South Korea: The South Korean private equity fund Glenwood Private Equity will join with Hong Kong-based private equity fund Baring Private Equity Asia to buy Lafarge Halla Cement from LafargeHolcim for US$455m, according to investment bank sources.
According to investment bank industry sources on 11 February 2016, Glenwood PE, a preferred bidder of Lafarge Halla Cement, has notified LafargeHolcim that it selected Baring Private Equity Asia as a joint takeover partner. The group will decide whether to give a final nod to the acquisition proposal ahead of its shareholders’ meeting scheduled in March 2016.
Glenwood PE will likely establish a strategic partnership with a local cement company after it buys Lafarge Halla Cement. The possible cement companies include Sungshin Cement Co. with a 12.9% market share as of 2014 or Hanil Cement, which had a 13.6% market share in 2014. The combined market share of Lafarge Halla Cement (12.1%) with either of the cement companies would top the 19.8% share held by the current South Korean market leader Ssangyong.
