KUALA LUMPUR (May 24): Lafarge Malaysia Bhd is "well-positioned" to face intense competition in the construction materials industry, said its president and chief executive officer Thierry Legrand.

At a media briefing after the cement manufacturer's annual general meeting today, Legrand said Lafarge has the capability to produce high-value cement and concrete that are not widely available in the industry.

Therefore, he is of the view that there is certainly a niche market demand in the industry, particularly infrastructure projects that require Lafarge's product.

"We are well-positioned, on top of our merger with Holcim (M) Sdn Bhd, which gives us an edge with the wider network and cost savings; we are ready for more intense competition," he said.

Lafarge had in November last year completed the acquisition of Holcim from PT Holcim Indonesia for RM325.5 million, ramping up Lafarge's annual installed cement capacity to 14.14 million metric tonnes (MT), from 12.95 million MT before the acquisition.

Legrand said Lafarge currently has two integrated cement plants, one grinding station, over 40 ready-mix concrete batching plants and six aggregate quarries.