Aggregate is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geo-synthetic aggregates.

LafargeHolcim Bangladesh commenced commercial production of clear-size graded aggregate last Saturday, the company said in a filing on the DSE.

The aggregate is graded limestone chips having uniform size and shape conforming to international standards, it said.

The company has set up the crushing unit with ancillary equipment on the premises of its existing integrated clinker and cement manufacturing plant in Chhatak, Sunamganj.

It has the capacity to produce 12 lakh tonnes of clear-sized graded aggregate per annum. It invested Tk 40.1 crore, which came from the company's own fund, the disclosure added.

The annual demand for clear-sized aggregate is around 1.5 crore tonnes and Bangladesh relies on imports from the countries such as India, Bhutan, Vietnam, Oman and the UAE for supply. 

Thanks to the manufacturing unit, LafargeHolcim Bangladesh will capture about 2 per cent share of the aggregate market.

"We hope that the foray into the aggregate market will enhance the company's earnings," said Munna Rayhan, a stock investor.

"LafargeHolcim Bangladesh aims to transform into a building material solutions provider with the addition of aggregates as a value-added building material," said Thuhidul Islam, manager for external communications of the company.

The company has started commercial production of clear-sized graded aggregate conforming to international and Bangladesh standards from January 9, he said.

By producing aggregates, LafargeHolcim Bangladesh will help the country save foreign exchange, Islam added.

On January 7, LafargeHolcim, the world's biggest cement maker, announced a $3.4 billion deal to buy Firestone Building Products from Japan's Bridgestone Corporation in its biggest acquisition in more than a decade.

Firestone Building Products, based in the United States, is a leader in commercial roofing and building envelope solutions, with net sales of $1.8 billion.

"This acquisition is a milestone in LafargeHolcim's transformation to become the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions," the company said on its website.