Lafarge: Press releases

Lafarge raises €200M to accelerate its development in India

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:14:45 GMT

Lafarge SA signed an agreement to raise €200 million through capital increase subscribed by Baring Private Equity Asia, and representing a 14% minority stake in its Indian subsidiary, Lafarge India Private Limited.

This transaction, which is subject to the approval of local regulatory authorities, will accelerate Lafarge's growth plans in India in all its product lines: Cement, Aggregates and Concrete.

India is an important market for Lafarge which has been present in this fast evolving market for the past 15 years. The Group will continue to grow in India and provide innovative products and solutions to accompany India's urbanization needs, particularly in the housing and infrastructure sectors.

Notes to editors

About Lafarge
A world leader in building materials, Lafarge employs 65,000 people in 64 countries, and posted sales of €15.8 billion in 2012. As a top-ranking player in its Cement, Aggregates and Concrete businesses, it contributes to the construction of cities around the world, through its innovative solutions providing them with more housing and making them more compact, more durable, more beautiful, and better connected. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities in order to contribute to more sustainable construction and to better serve architectural creativity. Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark in recognition of its sustainable development actions.

About Baring Private Equity Asia
Baring Private Equity Asia is one of the largest and most established independent private equity firms in Asia and advises funds that manage more than $5 billion in committed capital. The firm runs a pan-Asian investment program, specializing in mid-cap buyouts and providing growth capital to companies for expansion or acquisitions. The firm has been investing in Asia since its formation in 1997 and has approximately 100 employees located across seven offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta and Tokyo. Baring Asia currently has over 30 portfolio companies across Asia.

The press release

Shareholders' Meeting - May 7, 2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 02:59:47 GMT

Lafarge's Combined shareholders' meeting, which was held in Paris on May 7, 2013 under the chairmanship of Bruno Lafont, approved all resolutions submitted for their vote.

The shareholders' meeting approved a dividend of €1 per share and a loyalty dividend of €1.10 per share.

The dividend will be paid on July 5, 2013 (with an ex-dividend date on July 2, 2013). The shareholders' meeting also renewed the terms of office as directors of Mr Bruno Lafont, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and of Messrs Philippe Charrier, Oscar Fanjul, Juan Gallardo and Ms Hélène Ploix.

In addition, the shareholders’ meeting approved all the usual financial authorisations for bond issuances or transactions on the share capital.

NOTES TO EDITORS

A world leader in building materials, Lafarge employs 65,000 people in 64 countries, and posted sales of €15.8 billion in 2012. As a top-ranking player in its Cement, Aggregates and Concrete businesses, it contributes to the construction of cities around the world, through its innovative solutions providing them with more housing and making them more compact, more durable, more beautiful, and better connected. With the world’s leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities in order to contribute to more sustainable construction and to better serve architectural creativity. Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark in recognition of its sustainable development actions.

The slides for the presentation
Reporting on the votes
The webcast
The press release

Results as of March 31, 2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 00:52:35 GMT

Seasonally low Q1 impacted by harsh weather conditions

€100M EBITDA achieved in the quarter through Performance and Innovation measures, on track to achieve full year objective.

First Quarter Key Figures

Sales down 6% to €3,136m (-4% like for like)
EBITDA down 26% to €380m (-19% like for like)
Current operating income down 53% to €124m (-38% like for like)
Net result group share at €-117m (€-0.41 per share), vs. €-60m in Q1 2012 (€-0.21 per share)

Note that first quarter results reflect seasonality. They are not indicative of full year trends and traditionally lead to lower results relative to other quarters in the year.

Group Highlights

First quarter results were affected by lower volumes reflecting overall harsh weather conditions, temporary production limitations in Algeria and Egypt and two working days less in the quarter representing a third of the volume decline.
The Group has continued to successfully implement price increases to address cost inflation. These actions have gained pace during the quarter and will fully deliver in the coming months.
Performance and innovation measures continued to deliver results and generated respectively €60 million and €40 million EBITDA in the quarter, despite low volumes. The Group is on track to achieve its target to generate incremental EBITDA of €650 million from performance and innovation actions in 2013.
Net debt at the end of March decreased €0.6 billion compared to Q1 last year. It moved slightly higher compared to year-end 2012 due to normal seasonal working capital needs. The Group continues to progress towards its debt reduction target. With the most recent divestment of our plant in Ukraine, we have secured €1 billion of disposals since January 1st 2012.

Bruno Lafont, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge, said:

"The first quarter traditionally represents a small proportion of our results and is not indicative of full year trends. Our outlook remains unchanged and we expect to see cement demand growth in our markets of between 1 to 4 percent in 2013.
We continued to be fully focused on actions within our control. Price increases have been actively implemented in most markets and we will reap the full benefit as the year unfolds. Our performance and innovation actions delivered €100 million EBITDA in the quarter, on track with our 2013 target of €650 million.
I am confident that by the end of 2014 we will have delivered most of our 2012-2015 plan to generate €1.75 billion additional EBITDA through performance and innovation measures, close to one year ahead of our initial objective. We will also reduce net debt to below €10 billion as soon as possible in 2013."

