Holcim Group

Holcim Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a building materials and solutions company in the Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and North America. It operates through four segments: Cement, Aggregates, Ready-mix Concrete, and Solutions & Products. The company offers cement, hydraulic binders, clinker, and other cementitious materials; aggregates, such as crushed stone, gravel, and sand; and ready-mix concrete, precast concrete products, asphalts, and mortars. 

In addition, it engages in the provision of contracting and other services; retail activities, as well as waste management services. Its products are used in infrastructure projects, such as roads, mines, ports, dams, data centres, stadiums, wind farms, and electric power plants; building projects comprising individual housing, collective housing, office buildings, industrial and commercial buildings, and public buildings; and affordable housing. The company was formerly known as LafargeHolcim Ltd and changed its name to Holcim Ltd in May 2021. Holcim Ltd was founded in 1833 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

On 7 April 2014, Lafarge and Holcim announced a merger project to create LafargeHolcim. With a combined market value exceeding $50 billion, the merger was the second largest announced worldwide in 2014. On 10 July 2015, the two companies completed the merger and created LafargeHolcim. On 15 July 2015, the new LafargeHolcim Group was officially launched. In June 2016, Le Monde reported that Lafarge paid taxes to ISIS middlemen from 2013 to 2014 to keep using their factory in Jalabiya, Northeastern Syria. On 2 March 2017, the Board of Directors of LafargeHolcim issued a statement indicating that the measures required to continue operations at the plant were unacceptable.

A comprehensive and independent investigation revealed significant errors in judgment that were inconsistent with the company's code of conduct and the company took action. There have been significant changes and developments made to the compliance program and infrastructure since the time of the alleged misconduct.

The former CEO, Eric Olsen, resigned in April 2017 because of the "strong tensions" incurred by the news. However, an investigation conducted by Baker McKenzie concluded Olsen was not responsible for the payments. In an interview with the French newspaper Figaro, Beat Hess, chairman of the board said: "Unacceptable errors were made that the Group regrets and condemns. It's far easier to say this in hindsight but the Group certainly pulled out of Syria too late. All of this should have been avoided” Meanwhile, Sherpa filed a lawsuit against Lafarge over the payments. 

In March 2017, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault criticized Lafarge Holcim for competing to build the wall on the border of Mexico–United States border promised by President Donald Trump. They were also criticised by presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron. In May 2017, Jan Jenisch was appointed as the new CEO of LafargeHolcim Group. In March 2018, Jan Jenisch announced a new strategy, Strategy 2022 – ‘Building for Growth’, which aims to drive profitable growth and simplify the business to deliver resilient returns and attractive value to stakeholders.

In May 2018, LafargeHolcim announced the next steps in the simplification of the corporate organization. The corporate management positions in Switzerland will be moved to the company's Holderbank site and a new corporate office in Zug. In January 2019, LafargeHolcim completed the sale of its 80.6% stake in PT Holcim Indonesia Tbk, its Indonesian cement business, to Semen Indonesia Group for US$1.41 billion. During the summer, of July 2019, LafargeHolcim introduced Plants of Tomorrow, a four-year program that will see the utilization of automation technologies and robotics, artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance and digital-twin technologies across their entire cement production process. 

In August 2019, the firm announced a "commercial breakthrough for low-carbon cement", Solidia Concrete, which "reduces the overall carbon footprint in precast concrete by 70%". Later in the year, in the Fall of 2019, LafargeHolcim announced the allocation of 160 million Swiss francs on 80 projects across Europe to cut annual emissions from its cement manufacturing processes by 15% by 2022. In September 2020, LafargeHolcim joins the Science Based Targets initiative “Business Ambition for 1.5°C” becoming the first global building materials company to sign the pledge with intermediate targets for 2030, validated by SBTi. 

On May 4, 2021, shareholders voted on changing the company name back to Holcim. The new identity of the company was launched on July 8, 2021. This name change applies only to the group company name with all market brands remaining in existence.

In September 2021, Holcim reached an agreement to sell its Brazilian cement business to Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional at an enterprise value of US$1.025 billion. In May 2022, Adani Group acquired Holcim's stake in Ambuja Cements and ACC for US$10.5 billion. The sale marked Holcim's exit from India after 17 years of operations as part of a strategy to focus on core markets.

Mission statement: "To build progress for people and the planet. We work with the world's most challenging and impactful building projects, driven by innovation, sustainability, and digitalization."

Holcim's mission and vision statement reflect its commitment to sustainable building practices and environmental stewardship. The company aims to provide innovative building solutions that help create a healthier and more sustainable world. Holcim is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact, increasing energy efficiency, and promoting sustainable practices throughout its operations. 

Vision statement: "We are shaping a greener, smarter, healthier world. With innovative building solutions and technologies, we are creating the conditions for people, nature, and the economy to thrive."

Through digitalization and innovation, Holcim is striving to create new and innovative building solutions that meet the evolving needs of its customers and contribute to a more sustainable future.

The company offers products such as cement, aggregates, dry mix mortars, and speciality products. Its cement products comprise Holcim Solido, Holcim Excel, Holcim WallRight, Holcim Aqua X, and Holcim ECOPlanet.