Holcim and Lafarge complete merger and create LafargeHolcim, a new leader in the building materials industry (2024)

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Holcim Ltd and Lafarge S.A. today completed their global merger and have launched LafargeHolcim, a world leader in the building materials industry.

All conditions for the completion of the merger have been fulfilled following the successful completion of the public exchange offer and the issuance of new Holcim shares to Lafarge shareholders.

Holcim’s shareholders had previously approved the merger-related resolutions at an Extraordinary General Meeting on May 8, 2015. With the completion of the merger the mandate of the new Board of Directors and of the new Executive Committee with Eric Olsen as CEO has become effective.

LafargeHolcim also unveils its new logo and corporate identity today. It has been designed to demonstrate that Holcim and Lafarge have united to form one company, expressing the leadership and strength of the new Group.

Wolfgang Reitzle, Co-Chairman (statutory Chairman) of the Board of Directors of LafargeHolcim, says: "Today’s closing is a historic event – not only for our two founding companies but also for the industry as a whole. LafargeHolcim has a unique business portfolio, is the industry benchmark in R&D and offers its customers the widest range of innovative and value-adding products, services and solutions – from smallholders to large enterprises and most complex projects."

Bruno Lafont, Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of LafargeHolcim, adds: "This new company is built on the rich history and culture of Lafarge and Holcim and its teams. The merger has not only resulted in a larger and more global company but brings about a unique set of complementary capabilities to capitalize on. Under the leadership of Eric Olsen, the new Group will foster a new operating model and create more value for all our stakeholders."

The new LafargeHolcim shares will be traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange as well as the Euronext in Paris as of July 14.

As announced, LafargeHolcim will re-open the public exchange offer to give the remaining Lafarge shareholders the opportunity to also tender their shares. The new offer period will start on July 15, 2015 for a duration of ten trading days until July 28th.

In April 2014 both companies had announced their intention to merge. The Group received all relevant anti-trust approvals within the expected timeframe following a proactive dialogue with the respective authorities. In this context, operations in Europe, the US, Canada, Brazil, India, the Philippines, and Mauritius are being divested. Completion of these transactions is expected within the coming months.

The global launch of the new company will be celebrated on July 15, 2015. LafargeHolcim will invite to a media conference on that day.

About LafargeHolcim
With a well-balanced presence in 90 countries and a focus on Cement, Aggregates and Concrete, LafargeHolcim is the world leader in the building materials industry. The Group has 115,000 employees around the world and combined net sales of CHF 33 billion (EUR 27 billion) in 2014. LafargeHolcim is the industry benchmark in R&D and serves from the individual homebuilder to the largest and most complex project with the widest range of value-adding products, innovative services and comprehensive building solutions. With a commitment to drive sustainable solutions for better building and infrastructure and to contribute to a higher quality of life, the Group is best positioned to meet the challenges of increasing urbanization.

Important information
This communication does not constitute an offer to purchase or exchange or the solicitation of an offer to sell or exchange any securities of Lafarge or an offer to sell or exchange or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange any securities of Holcim. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of Lafarge or Holcim. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking information and statements about Holcim, Lafarge and their combined businesses after completion of the proposed transaction that have not been audited or independently verified. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations. Although the managements of Holcim and Lafarge believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and holders of Holcim and Lafarge shares are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Holcim and Lafarge, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. The combined group may not realize the full benefits of the transaction.

Documents

  • The media release - English

Contact Media Relations

Phone:​+41 (0) 58 858 87 10

Email: media@holcim.com

Contact Investor Relations

Phone: +41 (0) 58 858 87 87

Email: investor.relations@holcim.com

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Holcim and Lafarge complete merger and create LafargeHolcim, a new leader in the building materials industry (2024)

FAQs

Why did Lafarge and Holcim merger? ›

Analysts said it would bring together Holcim's strength in marketing with Lafarge's innovative edge and could generate substantial savings - provided that necessary asset sales, which may take several years, do not deplete that potential too much.

