CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) announced today that its 49.9% owned
Ready Mix USA LLC joint venture has completed the sale of 12 active
quarries and certain other assets to SPO Partners & Co. for U.S.$420
million. The active quarries, which consist of 2 granite quarries in
Georgia, 9 limestone quarries in Tennessee, and 1 limestone quarry in
Virginia, are operated by Ready Mix USA LLC and were deemed non
strategic by Cemex and Ready Mix USA LLC, its joint venture partner.
The proceeds from the sale will be partly used to reduce debt held by
Ready Mix USA LLC, and to effect a cash distribution of approximately
U.S.$100 million to each joint venture partner, including CEMEX. CEMEX,
which does not consolidate the results of Ready Mix USA LLC, expects to
use its cash proceeds from this divestment to reduce outstanding debt
and to enhance its liquidity position.
This asset divestment marks another milestone in CEMEX’s efforts to
regain its financial flexibility. Other such milestones include the
completion of the refinancing of U.S.$15 billion of CEMEX’s outstanding
debt and the issuance of close to U.S.$2.3 billion in notes, including
the U.S.$500 million raised last month. Additionally, CEMEX has raised
U.S.$2.2 billion in equity and mandatorily convertible securities and
sold its Australian operations to Holcim for U.S.$1.7 billion.
CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high-quality
products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than
50 countries throughout the world. CEMEX has a rich history of improving
the well-being of those it serves through its efforts to pursue
innovative industry solutions and efficiency advancements, and to
promote a sustainable future. For more information, visit www.cemex.com.
SPO Partners & Co. is a San Francisco-based investment partnership that
makes concentrated, long-term investments in public and private
companies. Investing with a time horizon that frequently exceeds ten
years, SPO invests across a wide range of industries including basic
materials, media, telecom, energy, power and real estate.
This press release contains forward-looking statements and
information that are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and
assumptions. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance,
or achievements of CEMEX to be materially different from those expressed
or implied in this release, including, among others, changes in general
economic, political, governmental and business conditions globally and
in the countries in which CEMEX does business, changes in interest
rates, changes in inflation rates, changes in exchange rates, the level
of construction generally, changes in cement demand and prices, changes
in raw material and energy prices, changes in business strategy, and
various other factors. Should one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described
herein. CEMEX assumes no obligation to update or correct the information
contained in this press release.
