Lafarge

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Lafarge
Image:Lafarge.png
Type	Public (Euronext: LG, NYSE: LR)
Founded	1833
Headquarters	Paris, France
Key people	Bruno Lafont, Chairman and CEO
Industry	Cement
Revenue	€ 16,909 million (2006)
Operating income	€ 2,772 million (2006)
Employees	circa 71,000 (2006)
Website	www.lafarge.com

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^[1].

The offices of Lafarge North America are in Herndon, VA.^[2]

1 History
2 Financial Data
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

Lafarge was founded in 1833^[3] 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.

In 1864 Lafarge signed its first international contract for the delivery of 110,000 tonnes of lime to the Suez Canal construction project^[3]. It developed calcium aluminate cements. 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."

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^[3].

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^[4].

In 2007, divested its roofing division, selling it to a private equity group in a deal that resulted in Lafarge retaining a 35% equity stake^[3].

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)^[5].

[edit] Financial Data

The following is a summary of data:^[6]

**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