Which reasons are the primary drivers of the LafargeHolcim merger strategy? ›

The primary drivers behind the Lafarge-Holcim merger were multifaceted. Strategic reasons played an important role, with the intention of achieving an increase in competitive abilities and a more balanced portfolio.

What is the new name of LafargeHolcim? ›

The Holcim Group, legally known as Holcim Limited, (formerly known as LafargeHolcim) is a Swiss multinational company that manufactures building materials. It has a presence in around 60 countries, and employs around 60,000 employees.

Who are the largest shareholders of Holcim? ›

Shareholders
NameEquities%
Thomas Schmidheiny 8.268 %47,881,5818.268 %
Patinex AG 3.129 %18,120,0003.129 %
HOLCIM LTD 3.012 %17,440,4793.012 %
DJE Kapital AG 0.2297 %1,330,1680.2297 %
6 more rows

Did Lafarge and Holcim split? ›

The original company was merged on 10 July 2015 with Lafarge to form LafargeHolcim as the new company and renamed to Holcim Group in 2021. When the merger was completed, the Holcim brand remained active within the group.

What happened to Lafarge? ›

In May 2022, the Paris Court of Appeal upheld the charges against the cement group Lafarge (now Holcim) for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity, enforcing the French Supreme Court's September 2021 decision. In October 2023, the French Supreme Court confirmed the charge.

What are the main purposes of the acquisition merger? ›

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are the acts of consolidating companies or assets, with an eye toward stimulating growth, gaining competitive advantages, increasing market share, or influencing supply chains.

What is a major reason to engage in a merger or acquisition? ›

Increased market share

Acquiring a competitor generally tends to allow a company to gain a larger market share, thus strengthening their market position. This is common among banks, where consolidation has led to most countries having a 'Big 4.

What are the strategic reason for a merger? ›

There are several types of mergers and reasons companies complete mergers. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are commonly done to expand a company's reach, expand into new segments, or gain market share. All of these are done to increase shareholder value.

Who bought Lafarge? ›

For this acquisition, Afrimat entered into a share purchase agreement with a Holcim Group subsidiary, Caricement B.V., in which Afrimat will acquire 100% of the issued share capital of Lafarge South Africa Holdings Proprietary Limited.

Why is Holcim selling? ›

The transaction has been planned for a long time, according to a person familiar with the matter, and came about because Holcim thought its North American business was undervalued compared to peers like Carlisle, RPM and James Hardy.

Who acquired Holcim? ›

Holcim has closed the sale of its business in India to the Adani Group, comprising its full stakes in Ambuja Cement at a share price of INR 385 and in ACC at a share price of INR 2,300, resulting in cash proceeds of USD 6.4 billion for Holcim.

Who is the CEO of Holcim Lafarge? ›

Miljan Gutovic has been CEO of Holcim since May 2024. Driven by a strong sense of purpose to decarbonize building at scale, Miljan leads the company's commitment to deliver superior performance and value for all stakeholders.

Where is Holcim headquarters in the US? ›

Holcim US, 8700 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 300, Chicago, IL - MapQuest.

Is Holcim a Fortune 500 company? ›

Over the weekend, Holcim, a Fortune Global 500 company and one of the largest construction material companies in the world, announced plans to spin off its U.S. division.

Is Holcim and Lafarge merger of egos? ›

The proposed combination would be structured as a public offer filed by Holcim for all outstanding shares of Lafarge on the basis of a 1 for 1 exchange ratio with an agreement to have equal dividends on a per share basis between announcement and completion.

Why did Lafarge change its name to Chilanga cement? ›

and Financier Lafarge) sold their 75% in the Company to Huaxin (Hainan) Investment Co. Ltd., a company owned by Huaxin Cement Co. Ltd. (Huaxin), leading to the change of trading name of Lafarge Zambia Plc to Chilanga Cement Plc.

Did Lafarge get bought out? ›

On 10 July 2015, Lafarge merged with Holcim. On 15 July 2015, the new company was officially launched around the globe under the name of LafargeHolcim, which was later renamed as the Holcim Group on 8 July 2021.

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