Outlook

Overall the Group continues to see cement demand increasing for the full year and estimates market growth of between 1 to 4 percent in 2013 versus 2012. Emerging markets continue to be the main driver of demand and Lafarge will benefit from its well-balanced geographic spread of high quality assets.

We expect higher pricing for the year and that cost inflation will continue, although at a slightly lower rate than in 2012.

The Group targets to reduce net debt to below €10 billion as soon as possible in 2013. Capital expenditures will be limited initially to €800 million in 2013. While maintaining our debt reduction objective, additional divestments during the rest of the year may lead to an increase in the capex number.

The press release
The audiocast
The financial report
The slides for the analyst presentation

Lafarge sells its cement plant in Ukraine for €96M

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:44:16 GMT

Lafarge announces the sale of its cement activities in Ukraine for an enterprise value of €96 million to CRH plc. This business comprises one wet process cement plant located in the Lviv region, in the western part of the country.

This transaction, which is expected to close before year-end, is subject to relevant Ukrainian authorities' approval.

The Group remains present in Ukraine through three aggregates quarries serving the Ukrainian as well as the Russian and Polish markets.

NOTES TO EDITORS

A world leader in building materials, Lafarge employs 65,000 people in 64 countries, and posted sales of €15.8 billion in 2012. As a top-ranking player in its Cement, Aggregates and Concrete businesses, it contributes to the construction of cities around the world, through its innovative solutions providing them with more housing and making them more compact, more durable, more beautiful, and better connected. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities in order to contribute to more sustainable construction and to better serve architectural creativity. Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark in recognition of its sustainable development actions.

The press release

"Building better cities"
An ambition driving our innovation

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:37:19 GMT

Contributing to “building better cities” is the ambition of Lafarge. It is driving our innovation, and is now embedded in a modernized logo.

By 2050, close to 70% of the world’s population, estimated at 9 billion people, will be living in towns and cities, compared to just over 50% today*. Urbanization on such a scale will be a challenge and an opportunity for the entire construction industry, and especially for Lafarge, present throughout the world, but most particularly in emerging countries, where the Group is strongly established.

Lafarge, a major player with its Cement, Aggregates and Concrete businesses, has placed Innovation and Performance, at the heart of its strategy. Its ambition is to contribute to building better cities by developing value-added products, and construction systems, as well as solutions and services to meet some of the great challenges of urbanization.

Addressing five main challenges, Lafarge’s ambition to contribute to building better cities, includes solutions contributing to…

more housing in cities, to address the issue of housing for all, including affordable housing;
more compact cities, with the construction of vertical buildings which help reduce urban sprawl;
more durable cities, with long-lasting constructions and by taking full account of environmental concerns, including energy efficiency of buildings and water preservation;
more beautiful, enabling architectural creativity and performance;
and more connected cities, with a special offer for roads, airports, stations, bridges, tunnels and all infrastructures in general.

This ambition to contribute to building better cities will be supported by Innovation, which targets an additional Ebitda of 450 million euros in our 2012-2015 plan. This will be achieved thanks to our new offers, new services, new market approach and through our commercial excellence objective.

* World Urbanization Prospects, 2011 United Nations Report

NOTES TO EDITORS CONTACTS PRESS RELATIONS

A world leader in building materials, Lafarge employs 65,000 people in 64 countries, and posted sales of €15.8 billion in 2012. As a top-ranking player in its Cement, Aggregates and Concrete businesses, it contributes to the construction of cities around the world, through its innovative solutions providing them with more housing and making them more compact, more durable, more beautiful, and better connected.With the world’s leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities in order to contribute to more sustainable construction and to better serve architectural creativity.

Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark in recognition of its sustainable development actions.

The press release
The press kit

Lafarge: Availability of the 2012 Registration document (Document de référence)

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:03:36 GMT

Lafarge's 2012 Registration document (Document de référence) has been filed on April 3, 2013 with the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF).

The document is available to the public in accordance with the provisions of regulations currently in force.

It can also be found in the "Shareholders > Regulated Information" section of our website www.lafarge.com, and on the AMF's website (www.amf-france.org).

The Registration document includes in particular:

the 2012 annual financial report ;
information on fees paid to the statutory auditors for the financial year 2012;
the report of the Chairman of the Board of Directors on internal control procedures and on corporate governance and the auditors' reports on the same;
a description of the shares buy back program.

Notes to editors
Located in 64 countries with 65,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2012, Lafarge posted sales of 15.8 billion euros.
Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

The press release
The Registration document

Lafarge: Combined General Meeting on May 7, 2013
Availability of preparatory documentation - Governance and Dividend

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:31:24 GMT

Lafarge informs its shareholders that they are called to a Combined General Meeting on Tuesday May 7, 2013 at 3.30 pm (at the first convocation), at Salle Pleyel, 252 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris (France).

