In January, Lafarge North America announced it will cut 97 jobs at its Marietta, Ga. offices by March 15, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. Company officials said the cuts at the corporate management level are related to the company's acquisition of Blue Circle Industries in September 2001. The Marietta offices were the former headquarters of Blue Circle's U.S. operations.

Lafarge also announced the acquisition of Neward, N.J.-based Continental Gypsum, an independent drywall manufacturer with an annual capacity of more than 300 million sq ft. The purchase price for the plant and other assets is about $90 per thousand sq ft of annual capacity, or $27 million. This acquisition strengthens Lafarge's presence in the Northeast market and reinforces its existing position in the New York City area, the single largest metropolitan drywall market in the world. The purchase also complements Lafarge's new state-of-the-art gypsum drywall manufacturing plants in Silver Grove, Ky., and Palatka, Fla., which serve the North Central and Southeast markets.