11 minute read
LafargeHolcim Côte d’Ivoire
Cementing the Nation
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
Ivory Coast construction is a competitive industry. We spoke to LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast about the company’s various products, services, and its place in the sector
Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Josh Mann
For what’s ahead
To name a few, Allianz will offer customers and employees the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay in Beijing in 2022 and Allianz will as well offer sports camps. TheseThese camps will help awaken young people's interest in the spirit and values of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements by giving them the opportunity to learn about various sports activities, make friendships and learn from the athletes. In addition, Allianz will support the Olympic and Paralympic Movements through tailored insurance solutions and services.
AFRICA OUTLOOK: Can you tell us how you came to work in the construction industry?
XAVIER SAINT-MARTIN-TILLET:
“I gained an engineering degree from Êcole Centrale Paris, and I started to work as a Process Engineer. I had chosen to work for Lafarge Ivory Coast because I had enjoyed the interviews that helped me gain an insight into the company and its operations. Since then, I have very much enjoyed the journey. It has exposed me to various cultures, different business environments and has offered me the opportunity to work alongside brilliant teams of people. And from a base point of view, I like the purpose of our industry: enabling people to build their houses, and aiding communities in the development of infrastructure.” Laboratory
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
ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS
LafargeHolcim is reinventing how the world builds for people and the planet.
On its way to becoming a net zero company, it is accelerating green construction by joining the net zero pledge with science-based targets.
LafargeHolcim’s commitment includes:
• Setting itself ambitious 2030 climate targets that are validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
• Accelerating its reduction in CO2 intensity to exceed 20 percent (compared to our 2018 baseline).
• Partnering with SBTi looking beyond 2030, to support the development of the first climate targets for a 1.5°C future in the cement sector.
COMPANY BUILDING BLOCKS TO NET ZERO
LafargeHolcim is taking a holistic approach on its journey to net zero; from shaping the plants of tomorrow with automation and artificial intelligence, to accelerating green solutions such as ECOPact green concrete. 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
Ascoma
THE EXPERTISE OF ASCOMA IVORY COAST
Established in Abidjan since 1961 Ascoma is the leading insurance broker in Ivory Coast.
Ascoma Ivory Coast benefits from the support and the expertise of Ascoma network, international group of insurance brokerage, which has been active in Africa for over 60 years and now present in 21 countries.
Ascoma Ivory Coast makes its experience and expertise available to all its clients, individuals, retailers, professionals, small and mediumsized businesses and major industrial companies.
As the other subsidiaries in the group, Ascoma Ivory Coast has created a specific department devoted to healthcare expenditure management. With a modern unique concept, Ascoma Ivory Coast supplies and provides an effective management and control service that guarantees access to healthcare for all beneficiaries, even the destitute.
Ascoma in Africa
+ 30 establishments
+ 600 collaborators
+ 500,000 beneficiaries for health solutions
+ 3,500 healthcare service providers
+ 70 doctors
www.ascoma.com
strong connection to our customers,” Xavier tells us proudly. “It is part of Côte d’Ivoire history as it is also the nickname of the first President of the Republic, Felix Houphouët-Boigny.
“As a company we differentiate ourselves through our employees; a young and knowledgeable Ivorian team dedicated to serving our customers. We believe that we need to differentiate our offers in the context of severe competition. This is why, over the past five years, we have designed specific services to enable our customers to be efficient in their active ordering and purchasing.”
LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast’s product delivery is a key component of what its customers expect. The company needs to be efficient in its cost management, scheduling, and with safety performance.
Digital tools offer solutions to organise journeys, monitor their activities, and provide transporters and drivers with feedbacks on their performance and behaviours. In light of this, innovation will enable the company to improve its services to customers.
This is no better exemplified than LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast’s exclusive mobile app eBelier, which allows the company’s customers to order cement directly from their mobile phones and follow that order up until
LC Packaging
Our purpose is supporting your products
LC Packaging West Africa is the branch of a Dutch family owned company. LC Packaging operates in the packaging industry since 1923. We specialise in the production and distribution of high quality packaging solutions for the safe, reliable and protective transportation of bulk goods.
Quality is more than just the strength of our packaging. It is about the materials we use, the service we provide and the way our packaging is produced. We have our own FIBC production facilities in Africa, Asia and Europe. This allows us to run very flexible production processes, delivering tailor made packaging solutions to a wide range of customers throughout Africa. Our packaging is not only designed for the effortless, efficient and cost effective transportation of your materials, but also offers great marketing possibilities through our printing options. We are always near and thanks to our supply chain expertise in various African countries, we can deliver products in a timely fashion, even to remote or difficult to reach areas. We can even hold clients’ stock in our warehouses.
Our global network and local approach enables us to always respond to your individual needs. We aim to be a leader in sustainability by including all stakeholders in our journey to provide sustainable packaging solutions while minimising the impact on the environment and the waste of valuable packaging materials. We are also continuously developing ways to enrich the communities in which we (in)directly operate. Contact our packaging experts to find the best flexible packaging solution for your products!
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its delivery. Presently, 70 percent of the company’s orders are done so digitally; a welcome surprise that has exceeded expectations.
On top of this, LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast has made significant investments towards its industrial equipment in the last few years. The company installed a new cement mill in 2017 that increased its production capacity from 1.5 to 2.5 metric-tonnes per year.
“In addition, we are currently commissioning a clinker silo with a capacity of 70,000 tonnes,” Xavier informs us.
“The clinker will be conveyed directly from the port to the silo through systems of elevators and bands. This will result in large decrease the traffic of trucks dedicated to the transportation of raw materials into the warehouses. We have also added local raw materials into the production process, thus creating more value locally, and creating new jobs.”
LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast is planning to launch a white cement during the course of 2021; the first locally produced in the whole of the West African region.
As a socially responsible company, LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast aims to give back to the environment and local communities. The company strives to connect itself with the communities that it interacts with, and empowers them through mutually beneficial relationships.
“In line with this, we have deployed several projects that focus on the areas of education, employability, health, environment, and infrastructures,” Xavier states proudly.
“An example on the topic of health, during the COVID-19 outbreak we have delivered various materials to communities living around our facilities including hospitals. This includes protection equipment, cleaning materials and a respirator.
“We are also helping to improve the employability of young people in ways such as the financing of professional training for non-qualified young men and women or offering of internships to young graduates.”
And when it comes to developing infrastructure to benefit communities, LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast has recently installed a water pumping station in Sokouamekro village (at the centre of the country), providing drinking water to a population of 1,500 people.
“Into the future, we want to harvest of all the investments and innovations that we have developed over the last years,” Xavier tells us. “It will result in an improved market share and higher volumes.
“We also want to keep innovating to offer better and more numerous solutions to our customers. Next to come will be our white cement.”
LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast is moving into the future with innovation, communities and customers at the heart of its company operations. With a set plan for the years ahead, it is safe to say that the company is one to watch in the market.
Tel: +225 27 21 75 51 33 serviceClients-civ@lafargeholcim.com www.lafargeholcim.ci
