Lafarge Cement UK is moving its headquarters from Chilton in Oxfordshire to new purpose-built premises at the NEC, Birmingham. The firm yesterday said the offices would also serve as a showcase for "sustainable construction in cementitious materials". The building will be developed by West Midlands firm Stoford Developments on a site immediately adjacent to the NEC, Birmingham International Railway Station and Birmingham International Airport. Stoford has already applied for planning permission for the 60,000 sq ft landmark office development. Construction is expected to start later this year and the building should be ready for occupation in the second half of 2007.
Lafarge also said it is moving the office, where some 100 employees are based, to create a more efficient operation in a building suited to its current needs, centrally located to its UK network. Lafarge Cement UK managing director, Jean-Francois Sautin said: "This is a really important development for the business. It is fundamental to transforming the way the company works together and will help to ensure a strong future for Lafarge as the leading cement manufacturer in the UK.
