, which is still pending completion". Up to the moment of profiling the company, the quarry is still operated by Heidelberg Materials.
On July 20, 2023, Who Profits documented a Hanson Israel company truck with the HeiderlbergCement logo in Ramallah city, in the occupied West Bank.
In 2017, Who Profits documented a truck carrying gravel from the Hanson Nahal Raba quarry in the occupied West Bank going into Israel.
In 2016, a Hanson truck was documented delivering construction raw material to a construction zone in Ofarim settlement, an Israeli settlement, located near the Palestinian village al-Lubban al-Gharbi in the occupied West Bank.
In 2015, Who Profits documented Hanson trucks at the Qalandiya checkpoint. Also in 2015, Hanson Israel concrete truck was documented delivering concrete to the expansion of the Barkan settlement industrial zone.
In December 2023, the company responded to a Who Profits letter by stating “we contract external transport services to transport our material; some are allowed to put our company logo on their trucks, even though they do not exclusively provide us with their services. Therefore, although the trucks have our logo, it doesn’t mean that they are transporting our material in the first place. This may explain wrong conclusions from sighting trucks with our company logo at Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”
In addition, the company added by saying “In the last five years, we have ourselves identified only a few deliveries to the east of the Green Line.”
Services to Israeli Prison Service
In January 2022, a Hanson truck was documented in the Gilboa prison complex, where Palestinian prisoners are incarcerated, as part of work on enhancing the prison.
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Heidelberg Materials (formerly HeidelbergCement)
Berliner Strasse 669120, Heidelberg, Germany Tel: +49 6221 481-13 227
Heidelberg Materials, formerly known as HeidelbergCement, is a German multinational building materials company. The company produces and markets construction aggregates, cement, and ready-mixed concrete.
Since 2007, Hanson Israel, owns and operates the Nahal Raba quarry in the occupied West Bank. The quarry is located on Palestinian lands, some privately owned, of the villages of Al Zawiya and Rafat in the occupied West Bank. The quarry produces aggregates used for concrete and asphalt mixes.
The company also operates asphalt and concrete factories in the Nahal Raba Quarry. The company holds a license valid through 2023 for the production of asphalt mixes and production of concrete. The company is licensed to provide these materials for highways, aprons and airfields.
In June 2020, the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA) Planning Bureau in the West Bank published a plan for the expansion of the Nahal Raba Quarry. The plan titled 52/14/2, submitted by Hanson Israel, seeks to expand the existing quarry on the lands of the Palestinian villages of Al Zawya and Rafat by 432 Dunams. more specifically on land plots named Wad Al Qebleh, Jabal Al Qurus, Wad Sliman Al Yassin in the village of Al Zawya and land plots of al Nakra, Marj Kasfa, Khurbet Kasfa, al Jabl Al Azraq, Khurbet Umm Al Hakumm in the village of Rafat.
According to a response from the ICA to a Freedom of Information Request submitted by Who Profits, as of June 2023, the plan is yet to be approved.
In February 2019, the Israeli military announced the confiscation of more than 98 dunums of land from Rafat village, declaring it as "state land" in order to allocate the area for the Nahal Raba quarry.
In September 2021, the company replied to Who Profits letter by stating, "Hanson Israel signed a sale and purchase agreement for the Nahal Raby quarry with a third-party acquirer, which is still pending completion". Up to the moment of profiling the company, the quarry is still operated by Heidelberg Materials.
On July 20, 2023, Who Profits documented a Hanson Israel company truck with the HeiderlbergCement logo in Ramallah city, in the occupied West Bank.
In 2017, Who Profits documented a truck carrying gravel from the Hanson Nahal Raba quarry in the occupied West Bank going into Israel.
In 2016, a Hanson truck was documented delivering construction raw material to a construction zone in Ofarim settlement, an Israeli settlement, located near the Palestinian village al-Lubban al-Gharbi in the occupied West Bank.
In 2015, Who Profits documented Hanson trucks at the Qalandiya checkpoint. Also in 2015, Hanson Israel concrete truck was documented delivering concrete to the expansion of the Barkan settlement industrial zone.
