HEIDELBERG (dpa-AFX) - The building materials group Heidelberg Materials (formerly Heidelbergcement) intends to retain its business structure. "There are no plans to organize the company regionally," said Group CEO Dominik von Achten in Heidelberg on Thursday. Splitting up the company is not an option. Swiss competitor Holcim wants to list its North American business as an independent company in the USA.

Meanwhile, Heidelberg Materials wants to continue to grow through acquisitions. "Our appetite for acquisitions is great," said von Achten. There is enough to buy, but acquisitions must meet the criteria. The USA is particularly interesting. When it comes to takeovers, the company is focused on small and medium-sized deals. However, von Achten did not rule out a larger acquisition, but a deal of four billion euros or more would be financially difficult to present./mne/jha