Cement giants bring in London agencies for deal

by David Quainton , PR Week UK 13-Dec-07, 09:30

The world’s largest cement maker and an Egyptian rival have both turned to London agencies for help with a £6.4bn merger.

Paris-based Lafarge is using M:Communications for its approach for Orascom Construction Industries’ cement division. Orascom has brought in Brunswick for its side of the deal.

The deal will see Orascom shareholder Nassef Sawiris take an 11.4 per cent stake in Lafarge and have a seat on its board. Lafarge said buying Orascom Cement would give it a leading position in the Middle East and Mediterranean basin region.

M: co-founder Hugh Morrison acted for Lafarge in its 1997 bid for Redland, when the current Lafarge CEO Bruno Lafont was CFO of the business. M: was brought in to support the group on its M&A activity.

Separately, M: has advised on two of the biggest IPOs of the year – Kazakh miner ENRC, and wind-turbine manufacturer Hansen Transmissions International.

The deals, completed in the past week, raised nearly £1.7bn and have a combined market capitalisation of nearly £9bn. Both are listed on the London Stock Exchange.

ENRC is the world’s biggest producer of ferrochrome, and the sixth-largest iron ore exporter. It is the largest metals and mining IPO on the LSE this year.

Belgium-based Hansen shares rose 24 per cent on its first day of trading, taking the market capitalization to around £1.4bn.

‘The company will fund its manufacturing expansion through the construction of integrated manufacturing facilities in India and China,’ said Hansen in a statement.