The building materials market stood on an upward trend in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2012. The evolution indicated by the Construction Materials Producers Association from Romania (APMCR) in what concerns the turnover of the sector was of +13% right from the first two months of the year. However, the growth was influenced by an increase of 5% of the inflation and the higher prices of main products in the market. For the current year, Claudiu Georgescu, the President of APMCR, maintains his predictions of stability at the level of 2012, respectively 3.3 billion EUR, followed by a revival in 2014 of the upward trend in the field. The positive trend was confirmed also by a 5% increase in the number of building permits issued in January-April 2013. In what regards the statistics of the actual production of construction materials in 2012, this remained very little over the one recorded during the previous year in terms of value and quantity. The most significant increases were reported by the bitumen waterproofing products (+9.1%) from 14 million square meters in 2011 to 15,36 square meters last year. Significant developments have been reported in production of concrete and mortar (+7.4%, up to 5.29 million cubic meters) of roof tiles and cement slabs (+6.8% up to 5.54 million square meters), and in the case of precast concrete systems (6.2%). At the oppostie pole stood the production of magnesium refractory bricks (-41.6%) and ornamental stone slabs (-57%). Ambient Sibiu, one of the leading retailers of construction materials in the Western part of Romania, registered a 14% increase in turnover in 2012 (calculated in national currency) compared to the previous year, up to about 667.8 million RON (about 152 million EUR). According to the portal of Ministry of Finance, in 2011 the company achieved a turnover of 585.8 million RON (133 million EUR). The positive results were recorded despite the maintaining difficulties of the local construction market. For 2013, the company's management expects the maintenance of the upward trend of business. Ambient owns 12 shopping centers and 15 deposits of construction materials and logistics platforms located mainly in Transylvania and works with 1,600 employees in Romania. For further information and a detailed analysis of the current Agenda Constructiilor issue click here!