PHILIPPINES: LAFARGE EXPECTS GROWTH ON MARKET

Article Abstract:

The French cement group, Lafarge, expects to have sold 2mn tons of cement on the Philippines market, which is controlled 85% by foreign companies, during the year 2000, representing 17% of the market. The French group has already taken every opportunity to increase its presence on the promising Asian market, with acquisitions in Korea and China, but the group highlights that the Philippines represents a huge potential for the next thirty years. This would explain why the French industrial group has invested US$ 450-650mn to acquire and modernise factories there too, which should reach a potential capacity of 5mn tons.

Strategy & planning, Philippines

GREECE: REVIEW OF LAFARGE IN GREECE

Article Abstract:

The French construction materials group, Lafarge, is world number one in all of its divisions, including cements, ballast and concrete, roofing, and plaster materials. In Greece, the group becomes the leading cement group via the company, Heracles, after the take over of Blue Circle. The French group has been present in Greece since 1991, via its division, Hellamat, which specialises in ready mix concrete and ballast. Hellamat, with 10 concrete factories, generates EUR 22mn in turnover, and produces 1mn tons of ballast, and 500,000m of concrete annually.

Greece, Construction Sand & Gravel, Roofing Tile, Concrete, Gypsum, Plaster, Construction Sand and Gravel Mining, Other Structural Clay Product Manufacturing, Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing, Concrete, Gypsum, and Plaster Products, Structural clay products, not elsewhere classified, Construction sand and gravel, Sand and gravel industry, Roofing tiles, Concretes, Gypsum, Plaster

KOREA: LAFARGE INVESTS EUR 220MN

Article Abstract:

Lafarge is active in the cement (one among the largest world-wide with an estimated 48mn tons produced in 1999) and plaster markets in South Korea. Taking advantage of the Asian crisis, the French building materials giant has invested EUR 220mn there. After it put a foothold in the plaster market in 1998, Lafarge entered the South Korean cement market in 2000 through becoming a major shareholder of the cement operation of Halla, a medium-sized conglomerate.

South Korea, Capital expenditures, France, Building Materials, Retail, Building Material and Supplies Dealers, Lumber and other building materials, Reconstituted Wood Product Manufacturing, Building Paper & Board, Gypsum products, Gypsum Product Manufacturing, Brief Article, Fiberboard (Engineered wood), Lafarge Coppee S.A.