Availability of preparatory documentation for the General Meeting

The Notice of meeting will be published in the Bulletin des Annonces Légales et Obligatoires (BALO) on March 18, 2013.

The notice of meeting contains the agenda of the meeting, the draft resolutions, the Board's report upon such draft resolutions as well as information on how to attend and to vote at this shareholders meeting and will be available from March 18, 2013 in the section "Shareholders & Investors" of the Group's website. Other information relating to the meeting will also be available on this website.

All documents and information relating to the meeting will be available to shareholders under the conditions specified by current laws and regulations.

General Meeting - Governance and dividend

Shareholders will be asked in particular to:

set the normal dividend at euro 1 per share and the loyalty dividend at euro 1.10 per share, with Lafarge shares traded ex-dividend on and after July 2, 2013 and the dividend payment date on July 5, 2013:
- Dividend ex date : July 2, 2013
- Dividend payment date : July 5, 2013;

renew the term of office of Ms Hélène Ploix and Mssrs Bruno Lafont, Philippe Charrier, Oscar Fanjul and Juan Gallardo;

renew the usual financing authorizations for capital increases.

All the preparatory documentation
The press release

Results as of December 31, 2012

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:13:39 GMT

Strong progression of operational performance
Sales up 3,5% and Current Operating Income up 12% for the year
fifth consecutive quarter of operating results growth

Fourth quarter key figures

Sales stable at €3,809m
EBITDA up 7% to €856m
Current operating income up 12% to €603m
Net income Group share increased to €100m (versus a loss of € 3m in 2011), or €0.34 per share

Year-to-date key figures

Sales up 3.5% to €15,816m
EBITDA up 7% to €3,450m
Current operating income up 12% to €2,440m
Net income Group share reached €432m, or €1.50 per share. Excluding one-off items(1), net income group share increased 70% to €772m, or €2.69 per share
Dividend of €1 per share, subject to AGM approval

Group highlights

Sales increased 3.5% year-to-date, driven by successful price actions across all product lines to respond to cost inflation and by growth in emerging markets.
The Group delivered on its cost savings target, achieving €410 million in the year; innovation plan roll out is gaining pace and actions generated €80 million of EBITDA in 2012.
EBITDA and current operating income rose 7% and 12% respectively in the periods presented despite the continued slowdown in Europe. Operations outside of Europe generated more than 75% of the Group's EBITDA and rose 17% in the quarter and 19% year-to-date. Group EBITDA margin improved 130 basis points in both periods when excluding carbon credit sales.
Net income Group share reached €432 million for the year, down 27% mainly because of the one-time €466 million gain related to gypsum divestments in 2011. Excluding one-offs items(1), net income Group share improved 70% year-to-date to €772 million.
Net debt declined €0.9 billion in the fourth quarter, dropping to €11.3 billion. The Group has secured close to €900 million of divestments, of which €474 million were received in 2012, and will shortly exceed its objective of securing €1 billion.

(1) Asset impairment in Q2 2012 on Greece and in Q4 2011 on Western Europe and the Emirates, restructuring charges, and one-time gains in 2011 on Gypsum divestments

Bruno Lafont, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge, said:

"We have delivered on our objectives for 2012 and our results grew for the fifth consecutive quarter, driven by strong operational performance and growth in emerging markets which generated close to 60% of our sales.
We are progressing fast and I am convinced that we will deliver most of our 2012-2015 plan to generate €1.75 billion additional EBITDA through cost reduction and innovation measures by the end of 2014, close to one year ahead of our initial objective. We target to deliver €650 million additional EBITDA from these measures in 2013.
Whilst we adopt a cautious stance on the current market environment, our actions will drive net debt reduction to below €10 billion as soon as possible in 2013.
Going forward we will continue to extract the full potential of our uniquely diversified portfolio of high quality assets, selectively investing in organic growth in our core markets. All our actions strive towards growth in sales, earnings, return on capital employed and cash flows and my priority is to maximize value creation for our shareholders".

The slides for the analyst presentation
The press release
The slides for the journalist presentation
The audiocast
The financial report

Successful trial for new generation low carbon cement

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:47:33 GMT

Lafarge has successfully completed an industrial trial for Aether®, its new generation clinker formulated for lower carbon cements.

The trial mobilized a team of around 100 people over a 10-day period at the Group's plant in Le Teil, France. It allowed the production of 10,000 tons of Aether® clinker, confirming the feasibility of industrial-scale production using traditional raw materials. The launch of the first Aether® products is planned for 2014.

Aether®, a new clinker formulation to reduce the carbon footprint of cement

The result of several years of research by Lafarge R&D teams, Aether® is a new generation clinker, the basic component of cement. Aether® cements offer similar properties to ordinary Portland Cement and can be produced in traditional cement plants after minor process adjustments, for a lower overall environmental footprint.

