French cement maker enters exclusive talks to buy Cemex's concrete and aggregates operations across the Rhône valley and Mediterranean coast, with closing targeted by year-end
French cement maker Vicat said Thursday that it has entered exclusive negotiations to buy the ready-mixed concrete and aggregates businesses that Mexico's Cemex operates in southeastern France. The companies have not disclosed a price.
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| Vicat is in exclusive talks to acquire Cemex's ready-mixed concrete and aggregates operations in southeastern France. |
The deal would cover three Cemex subsidiaries: Cemex Granulats Rhône Méditerranée, Cemex Béton Rhône Alpes and Cemex Béton Sud Est. Together they run 48 concrete plants and nine aggregate quarries, along with related services and stakes in certain joint ventures. The sites are spread across the Rhône valley and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region, including the Mediterranean arc between Marseille and Nice.
Why Vicat wants the assets
Vicat says the operations would fit alongside its existing locations in neighboring markets, filling gaps in its regional network. The company expects the combination to produce industrial, commercial and logistical benefits, particularly in connection with its cement business.
Vicat also said the purchase would help it speed up the rollout of lower-carbon products. Owning the concrete operations would give it more control over how low-carbon concrete is formulated and over the additions used in making it.
Vicat Chairman and CEO Guy Sidos described the move as consistent with the company's strategy of selective growth. He said it also reflects confidence in a recovery of the French market. In a statement, he said the assets sit in an attractive location, along the Rhône corridor and the Riviera, and complement Vicat's current sites. He added that the deal would bring the company closer to its customers while helping it advance its lower-carbon offerings.
Timeline and approvals
Vicat and Cemex have signed a preliminary memorandum of understanding. Under it, staff representative bodies will be consulted, and the two companies will keep talking over the coming weeks to finalize the contract documents.
The transaction is expected to close before December 31, 2026. It still needs clearance from the competent competition authority under merger control rules.
New debt target
Alongside the announcement, Vicat revised its financial leverage goal for 2026 and 2027. Leverage, which compares net debt with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), fell from 2.8 times at the end of 2022 to 1.5 times at the end of 2025, according to the company.
Vicat now aims for a ratio of 1.3 to 1.5 times over 2026 and 2027, which it says takes the acquisition into account and leaves room for smaller "bolt-on" deals. A newswire report noted that the company had earlier aimed for a ratio of 1 or less by the end of 2027, subject to possible acquisitions.
About Vicat
Vicat is listed on Euronext Paris, is part of the SBF 120 index and is mainly controlled by its founding family. It operates in 12 countries across cement, ready-mixed concrete and aggregates, and employs about 10,500 people. The company reported consolidated revenue of 3.854 billion euros for 2025 and has set a goal of carbon neutrality across its value chain by 2050.