Holcim and Lafarge obtain merger clearances in the United States and Canada paving the way to closing their merger

Lafarge and Holcim have received final approval for their proposed merger from the competition authorities in the United States and Canada.

All competition approvals necessary for closing the transaction have now been obtained ahead of the expected closing in July 2015.

Following the regulatory assessment in all key jurisdictions, Holcim and Lafarge can now present a final list of divestments to satisfy regulatory requirements (See appendix).

These divestments remain subject to the completion of the merger, including a successful public exchange offering to Lafarge’s shareholders and approval by Holcim’s shareholders.

About Holcim

Holcim is a global leader in the manufacture and distribution of cement and aggregates (crushed stone, gravel, and sand), as well as other activities, including ready-mix concrete, asphalt, and associated services. The company holds majority and minority shareholdings in some 70 countries and on every continent. In 2014, Holcim recorded net sales of over 19.1 billion Swiss francs. Thanks to our market-oriented structures, product innovations, skilled employees and efficient environmental management systems, Holcim is in a strong position now - and for years.

More information is available on Holcim website site: www.holcim.com

About Lafarge

A world leader in building materials, Lafarge employs 63,000 people in 61 countries, and posted sales of €12.8 billion in 2014. 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. 

APPENDIX

The two companies are divesting the following assets in Europe to CRH:

• France: in metropolitan France, all of Holcim’s assets, except for its Altkirch cement plant and aggregates and ready-mix sites in the Haut-Rhin region, and a grinding station of Lafarge in Saint-Nazaire; Lafarge’s assets on Reunion island, except for its shareholding in Ciments de Bourbon
• Germany: Lafarge’s assets
• Hungary: Holcim’s operating assets
• Romania: Lafarge’s assets
• Serbia: Holcim’s assets
• Slovakia: Holcim’s assets
• United Kingdom: Lafarge Tarmac assets with the exception of its Cauldon and Cookstown plants and certain associated assets

The two companies are divesting the following assets in the rest of the world:

• Canada: Holcim’s assets (Buyer: CRH presented as buyer)
• Brazil: assets from both Holcim and Lafarge, which include 3 integrated cement plants and 2 grinding stations (with a total of 3.6 Mt annual cement capacity), as well as some ready-mix plants located in the Southeastern region of Brazil. (Buyer: CRH)
• India: Lafarge’s Sonadih cement plant and Jojobera grinding station (with a total of approximately 5 Mt annual cement capacity) in Eastern India. (Buyer: divestment process ongoing)
• Mauritius: Holcim’s assets (Buyer: to be determined)
• The Philippines: the shares of Lafarge Republic, Inc. (LRI) from, and other specific assets of, the major shareholders namely Lafarge Holdings Philippines, Inc., South Western Cement Ventures, Calumboyan Holdings, Inc., and Round Royal, Inc.), except LRI's (i) investment in Lafarge Iligan, Inc., Lafarge Mindanao, Inc. and Lafarge Republic Aggregates, Inc., (ii) Star Terminal at the Harbour Center, Manila, and (iii) other related assets. (Buyer: CRH)
• United States:
• Lafarge’s 1.1MT Davenport cement plant (Iowa) and 7 terminals along the Mississippi River (Buyer: Summit Materials)
• 3 Holcim terminals in Michigan and Illinois (Buyer: Buzzi Unicem)
• Holcim’s Skyway 600kt slag grinding station in Illinois (Buyer: Eagle Materials)
• Holcim’s Camden 700kt slag grinding station in New Jersey, along with a terminal in Massachusetts (Buyer: Essroc/Italcementi)
• Holcim’s Trident cement plant (Montana) and 5 terminals in the Great Lakes Region (Buyer: CRH presented as buyer)

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.