Aether® is a new chemical composition for clinker which should allow a 25 to 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions, thanks to:

reduced limestone content in the raw mix,
a lower temperature (~1300°C) during the burning process,
easier grinding, using less energy.

This development project has received the support of the European Union as part of its LIFE+ Programme, a financial instrument to support environmental projects.

Lafarge has been working to reduce its CO₂ emissions for over 20 years, using alternative fuels, cementitious additives and improving energy efficiency at its plants. Project Aether shows Lafarge's determination to go even further in reducing its CO₂ emissions. This project will contribute to the Group's objective to reduce these emissions by 33% per ton of cement by 2020, as part of its Sustainability Ambitions 2020.

Notes to editors: Innovation, a strategic priority

Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of 15.3 billion euros.

Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, in order to develop materials to respond to customer needs, but also breakthrough solutions to meet tomorrow's challenges. Lafarge devotes 130 million euros to innovation each year, half of which goes towards research into reducing environmental footprint.

To know more about Project Aether
The press release

Lafarge sells aggregates assets in Georgia (USA) for a total enterprise value of $160 M

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 06:01:25 GMT

Lafarge announces it has signed binding agreements for the sale of 6 aggregates quarries in Georgia (USA) for a total enterprise value of $160 M.

These assets represent less than 1% of our sales in North America in 2011.

These transactions are subject to relevant approvals.

With these divestments in a region where Lafarge is present only through its aggregates operations, the Group pursues its strategy of focusing on most promising geographic areas where we have integrated positions.

The US market remains a priority for the Group where it intends to accelerate the development of its innovative products and services. Our US operations consist of 9 cement or grinding plants and associated cement terminals, with a combined capacity of 11 million tons, in particular in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River regions, as well as related aggregates and concrete businesses in these markets.

Notes to editors

Lafarge
Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of 15.3 billion euros.

Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

The press release

Lafarge announces the creation of a joint venture with Elementia to combine their cement assets in Mexico

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:49:16 GMT

Lafarge announces it has reached an agreement with Elementia to combine their cement assets in Mexico. Lafarge will bring its two plants of Vito and Tula for a total capacity close to 1mT, while Elementia will contribute the new 1mT plant it is currently building in central Mexico. This combination will significantly strengthen Lafarge's position in Mexico. The transaction, which involves no cash and is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in H2 2013, pursuant to the start up of the new plant of Elementia.

The new joint venture formed will be 47% held by Lafarge and 53% by Elementia, which will consolidate the JV's financial results fully. The JV will therefore be incorporated by Lafarge as an equity affiliate.

Notes to editors

Lafarge
Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of 15.3 billion euro.

Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

Elementia
A Mexican consortium that brings together leading companies in the construction and industrial sectors, to provide high-tech solutions in the fields of cement, concrete, polyethylene, styrene and copper. Elementia consists of four divisions: Metals, Construction systems, Plastic and Cement.

It has a commercial presence in over 40 countries in the Americas and Europe, with more than 5,000 distribution points.

The press release

Lafarge and Anglo American announce the completion of their 50:50 joint venture, creating the UK’s leading construction materials company

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:50:20 GMT

Lafarge and Anglo American announce the completion of their 50:50 joint venture which combines their cement, aggregates, ready-mix concrete, asphalt and asphalt surfacing, maintenance services, and waste services businesses in the United Kingdom. The joint venture will be known as Lafarge Tarmac and begins trading today.

Completion of the Lafarge Tarmac joint venture follows final clearance from the UK Competition Commission, predicated on the completed sale of a portfolio of Tarmac and Lafarge construction materials operations in the UK, which occurred today. The agreed sale of Tarmac's 50% ownership interest in Midland Quarry Products is subject to a right of pre-emption in favour of Hanson Quarry Products Europe Limited and, as a result, the completion of this transaction is pending.

The Lafarge Tarmac combination is expected to generate synergies of £60 million through improving operational logistical and purchasing efficiencies and the introduction of value-added products across a wider geographic area.

Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: "We have successfully united two high quality and complementary UK businesses to create the leading UK construction materials company, with high quality assets, two experienced management teams, and a portfolio of well-recognised, innovative brands."

Bruno Lafont, Chairman & Chief Executive of Lafarge, said: "The closing of this transaction and the creation of a new British construction materials champion reinforce Lafarge's ongoing commitment to the UK market and its efforts to continuously improve its offering to customers, as well as playing a full role in developing the infrastructure needed for a growing economy."

As announced on 23 November 2012, the Lafarge Tarmac leadership team includes Jamie Pike as Non-Executive Chairman, Cyrille Ragoucy as CEO and Guy Young as CFO.

Notes to editors:

Lafarge Tarmac Limited represents a joint venture with a leading portfolio of construction materials assets in the UK, which comprises of over 330 operational and functional locations in total: four cement plants and one integrated lime and cement plant with an associated rail depot network, 152 aggregates quarries, 81 fixed ready-mix concrete plants (excluding mobiles), 75 asphalt plants, a range of joint venture interests with third parties as well as a significant waste service business.

Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of 15.3 billion euros. Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

Anglo American is one of the world's largest mining companies, is headquartered in the UK and listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. Anglo American's portfolio of mining businesses spans bulk commodities - iron ore and manganese, metallurgical coal and thermal coal; base metals - copper and nickel; and precious metals and minerals - in which it is a global leader in both platinum and diamonds. Anglo American is committed to the highest standards of safety and responsibility across all its businesses and geographies and to making a sustainable difference in the development of the communities around its operations. The company's mining operations, extensive pipeline of growth projects and exploration activities span southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America, Asia and Europe.

www.angloamerican.com

The press release

Lafarge UK/Tarmac Joint Venture appoints Chairman, CEO and CFO

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 10:54:14 GMT

Lafarge SA and Anglo American plc announce the appointments of their 50:50 UK joint-venture's Chairman, CEO and CFO.

Jamie Pike is appointed as Non-Executive Chairman, Cyrille Ragoucy as CEO and Guy Young as CFO of the joint-venture which will combine Tarmac's and Lafarge's cement, aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt and asphalt surfacing and maintenance services, and waste services businesses in the United Kingdom.

The appointments are subject to the completion of the joint-venture and it is anticipated that the joint-venture will commence operations in early 2013 once final clearance is received from the Competition Commission.

The joint-venture creates a leading UK construction materials company, with a portfolio of high quality assets drawing on the complementary geographical distribution of operations and assets, the skills of two experienced management teams and a portfolio of well-known and innovative brands. The joint-venture's complementary geographical and product portfolios are also expected to create a business optimally positioned to benefit from economic recovery.

Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive of Anglo American, and Bruno Lafont, Chairman and Chief Executive of Lafarge said: "We welcome Jamie Pike as the Joint Venture's Chairman, Cyrille Ragoucy as CEO and Guy Young as CFO of the Joint Venture, a new business which brings together two high quality and complementary UK businesses to create a compelling new industry proposition through which we expect to unlock significant value. Jamie brings more than 20 years of experience from an array of industrial and manufacturing business, providing strong balance to the impressive management team drawn from both businesses."

Notes to editors

Jamie Pike (57) is Non-Executive Chairman of Lupus Capital plc, a leading international supplier of building products to the door and window industry, RPC Group PLC, a leading international supplier of rigid plastic packaging and MBA Polymers Inc, a private US plastics recycling business. He was Chief Executive of Foseco plc, an international business serving the foundry and steel making industries, until its acquisition by Cookson Group plc in April 2008. He led the buy-out of Foseco from Burmah Castrol in 2001, which culminated in flotation on the main market in 2005. He has previously been a Non-Executive Director of two FTSE 250 companies, RMC Group plc and Kelda Group plc and a Chairman of the Defence Support Group. His early career was as a consultant with Bain and Co and A T Kearney before joining Burmah Castrol in 1991. He rose to Chief Executive of Burmah Castrol Chemicals before leading the Foseco buy-out. Mr Pike was educated at Oxford, holds an MBA from INSEAD and is a Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

Cyrille Ragoucy (56) is Senior Vice President Health and Safety for Lafarge. From 2005 to 2009, he was CEO and Regional President for Lafarge's cement operations in China ("Lafarge Shui On Cement"), at the formation of this joint-venture, which he successfully led during its forming and expanding phases. During this period, he was responsible for 25 plants and 10,000 people. Prior to this, he was Regional President for Aggregates, Concrete, Asphalt and Paving for Lafarge in Eastern Canada (1999 to 2005). Cyrille Ragoucy joined the Lafarge group in 1998 as VP Cement Strategy for Lafarge North America.

Guy Young (43) has been CFO of Tarmac for the last two years, with responsibility for Tarmac's financial, IT and legal operations, as well as the pre-integration planning for the joint venture. Guy has been with Anglo American for 15 years in a variety of roles, including CFO of Scaw Metals, Group Procurement and within the CEO's Office. Guy was educated at The University of Cape Town and qualified as a chartered accountant after doing articles at Deloitte.

Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of 15.3 billion euros.
Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

Anglo American is one of the world's largest mining companies, is headquartered in the UK and listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. Anglo American's portfolio of mining businesses spans bulk commodities - iron ore and manganese, metallurgical coal and thermal coal; base metals - copper and nickel; and precious metals and minerals - in which it is a global leader in both platinum and diamonds. Anglo American is committed to the highest standards of safety and responsibility across all its businesses and geographies and to making a sustainable difference in the development of the communities around its operations. The company's mining operations, extensive pipeline of growth projects and exploration activities span southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America, Asia and Europe.
www.angloamerican.com

The press release

Sale of a portfolio of Tarmac and Lafarge construction materials operations in the UK to Mittal Investments generating cash of up to £285 Million

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:30:13 GMT

Lafarge SA and Anglo American plc announce they have agreed to sell a portfolio of Tarmac and Lafarge construction materials operations in the UK and Tarmac's 50% ownership interest in Midland Quarry Products Limited (MQP) to Mittal Investments, the private investment vehicle of the Lakshmi N. Mittal family. The consideration paid by Mittal Investments for the assets is £272 million including up to £30 million contingent on the performance of the underlying assets over the next three years. In addition, an estimated amount of £13 million relating to working capital of the divested assets not transferring with the business will be released as funding to the newly formed joint venture between Lafarge and Tarmac.