In December 2023, the company responded to a Who Profits letter by stating “we contract external transport services to transport our material; some are allowed to put our company logo on their trucks, even though they do not exclusively provide us with their services. Therefore, although the trucks have our logo, it doesn’t mean that they are transporting our material in the first place. This may explain wrong conclusions from sighting trucks with our company logo at Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”
In addition, the company added by saying “In the last five years, we have ourselves identified only a few deliveries to the east of the Green Line.”
Services to Israeli Prison Service
In January 2022, a Hanson truck was documented in the Gilboa prison complex, where Palestinian prisoners are incarcerated, as part of work on enhancing the prison.
Ownership
The company is publicly traded on the Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf and Munich Stock Exchanges under the ticker symbol HEI.
Major shareholders include: Ludwig Merckle (28.7%), Artisan Partners LP (2.64%), The Vanguard Group (2.61%), Capital Research & Management Company (World Investors) (2.42%), Black Creek Investment Management, Inc. (1.43%), Barings (UK) Ltd. (1.15%).
CEO and Chairman of the managing board: Dominik von Achten
Subsidiaries
The company has hundreds of subsidiaries worldwide.
Israeli subsidiaries include Tadir Readymix Concrete (1965) Ltd. (100%), Hanson Israel Ltd. (99.8%), Hanson Quarry Products (Israel) Ltd. (99.8%), Hanson Yam Limited Partnership (99.8%), Pioneer Beton Mova Umachzavot Ltd (99.8%).
Partners
Company Response
December 07, 2023
Heidelberg Materials response to the Who Profits Research Center
Dear Madam or Sir,
Thank you for raising your concern regarding our activities in the occupied West Bank, particularly in the Nahal Raba quarry, which our subsidiary Hanson has leased since 2007. In this regard, we want to clarify some information regarding our presence and activities in Israel and the West Bank and, further, the countries where we currently have operations to help you update your outdated list.
In countries experiencing armed conflicts, we conduct our activities conflict-sensitively according to the standards set by International Humanitarian Law. However, we have been questioned about alleged deliveries to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Concerning this matter, it is important to clarify that in Israel, as in other countries, we contract external transport services to transport our material; some are allowed to put our company logo on their trucks, even though they do not exclusively provide us with their services. Therefore, although the trucks have our logo, it doesn’t mean that they are transporting our material in the first place. This may explain wrong conclusions from sighting trucks with our company logo at Israeli settlements in the West Bank. In the last five years, we have ourselves identified only a few deliveries to the east of the Green Line.
These very few cases of deliveries must be assessed acknowledging that under consumer and anti-discrimination laws issued to promote equality and prevent discrimination in entering public places and supplying products and services, our Israeli subsidiary cannot reject customers based on their place of residence. In this regard, we stress that Hanson Israel is a company registered in Israel and must comply with all local Israeli laws, regulations, and standards. It must also meet the compliance standards that Heidelberg Materials sets for all subsidiaries, avoiding involvement in the conflict.
It may help to know that we reduced our production in Nahal Raba to a minimum. The management decision taken by Hanson Israel concerning Nahal Raba has not changed. We expect to have resolved the issue by the end of this year.
Finally, we have set up management processes for the effective exercise of human rights due diligence that meets both the requirements of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the requirements of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act that enforces companies’ responsibility for human rights.
On the other aspects that are mentioned in your report:
Please note that Volvo Group is not related to our activities in Israel. We are collaborating with Volvo Group in the framework of one specific project in Northern Europe, where we jointly investigate the use of electric vehicles for loading and hauling activities in some of our Northern European sites and quarries.
Via the following links you find more information about our statement to respect human rights https://www.heidelbergmaterials.com/en/human-rights and a list of Group Areas and Countries where we currently have operations: https://www.heidelbergmaterials.com/en/group-areas-and-countries. We kindly ask you to update your outdated list with the accurate information, in particular on Azerbaijan, Gambia, Georgia, and Ukraine.
Sincerely,
Christoph Beumelburg
Director
Group Communications & Investor Relations