OREANDA-NEWS. LafargeHolcim today officially launches the new Group around the world and announces key elements of its ambitions for the future. Following the successful completion of the merger between Lafarge and Holcim and the listing of the new LafargeHolcim shares in Zurich and Paris, the new Group will now work towards creating the highest performing company in the building materials industry.

LafargeHolcim CEO Eric Olsen says: “Now as LafargeHolcim, we will step into the next phase of our transformation to become the leader in every respect – a company that has a positive impact on the world and can make a real difference for its customers, its employees, its shareholders and society.”

LafargeHolcim’s new ambition supported by five key focus areas The company is initiating a strategic transformation by building on the best of both Lafarge and Holcim. The Group will now focus on five areas in the first integration phase:

• Synergies: delivering on EUR 1.4 billion synergy target within three years
• Capital allocation: rigorous approach to capital allocation and overall reduction of capital spending
• Commercial transformation: creating differentiation through innovative products and solutions
• Integration: creating one new group and culture
• Health and Safety: putting Health and Safety at the center of the organization.

LafargeHolcim will be organized along a new operating model oriented to serve the local customers, while leveraging the Group’s size, footprint, and capabilities at global scale. It combines empowered countries, regional management platforms and expertise-driven group functions.

Results for first half year of Holcim and Lafarge to be presented at the end of July

LafargeHolcim will present the financial results of Lafarge and Holcim as standalone companies for the first half of this year on July 29, 2015. The first combined interim results of the new Group will be presented for the 9 months results of 2015.

About LafargeHolcim

With a well-balanced presence in 90 countries and a focus on Cement, Aggregates and Concrete, LafargeHolcim (SIX Swiss Exchange, Euronext Paris: LHN) is the world leader in the building materials industry. The Group has 115,000 employees around the world and combined net sales of CHF 33 billion (EUR 27 billion) in 2014. LafargeHolcim is the industry benchmark in R&D and serves from the individual homebuilder to the largest and most complex project with the widest range of value-adding products, innovative services and comprehensive building solutions. With a commitment to drive sustainable solutions for better building and infrastructure and to contribute to a higher quality of life, the Group is best positioned to meet the challenges of increasing urbanization.