The divestments, which are conditional upon regulatory approval, comprise:

a cement plant in Hope, Derbyshire, with a capacity of 1.4 million tonnes, and related depots;

a network of 172 ready mix concrete plants;

five aggregates quarries, two asphalt plants, one marine aggregates wharf and one rail-linked aggregates depot;

the sale of Tarmac's 50% ownership interest in MQP, which is also subject to regulatory approval and a right of pre-emption in favour of Hanson Quarry Products Europe Limited.

The sale of these assets is the principal condition to receiving final clearance from the Competition Commission for the formation of a 50:50 joint venture, which will combine Tarmac's and Lafarge's cement, aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt and asphalt surfacing and maintenance services, and waste services businesses in the United Kingdom (the "JV").

Completion of the JV is expected in early 2013 and once established, it will create a new, leading UK construction materials company, with a portfolio of high quality assets, drawing on the complementary geographical distribution of operations, the skills of two experienced management teams, and a portfolio of well-recognised, innovative brands.

The transaction announced today is a major step towards the finalisation of this joint venture. A further announcement will be made in due course.

Notes to editors

Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

Anglo American is one of the world's largest mining companies, is headquartered in the UK and listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. Anglo American's portfolio of mining businesses spans bulk commodities - iron ore and manganese, metallurgical coal and thermal coal; base metals - copper and nickel; and precious metals and minerals - in which it is a global leader in both platinum and diamonds. Anglo American is committed to the highest standards of safety and responsibility across all its businesses and geographies and to making a sustainable difference in the development of the communities around its operations. The company's mining operations, extensive pipeline of growth projects and exploration activities span southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America, Asia and Europe.
www.angloamerican.com

The press release

Results as of September 30, 2012

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:53:04 GMT

Positive trends continue with third quarter
Sales up 4% and Current Operating Income up 9%

Third quarter key figures

Sales up 4% to € 4,393m
EBITDA up 6% to € 1,071m
Current operating income up 9% to € 815m
Excluding restructuring charges and one-time gain in 2011, net income group share improved 13% to € 330m (€ 1.15 per share)

Year-to-date key figures

Sales up 5% to € 12,007m
EBITDA up 7% to € 2,594m
Current operating income up 12% to € 1,837m
Excluding asset impairment, restructuring charges, and one-time gain in 2011, net income group share improved 14% to € 642m (€ 2.24 per share)

Group highlights

Sales increased for the quarter and year-to-date, driven by successful price actions across all product lines to respond to cost inflation and by growth in many emerging markets.
EBITDA and current operating income rose substantially for both periods presented despite a slowdown in Europe. Operations outside of Europe generated three-quarters of the Group's EBITDA and rose 16% in the quarter and 20% year-to-date.
EBITDA margins improved 50 basis points in both periods presented to 24.4% for the quarter and 21.6% year-to-date, up 130 basis points year-to-date and 140 in the quarter when excluding carbon credit sales.
The Group achieved €290 million of cost savings through end of September, €120 million in the third quarter, and is on track to reach at least €400 million for the full year.
Net income Group share declined due to restructuring charges, an impairment recorded in second quarter 2012, and a higher base comparison due to a one-off gain in the third quarter 2011. Excluding these items, net income Group share improved 14% year-to-date.
Net debt declined €2.1 billion from September 30, 2011 and €350 million in the quarter. Close to €500 million of divestments have been secured to date(1) and the Group remains committed to securing €1 billion of divestments before year-end.

(1) Of which €117miilion have been received in cash at the end of September, with remaining proceeds being expected before year-end.

The financial report
The press release
The slides for the analyst presentation
The webcast

Carlos Espina appointed as Director of Research and Development of the Lafarge Group

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:15:16 GMT

Carlos Espina has been appointed as Director of Research and Development of the Lafarge Group, with effect from October 1st, 2012.

Mr Espina was formerly Chief Executive Officer, ArcelorMittal Méditerranée, a position he had held since July 2009.

He began his career in the United Kingdom as a Researcher at AEA Technology. In 1995 he joined the R&D Centre of Aceralia Corporación Siderúrgica as Manager of the Product Applications Engineering Department, before becoming Vice President of Intellectual Property, knowledge management and artificial intelligence upon the merger with Arcelor in 2002. Within the Arcelor Mittal Group, he successively held the positions of Vice-President in charge of R&D, Europe, and Vice-President in charge of R&D, Automotive.

