Lafarge is present in Romania on the cement segment, which accounts for the biggest share of its sales, and on the concrete and aggregate market. Its main competitors locally are Germany’s HeidelbergCement and Switzerland’s Holcim.
Lafarge and Holcim, the recently announced they would merge and create the largest global cement maker with an annual turnover estimated at $40 billion. To get antitrust clearance, the two companies will have to sell several assets, including in Romania.
Worldwide, Lafarge sales declined 2% in the first quarter, to EUR2.6 billion. The group also posted a net loss of EUR135 million from a loss of EUR117 million in the first quarter of 2013.
Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) stood at EUR343 million from EUR342 million in the same period the year before.