Lafarge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the New York City architectural firm, see Heins & LaFarge

This article does not cite any references or sources. (December 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Lafarge (Euronext: LG, NYSE: LR) is a French industrial company specialising in five major products: cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard. It is the largest cement manufacturing company in the world.

Lafarge North Americas corporate offices are in Herndon, VA. [1]

Lafarge was founded in 1833 by Joseph-Auguste Pavin de Lafarge in Le Teil (Ardèche), to exploit the limestone quarry in Mont Saint-Victor between Le Teil and Viviers. The limestone is white and argillaceous, and yielded an eminently hydraulic lime. Lafarge signed its first international contract for the delivery of 110,000 tonnes of lime to the Suez Canal construction project in 1864. Moving into cement manufacture, the company established a reputation for effective and innovative R&D. It developed calcium aluminate cements, and "Lafarge" became a synonym for these cements throughout the English-speaking world. It was also an early pioneer in the production of white Portland cement, still made at the company's original Le Teil plant.

In 1919, a public company was formed, named "Société anonyme des chaux et ciments de Lafarge et du Teil." By 1939, Lafarge had become the largest French cement manufacturer.

In 1980, it joined with the cement company Coppée to become SA Lafarge Coppée.

In 2001, Lafarge, then the world's second largest cement manufacturer, acquired Blue Circle Industries (BCI), which at the time was the world's sixth largest cement manufacturer, to become the world leader in cement manufacturing.

In 2006, Lafarge North America shareholders accepted a $3 billion tender offer from Lafarge Group which gave the parent company full control over the North American business, removing LNA from the New York Stock Exchange. Previously the Group had owned 53% of LNA shares.

In addition, the group has recently divested its roofing division, selling it to a private equity group in a deal that resulted in Lafarge retaining a 35% equity stake.

Currently (as of 2007), Lafarge is the largest cement manufacturing company in the world, employing over 80,000 workers, and has a presence in seventy-six countries. Lafarge's concrete business also includes specialty products such as concrete that is translucent to light, and tensile concrete known as Ductal that does not require steel reinforcements.

Lafarge has expanded its business into the asphalt production and asphalt construction markets within North America with its "Lafarge Paving & Construction Limited" division.

In December 2007, Lafarge announced the purchase of the Orascom Cement Group, an Egyptian based cement producer with operations across Africa and the Middle East, from Orascom Construction Industries (OCI).

**Financial data in millions of euro**
Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Sales	13 698	14 610	13 658	14 436	15 969	16 909
EBITDA	2 862	3 101	2 820	3 028	2 920	3 610
Net Results	750	446	728	868	1 096	1 372
Net Debt	9 332	8 544	6 734	7 017	7 221	9 845
Staff	82 892	77 547	75 733	77 075	80 146	82 734