Carlos Espina will be based at Lafarge's Research Centre near Lyons, which is the world's leading construction materials research laboratory with more than 250 researchers of 12 different nationalities.

He has a degree from Oviedo College of Mines, Spain.

A photograph can be provided on request

Notes to editors

Lafarge
Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of 15.3 billion euros.

Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the first global sustainability benchmark, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

The press release

Lafarge sells Cement, Aggregates and Concrete assets in Missouri and Oklahoma (USA) for $446M

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 07:22:48 GMT

Lafarge announces the sale of cement, concrete and aggregates assets in Missouri and Oklahoma to Eagle Materials Inc. for $446M.

The assets sold include cement plants in Kansas City (Missouri), and Tulsa (Oklahoma) having a total cement capacity of 1.6 million tons, along with associated cement terminals. Lafarge is also selling its ready-mix concrete and aggregates operations in Kansas City.

Lafarge is one of the leading suppliers of the US market where it intends to pursue and accelerate the development of its innovative products and services.

After completion of this transaction, subject to regulatory approval, the US operations will consist of 9 cement or grinding plants and associated cement terminals, with a combined capacity of 11 million tons, as well as leading positions in aggregates and concrete.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Lafarge
Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of 15.3 billion euros.

Eagle Materials
Eagle Materials Inc. manufactures and distributes Cement, Aggregates, Concrete, Gypsum Wallboard and Recycled Paperboard from 25 facilities across the U.S. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Additional information is available on the Website at www.eaglematerials.com

The press release

Lafarge concrete is the perfect match for architectural daring at the Louvre

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 07:41:11 GMT

A new cutting-edge architectural structure is to open to the public after five years of construction work; designed to showcase the museum's treasures of Islamic art, the new project is located in the Visconti courtyard, at the very centre of the Louvre.
Lafarge has worked in close partnership with the architects to supply the most appropriate materials for the structure, hailed as the most significant museum expansion project since the Louvre's great Pyramid.

Lafarge's CEO Mr Bruno Lafont comments:
"We are delighted to be involved in the new Islamic Arts wing; the wealth and diversity of culture in the treasures it showcases are a perfect reflection of Lafarge values. Architects Rudy Ricciotti and Mario Bellini have succeeded in creating a contemporary structure which enhances the cultural heritage surrounding it. The new wing is a genuine architectural feat, owed to the innovative use of concrete. The staircase which links the two exhibition levels, constructed in a single pouring of black concrete, is a particular achievement, both from an artistic and a technical point of view. "

Concrete as the material of choice, for its structural and aesthetic qualities

Concrete has been used throughout this project, in perfect harmony with the stone of the Louvre.

All walls are entirely coated in a 6cm deep Agilia® black concrete facing, thus adding depth to the space and providing a better backdrop for the collection.
Also in black concrete is the monumental 16 metre long staircase linking the lower ground and ground floor levels. As well as enhancing the smooth flow of the space, the monolithic staircase is a work of art in itself. Its construction presented a technical challenge: the self-placing qualities of Lafarge Agilia® concrete enabled it to be injected from the base in one single pouring.
Agilia® was also used for the 12 columns supporting the floor.
Ductal®, Lafarge's ultra-high performance fibre-reinforced concrete, was the material of choice for the staircase steps and risers to provide added resistance (6 to 8 times more resistant than traditional concrete).
Ductal® was also used in the manufacture of the frame supporting the Mamluk Porch, one of the major pieces of the collection, and in the corridors which link the new space to the museum are other galleries.

Lafarge has enjoyed a close partnership with the Louvre for over 15 years and is a patron of this new wing.

Key figures

16 months on site
5,800 m³ of concrete supplied
a staircase 16 m long and 13 m³ in volume
128 m³ of inner walls in black Agilia® concrete (equivalent to 2,140 m²)

General Information
Lafarge is a world leader in building materials and its core businesses of Cement, Aggregates and Concrete hold top ranking positions in their respective markets. Through its network of 68 000 employees across 64 countries Lafarge is deeply committed to wider local cultural involvement. The company invests in iconic projects at the heart of its activities, such as the renovation of the ancient Erbil Citadel in Iraq, or the restoration of Eileen Gray's Villa in the South of France. Through its close association with the national Fondation du Patrimoine, the Group has also contributed to the safeguarding and rehabilitation of France's unprotected rural heritage (including churches, towers, communal wash houses etc.).

Since 1995, Lafarge has been actively engaged in scientific collaboration with the Louvre, through the work its research centre carries out on materials for the benefit of heritage restoration. In the 90s, the research centre thus created an exceptionally resistant material similar to gypseous alabaster in order to create a reproduction of an Assyrian winged bull from Khorsabad housed in Chicago, which is currently on show in the Louvre.

