Holcim

---

title: "Holcim" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1912-establishments-in-switzerland", "cement-companies-of-switzerland", "companies-based-in-zug", "manufacturing-companies-established-in-1912", "swiss-brands", "holcim-group", "swiss-companies-established-in-1912", "2015-mergers-and-acquisitions", "companies-formerly-listed-on-the-six-swiss-exchange"] description: "Swiss building materials and aggregates company, division of the Holcim Group" topic_path: "geography/switzerland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holcim" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Swiss building materials and aggregates company, division of the Holcim Group ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

Field	Value
name	Holcim
logo	LogoHolcim2021.svg
type	Division
foundation
location_city	Zug
location_country	Switzerland
key_people	{{ubl
industry	Building materials
products	Cement, construction aggregate, concrete
revenue	CHF 16.3 billion (2024)
operating_income	CHF 4.577 billion (2023)
net_income	CHF 3.176 billion (2023)
assets	CHF 52.69 billion (end 2023)
equity	CHF 26.78 billion (end 2023)
num_employees	63,448 (2023)
parent	Holcim Group
::

| name = Holcim | logo = LogoHolcim2021.svg | type = Division | foundation = | location_city = Zug | location_country = Switzerland | locations = | key_people = {{ubl |Miljan Gutovic (CEO) |Kim Fausing (chairman) | area_served = | industry = Building materials | products = Cement, construction aggregate, concrete | fate = | successor = | services = | revenue = CHF 16.3 billion (2024) | operating_income = CHF 4.577 billion (2023) | net_income = CHF 3.176 billion (2023) | assets = CHF 52.69 billion (end 2023) | equity = CHF 26.78 billion (end 2023) | num_employees = 63,448 (2023) | divisions = | parent = Holcim Group | subsid = | caption = | homepage = | footnotes = Holcim is a Swiss-based global building materials and aggregates flagship division of the Holcim Group. The original company was merged on 10 July 2015 with Lafarge to form LafargeHolcim as the new company and renamed to Holcim Group in 2021. The Holcim brand remained active within the group when the merger was completed.

Founded in 1912, the company expanded into France and Europe and the Middle East during the 1920s. They expanded in the Americas during the 1950s and went public in 1958. The company continued to expand in Latin America and added Asian divisions during the 1970s and 1980s. A series of mergers and buyouts made Holcim one of the two largest cement manufacturers worldwide by 2014, roughly tied with rival Lafarge. In April 2014, the two companies agreed to a US$60 billion "merger of equals". The company was the market leader in cement production in Australia, Azerbaijan, India, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Latin America.

Overview

Holcim is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, and operates in 45 countries worldwide. They employ over 48,300 people. (the UK), and Holcim Apasco (Mexico). The company operates two business segments: building materials (decarbonized cement, circular aggregates) and building solutions (energy-efficient building systems, high performance concrete & surfacing).

Holcim is the cement market leader in Australia, Azerbaijan, India, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Latin America. It is among the top few producers throughout Europe and Asia. Globally, Holcim and Lafarge are the two largest producers in terms of sales as of 2014.

In 2024, Holcim announced its plans to add 1,000 units of the battery-electric truck from Mercedes-Benz Trucks to its European fleet, with both companies signing a joint letter of intent for this purpose. The volume represents the most significant planned single order for the eActros 600, which has contributed to the achievement of the sustainability goals of both companies.

Also, in 2024, Holcim announced plans to spin off its North American business, listing the North American business with a full capital market separation. On 23 June 2025, the company completed this process, with the listing of Amrize. Holcim will remain listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and will execute its strategy NextGen Growth 2030 unveiled in March 2025.

History

Foundation and development

Holcim was founded by Adolf Gygi in 1912 as "Aargauische Portlandcementfabrik Holderbank-Wildegg". The original headquarters were in Holderbank, (Lenzburg district, Canton of Aargau). In 1914, the company merged with "Rheintalischen Cementfabrik Rüthi" owned by Ernst Schmidheiny. Schmidheiny took over leadership duties and began the company on a course of expansion.

In 1922, Holderbank, as the company was then known, expanded beyond the Swiss borders into France. Schmidheiny continued to expand, primarily by buying stakes in existing companies. By the end of the decade Holderbank held stakes in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Egypt. Positions in Lebanon and South Africa soon followed. Schmidheiny died in the 1930s and his sons, Ernst Jr. and Max, took over the business, splitting it into two divisions. Ernst took over the Holderbank building materials business, while Max oversaw the other lines. This organization scheme remained in place until the 1970s.

