Following its US$700 million 2001 purchase of the North American assets of France's Lafarge (now known as Canada's St. Marys Cement), Brazil's leading cement maker, Votorantim Cimentos, recently formed a US$100 million joint venture with Florida-based construction firm Anderson Columbia to control Suwannee American Cement of Branford, Fla., which just recently celebrated the startup of its first cement plant.

This move comes while Votorantim is finalizing plans to restructure its management to support its international expansion and plans for growth. The company restructured four business units: Brazilian cement, concrete and aggregates, industrial lime, and international businesses and acquisitions.