Lafarge & Holcim - Clash of the titans? No more.

What was once an unthinkable combination was on April 4, 2014 sparsely confirmed by Lafarge and Holcim in respective press statements: the two were indeed considering a merger of equals. On April 7, 2014 the companies triumphantly confirmed the move after the boards approved the transaction over the weekend, in one fell swoop radically redesigning the world of cement as we know it.

After less than three months of negotiations, on April 4, 2014 Holcim and Lafarge confirmed that they are discussing a merger of equals, building on ÔÇ£common strengths and identities.ÔÇØ What once seemed an implausible scenario would, if it materialized, fundamentally redraw the global map of the industry. The impact would be seen not only in the cement segment of course, but also in the ready-mix and aggregates segments, as well as in the wider supply-chain.

Read the rest of the article in the India Cement & Construction Materials Journal, Issue 17.