Holcim
Encyclopedia
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and aggregates
Construction Aggregate
Construction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined material in the world...
(crushed stone, sand and gravel). The company also supplies ready-mix concrete and asphalt including associated construction services.
Holcim Group
The Holcim Group holds majority and minority interests in more than 70 countries on all continents. From its origins in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the Group has grown into a global company with market presence in over 70 countries on all continents. The Group employs some 90,000 people. Holcim initiated production of cement in 1912 in the village of Holderbank
Holderbank, Aargau
Holderbank is a municipality in the district of Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Archeological discoveries indicate that the area around Holderbank has been occupied since the Neolithic era. Discoveries include; individual items from both the Neolithic and Bronze Ages,...
, (Lenzburg district
Lenzburg (district)
Lenzburg District is a district of the Canton of Aargau in Switzerland, lying at the center of the canton. The district capital is the town of Lenzburg. It has a population of .-Geography:...
, Canton of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
, ca. 40 km from Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
) and used the name Holderbank AG until 2001 when they changed it to Holcim from Holderbank and ciment. It is currently (2009) the second largest cement manufacturer in the world, just behind Lafarge
Lafarge
Lafarge is a French industrial company specialising in four major products: cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard. In 2010 the company was the world's second-largest cement manufacturer by mass shipped behind Holcim.-History:...
.