After World War II, Hans Gygi, son of Adolf Gygi, took over leadership. He oversaw the company during the Swiss housing boom of the 1950s, and as Holderbank expanded into Canada, then throughout North and South America. The company went public in 1958 in order to raise more capital to fuel further expansion. Hydroelectric projects in Switzerland generated large concrete contracts, offsetting losses in Egypt when the country's government nationalized Holderbank's factories.

During the early 1970s, growth in Brazil and Mexico improved the company's bottom line. The Schmidheiny brothers convinced shareholders that the company should consolidate holdings and merge with Schweizerischen Cement-Industrie-Gesellschaft. The combined company had annual revenue of 800 million Swiss francs and established Holderbank as one of the industry's largest companies worldwide. The oil crisis of 1973 hit the industry hard as construction demand dried up in much of the world. Strong markets in Lebanon and South Africa allowed Holderbank to weather the storm. By 1976, revenue and profits had returned to pre-crisis levels.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Holderbank continued its expansion in Latin America and expanded into Asia and Spain for the first time. Thomas Schmidheiny took over leadership, overseeing the company as in expanded into Eastern Europe and experienced a boom in Spanish construction preceding the 1992 Summer Olympics. By 1986, Holderbank was the world's largest cement manufacturer. In the 1990s, the company consolidated its European holdings as the American market drove growth. Expansion into Eastern Europe and Russia continued.

In 2001, the company changed its name from "Holderbank Financière Glaris" to Holcim (short for Holderbank ciment). Asia drove growth in the 2000s, as the company saw more than 50% of its business come from emerging markets. In 2005, Holcim purchased Aggregate Industries for US$4.1 billion, entering the United Kingdom for the first time. That year, the company also expanded into India by acquiring a stakes in The Associated Cement Companies (ACC) and Ambuja Cement Eastern. In 2008, Holcim became the largest shareholder of China's Huaxin Cement with a 40% stake. In 2009, they acquired Cemex Australia.

In December 2025, it was announced that Holcim had acquired Thames Materials in the United Kingdom and A&S Recycling GmbH in Germany, and agreed to acquire a recycler in Northwest France. The three companies, with a combined capacity of about 1.3 million tonnes of construction and demolition materials annually.

In February 2012, Bernard Fontana became the first CEO of Holcim that was not part of the founding families.

Merger with Lafarge

On 7 April 2014, Holcim and Lafarge announced they had agreed to terms on a "merger of equals" valued at nearly $60 billion. The merger entails 10 Lafarge shares being converted into 9 Holcim shares. Holders of 86% of Lafarge shares accepted this offer in June 2015, according to Holcim, meaning that the merger would proceed. The new company would be based in Switzerland and have a manufacturing capacity of 427 million tons a year, which would vastly exceed the 227 million ton capacity of current industry leader Anhui Conch.

Analysts said the deal could lead to further mergers within the industry and give competitors a chance to pick up assets at a bargain price.

On 1 December 2024, Holcim announced that it would sell its 83.8% stake in Lafarge Africa Plc to China's Huaxin Cement for $1 billion, a move seen as part of Holcim's strategy to focus on high-growth regions and sustainable business practices. The sale would be finalized by 2025, pending regulatory approvals.

References

References

1. (14 April 2025). "Holcim spin-off of North American business planned for June". Reuters.
2. (18 March 2025). "International Cement Review - News, Events & Training".
3. ICR Research. (24 October 2011). "Corporate profile – Holcim". Cemnet.
4. (2024-01-29). "Holcim Relies on the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600".
5. (2024-01-28). "Holcim Intends to List North American Business in the US".
6. Revill, John. (2025-06-23). "Cement maker Holcim completes $30 billion North American spin-off". Reuters.
7. (2025-03-28). "Analyse zum Kapitalmarkttag: So tickt Holcim nach der Abspaltung von Amrize".
8. "About us: History". Holcim.
9. "Holcim history 1912-2012". Holcim.
10. Lloyd-Perks, Alfie. (2025-12-03). "Holcim makes three acquisitions to accelerate circular construction in the UK, Germany, and France".
11. "Lafarge S.A.: Public Exchange Offer Completed Successfully".
12. David Jolly. (7 April 2014). "Antitrust Hurdles Loom Large for Giant Cement Merger". New York Times.
13. "Holcim Integrated Annual Report 2023 Summary". Company.
14. AriseNews. (2024-12-02). "Holcim Exits Nigerian Market After 65 Years, Sells Lafarge Africa to Huaxin Cement for $1bn".
15. (28 February 2024). "Holcim 2023 Integrated Annual Report".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::