The world's third-largest cement company, Mexico's Cemex, announced in early March that it had launched a campaign to target retail investors in rapidly growing investor communities throughout the United States.

Cemex's financial management team chose Denver as the first stop on its U.S. investor tour based on the city's marked performance as an increasingly burgeoning business hub.

This initiative represents the first time a multinational company based in Latin America has launched a program targeting retail investors in the United States. During the first phase of the program, company executives will discuss the company's growth opportunities in targeted cities, such as Denver, Miami, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

As a result of Cemex's geographic diversification strategy, the company's operating cash flow has grown at a comYen annual rate of 26% for the last 10 years. With 1999 net sales close to US$5 billion and more than US$1 billion in net profits, Cemex moved from No. 28 to No. 3 in the global cement industry in just 10 years.