February 2003

Bamburi sets up building center

LA FARGE, a leading producer of construction materials that owns 75% of Bamburi Cement Limited recently unveiled a resource center for the construction industry.
Known as the Building Information Center for the construction industry it will provide information to homebuilders, architects, engineers, contractors, developers and homebuyers. Based at Allbid House on Mombasa road in Nairobi, the center is a great milestone for Bamburi as it is the first of its kind in Africa. It will be open to the public from Tuesdays to Saturdays and aims to have enrolled 1000 members in its first year of operation.
The company’s managing director Didier Tresarrieu says many people find home building a difficult process, which is why Bamburi decided to ease access to information. They hoped to reverse this by providing answers and tips that would make building a pleasant experience.

Lafarge open Building Information Centre

World leader in construction materials Lafarge – principal shareholder of Bamburi Cement – has opened a Building Information Centre, a resource centre offering a wealth of information fro home builders, architects, engineers, contractors, developers and home buyers. In line with Lafarge’s mission of bringing greater safety, comfort and aesthetic appeal to everyday life, the Building Information Centre will ease access to vital construction industry information, says Jeremy Brown, the centre’s General Manager.

The first of its kind in Africa, the Building Information Centre is housed in Allbid House off Mombasa road, Nairobi and fully equipped with top of the range resources – international books, periodicals on interiors and architecture, a computerized database of experts, a collection of video cassettes and Compact Discs as well as specially compiled guides. The centre, which opened its doors to members of the public in November 2002, operates Tuesday through to Saturdays, and anticipates enrolling approximately 1,000 members in both professional and general categories during its first year of operations.

According to Bamburi Cement Limited Managing Director Didier Tresarrieu, Lafarge is committed to delivering world-class products and a relevant range of solutions and services to Kenyan homebuilders, “Through an extensive research conducted in Kenya, it is evident that thousands of would-be homeowners find homebuilding a difficult process and lack access to information that would help them make correct choices. We hope to reverse this by offering answers and tips that will make homebuilding a pleasant experience”, he says.

Lafarge is the world’s leading producer of building materials. The group holds top-ranking positions in each of its four divisions: Cement, Aggregates and Concrete, Roofing and Gypsum.

Founded in 1833, Lafarge operates in 75 countries, with a combined workforce of 83,000 in 2,226 industrial sites. The company is listed on the Paris, London, Frankfurt and New York stock exchanges. In 2001, group sales amounted to Euro 13.7 billion.

Lafarge presence in Africa is highlighted by its operations in Western, Southern and Eastern Africa. Locally the group has a 73% shareholding in Bamburi Cement Limited.

One of the guests at the cocktail launch peruses the landscaping and interior décor section, which is equipped with an assortment of books and periodicals from diverse parts of the world.