Supported by its world leading research centre on construction materials, Lafarge focuses on innovation across its activities for the benefit of sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

The press release

Results as of June 30, 2012

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:16:06 GMT

Positive trends confirmed: sales up 5% and Current Operating Income up 11% in the second quarter
Strong cash generation and cost savings measures on track

Second quarter key figures

Sales up 5% to € 4,261m
EBITDA up 8% to € 1,007m
Current operating income up 11% to € 755m
Excluding asset impairment and restructuring charges, net income Group share was stable at € 294m (€ 1.03 per share)

First-half key figures

Sales up 5% to € 7,614m
EBITDA up 8% to € 1,523m
Current operating income up 15% to € 1,022m
Excluding asset impairment and restructuring charges, net income Group share improved 15% to € 312m (€ 1.09 per share)

Group highlights

Sales increased for the quarter and year-to-date, driven by successful price actions across all product lines to respond to cost inflation.
The Group achieved €170 million of cost savings in the first-half, €100 million in the second quarter, and is on track to reach at least €400 million for the year.
EBITDA and current operating income rose in the quarter and year-to-date, driven by double digit growth in Middle East and Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America. Margins also improved both in the quarter and the first-half, up 130 basis points when excluding carbon credit sales.
The Group recorded a non-recurring charge of €200 million in the second quarter for the impairment of Greek assets and recorded €148 million of restructuring charges in the first-half to implement its cost savings initiatives.
Net income Group share decline impacted by asset impairment and restructuring charges. Excluding these charges, net income group share and earnings per share improved 15% year-to-date.
Net debt of €12.5 billion reduced by €1.7 billion from June 30, 2011, and strong liquidity further improved through the issuance in July of €675 million mid-term bonds with no financial covenants and interest rates below 6 percent.

Bruno Lafont, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge, said:

"Economic conditions remain challenging for many parts of the world and we remain prudent on our outlook. But even in a lower growth volume environment, our actions to generate sales growth and cash, and to improve returns, led to a third consecutive quarter of positive trends.

These actions will continue as we implement cost savings of at least €400 million in 2012, drive sales growth and higher margin products and services through innovation, and extract more out of our assets with strict capital discipline. We confirm our objective to secure at least €1 billion of divestments this year as part of improving returns and reducing net debt to less than €10 billion as soon as possible in 2013."

Outlook

Overall the Group continues to see cement demand moving higher and maintains its estimated market growth of between 1 to 4 percent in 2012 versus 2011. Emerging markets continue to be the main driver of demand and Lafarge benefits from its well balanced geographic spread of high quality assets.

We expect higher pricing for the year and that cost inflation will increase at a lower rate than in 2011.

Consolidated accounts as of June 30, 2012

The Board of Directors of Lafarge, chaired by Bruno Lafont, met on July 26, 2012 and approved the accounts for the period ended June 30, 2012. Further to their limited review of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Lafarge, the auditors have established a report which is included in the half-year financial report.

The financial report
The press release
The audiocast
The slides for the analyst presentation

Lafarge achieves a 5 1/2 year 175 million euros bond issuance

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 01:07:33 GMT

Lafarge announces that it has achieved a EUR 175 million notes private placement with a 5 ½ year maturity and a fixed annual coupon of 5%, under its Euro Medium-Term Note (EMTN) Program.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Located in 64 countries with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of 15.3 billion euros.
For the second year in a row, Lafarge ranked amongst the top-10 of 500 companies evaluated by the "Carbon Disclosure Project" in recognition of their strategy and actions against global warming. With the world's leading building materials research facility, Lafarge places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.

The press release

Lafarge: Press releases

Lafarge raises €200M to accelerate its development in India

Shareholders' Meeting - May 7, 2013

Results as of March 31, 2013

Lafarge sells its cement plant in Ukraine for €96M

"Building better cities" An ambition driving our innovation

Lafarge: Availability of the 2012 Registration document (Document de référence)

Lafarge: Combined General Meeting on May 7, 2013 Availability of preparatory documentation - Governance and Dividend

Results as of December 31, 2012

Successful trial for new generation low carbon cement

Lafarge sells aggregates assets in Georgia (USA) for a total enterprise value of $160 M

Lafarge announces the creation of a joint venture with Elementia to combine their cement assets in Mexico

Lafarge and Anglo American announce the completion of their 50:50 joint venture, creating the UK’s leading construction materials company

Lafarge UK/Tarmac Joint Venture appoints Chairman, CEO and CFO

Sale of a portfolio of Tarmac and Lafarge construction materials operations in the UK to Mittal Investments generating cash of up to £285 Million

Results as of September 30, 2012

Carlos Espina appointed as Director of Research and Development of the Lafarge Group

Lafarge sells Cement, Aggregates and Concrete assets in Missouri and Oklahoma (USA) for $446M

Lafarge concrete is the perfect match for architectural daring at the Louvre

Results as of June 30, 2012

Lafarge achieves a 5 1/2 year 175 million euros bond issuance

"Building better cities"
An ambition driving our innovation

Lafarge: Combined General Meeting on May 7, 2013
Availability of preparatory documentation - Governance and Dividend