Lafarge has signed an agreement with Jamaica Pre-Mix Ltd. to create a new joint venture based in Kingston, Jamaica. This strategic alliance is part of Lafarge's latest efforts in North America to maintain and expand its infrastructure to offer increased value and service to meet growing customer needs.

The joint venture, to be named Jamaica Aggregates Limited, will be owned and operated by Lafarge and by Jamaica Pre-Mix. Under the terms of the agreement, Jamaica Pre-Mix will contribute its aggregate operations to the venture, and Lafarge will make a contribution towards development and operations. The joint venture will operate four quarries and employ 60 to 70 staff members who currently work at Jamaica Pre-Mix.

"This venture is well-positioned to further enhance Lafarge's leadership by bringing together the world-class technical expertise of Lafarge and the extensive experience and established reputation of Jamaica Pre-Mix," said Ken MacLean, President, Eastern United States Aggregates & Concrete Region. "We will leverage our complementary strengths and believe this will be a highly successful venture given the high standards of operation exhibited to date."

He also noted that, over the next several months, the Jamaica Pre-Mix and Lafarge teams will structure their operations accordingly to provide the same high quality products and services that their customers expect.