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Lafarge Cement UK has a history stretching back to 1900 when 27 small, mainly Kent based, cement manufacturers and their subsidiaries merged to form the
Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (1900) Ltd. These companies had produced cement using bottle, beehive and chamber kilns over the previous 40-50
years. With the introduction of the more efficient rotary kiln, however, production methods became far more efficient, making consolidation and mergers
inevitable.
In 1919, the company dropped the "1900" from its name, having begun a process of establishing interests initially in Mexico, Canada and South Africa.
The famous Blue Circle brand was first introduced in 1928. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, further operations were established in New Zealand,
Australia, Nigeria, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Spain, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Kenya, Tanzania and Brazil.
As the company entered the second half of the 20th century, it became one of the first to make up the FT30 Index, being listed on the London Stock Exchange
on November 3rd 1953.
The famous brand name was adopted as company name - Blue Circle Industries PLC - in
the late 1970s. The 80's and 90's saw development of further worldwide interests, most notably in the United States.
In 2001 Blue Circle Industries was taken over by the Lafarge group
to become part of the world's leading producer of cement and building materials. Indeed, Lafarge holds market leading positions worldwide in each of its
four business divisions, Cement; Aggregates and Concrete; Roofing; and Gypsum.
The UK cement-making operation changed its company name to Lafarge Cement in early 2002, but retains the famous Blue Circle brand of cement which it makes and markets nationwide.
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