. ▁The ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁U . S . ▁based ▁South down ▁made ▁CE ME X ▁the ▁largest ▁c ement ▁company ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁and ▁further ▁international ▁purch ases ▁were ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁two ▁years — a ▁Th ai ▁company ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁a ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁company . ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁CE ME X ▁completed ▁its ▁$ 5 . 8 ▁billion ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁the ▁London - based ▁R MC ▁Group , ▁which ▁made ▁CE ME X ▁the ▁world wide ▁leader ▁in ▁ready - mix ▁concrete ▁production ▁and ▁increased ▁its ▁expos ure ▁to ▁European ▁mark ets . ▁With ▁the ▁ac quisition , ▁the ▁company ▁expected ▁its ▁annual ▁c ement ▁production ▁to ▁increase ▁to ▁ 9 7 ▁million ▁tons . ▁Also ▁they ▁had ▁hoped ▁to ▁see ▁its ▁annual ▁sales ▁grow ▁to ▁$ 1 5 ▁billion , ▁just ▁sh y ▁of ▁the ▁market ▁leader , ▁La far ge ▁, ▁which ▁had ▁sales ▁of ▁$ 1 7 ▁billion . ▁As ▁none ▁of ▁these ▁targets ▁was ▁met , ▁CE ME X ▁started ▁looking ▁for ▁another ▁su itor ▁in ▁its ▁M & A ▁push . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁CE ME X ▁announced ▁a ▁US $ 1 2 . 8 ▁billion ▁offer ▁to ▁ac quire ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁out standing ▁shares ▁of ▁R ink er ▁Group , ▁Limited . ▁ ▁Seven ▁months ▁later , ▁on