LafargeHolcim Côte d’Ivoire
Cementing the Nation
Innovation and meeting customer demands in cement production
Africa’s construction industry is substantial. Despite much downturn in other nations, Ivory Coast has been enjoying a decade of high
GDP growth resulting in tangible and visible changes throughout the sectors, including construction. This period of high growth has paved the way for the construction of numerous buildings, both for housing and infrastructure, and therefore increased the demand for cement continually.
Although, this demand has been revealed as a double-edged sword. The rise in consumer purchasing and resulting attraction in Ivory Coast’s construction industry has caused the arrival of numerous cement plants across the nation. As a consequence, the sector has a major over capacity causing prices to deteriorate.
“Despite this, it is exciting to contribute to the positive changes such as the increased provision of housing,” begins Xavier Saint-MartinTillet, Head of West Africa Cluster at LafargeHolcim.
An internationally spanning construction company, LafargeHolcim is a worldwide provider of a multitude of construction materials including cement, aggregates, ready-mix concrete and a variety of building solutions.
LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast is one of the many African continental branches that provide such products and services throughout the country. With its factory based in
the economic capital of Abidjan, LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast has been operating since 1952, proudly contributing to the development of the country through its brand Ciment Belier - one used for the construction of major infrastructure and buildings nation-wide.
“Over the years, we have developed a wide range of products to offer an efficient solution to main cement applications,” Xavier elaborates.
“We believe that we must contribute to the improvement of the construction industry by offering products with a positive impact on quality and productivity. As an example, our last product Superbric is designed to build more robust and cheaper bricks.”
Superbric is the most resistant product within the range of those from LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast, it hardens in 24 hours, and is multi-purpose with regard to construction uses.
Amongst its services, LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast can also list the palletisation of cement bags which protects them from humidity during transportation in rainy seasons, and the company’s unique mobile concrete laboratory that brings assistance to customers regarding their use of company products directly on-site.
“Our client base embraces all types of clients in the construction industry, from major international companies doing business across Ivory Coast, to any individual citizen that is looking for quality, fit-for-purpose and affordable cement,” Xavier explains.
Serving its customers to a higher standard consequently made LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast’s products available everywhere in the country. This has been realised through the development of a franchise network called Binastore; one of the largest networks in the building materials retail sector in the Middle East and Africa, bringing added value to customer construction projects. LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast has more than 150 franchisees in all the regions, which brings its cement closer
to the end users, alongside other construction products available in those shops.
“Our ambition cannot become a reality without the commitment of a competent and devoted team delivering at its best. We count more than 350 permanent and subcontracted staff working on our facilities,” Xavier tells us.
“People are at the heart of our strategy; as part of a global group, LafargeHolcim Côte d’Ivoire is benefitting from the expertise of an international company to develop world-class competencies amongst its employees.”
LafargeHolcim is a key player in the international construction sector, yet it maintains its position as a professional and quality provider of products and services through its subsidiaries throughout the world.
LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast boasts a unique range of such products and services, and its ability to innovate allows the company to lead the way in the cement production industry.
“Our brand Ciment Belier has a