LAFARGE NORTH AMERICA reports that fourth-quarter earnings reached an all-time high as underlying demand for building materials remained strong and favorable weather conditions extended construction activity through the end of December. For the final three months of 2001, the company posted net income of $82.0 million ($1.12 per share on a diluted basis). This compared with net income of $58.9 million ($0.81 per diluted share) in the fourth quarter of 2000. It was the second straight quarter in which Lafarge posted a year-over-year profit improvement, partly compensating for a slow start to 2001. For the full year, Lafarge earned $234.1 million ($3.21 per diluted share), compared with net income of $257.4 million ($3.51 per diluted share) in 2000. Net sales for the most recent quarter rose 24% to $808.7 million from $650.7 million last year. For all of 2001, Lafarge posted record revenue of $3.32 billion, up 19% from the prior year.

In the cement division, mild weather in the final three months of the year contributed to a climb in shipments of 9% to 878,000 tons from Lafarge's Canadian cement operations, with Ontario and Quebec accounting for most of the increase. U.S. cement shipments advanced 15% to 2.8 million tons as demand was strong in most of the company's market areas.

In the fourth quarter of 2001, Lafarge's cement operations recovered most of the earnings shortfall experienced through the first nine months of the year, when operating results trailed 2000 by about $16 million. For the full year 2001, the cement segment had operating income of $313.9 million compared with $318.3 million in 2000. Revenue increased slightly in 2001 to $1.24 billion from $1.22 billion the previous year. The company's average net selling price per ton of cement finished the year 3.6% higher than in 2000 in Canada, but fell slightly short of the previous year in the U.S. Cement sales volumes for the year improved by 2% to 14.4 million tons. Volumes were up 4% in Canada and 2% in the U.S.

CIMENTS FRANÇAIS reports that consolidated sales for full-year 2001 totaled US$2,428 million, an increase of 5.9% as compared to 2000 (4% at constant size and exchange rates). Those figures include the company's proportion of Zuari Cement sales incorporated at the beginning of 2001, but not Suez Cement, the participation of which was acquired at the end of the financial year. For the cement division alone, 2001 sales of US$1,600 million mark a 6.8% increase over 2000 (or 4% at comparable size and exchange rates).