Lafarge wishes to strengthen its positions in Mexico, bastion of its local rival Cemex and an alluring market, one of the world’s 15 largest, with a strong growth potential, the head of Lafarge Mexico, Maximo Dolman, said.

Lafarge, which stepped in Mexico at end-1999 taking over a local company with a one per cent market share, will complete at end-2005/beginning 2006 the construction of a new cement plant with initial capacity for 600,000t of grey cement, Dolman explained.  Lafarge has invested US$120m in this new unit in Tula, the Hidalgo State, northern Mexico, the capacity of which could double in the future, he added.  With a two per cent market share in Mexico, Lafarge stands far behind local giant Cemex, holding a 52 per cent share, Holcim-Apasco, with about 30 per cent, and another Mexican company Cruz Azul, with a 15 per cent stake. Published under Cement News