Cement silos of Colombian cement maker Argos are pictured at a plant in Bogota, Colombia May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez Acquire Licensing RightsSept 7 (Reuters) - Summit Materials (SUM.N) said on Thursday it would buy the U.S. operations of Columbia's Cementos Argos (CCB.CN) for about $3.2 billion in cash and stock, in a deal that would make the combined entity the largest U.S.-based cement producer. Cementos Argos, the core unit of industrial conglomerate Grupo Argos (ARG.CN), will own a 31% stake in Summit and receive $1.2 billion in cash payments, subject to certain conditions. The deal, which is expected to close in the first half of 2024, could lead to annual cost savings of more than $100 million, Summit said. Shares of Summit Materials fell 7.92% in mid-day trading.

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Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Columbia's Cementos, Argos, Summit, Anne Noonan, Morgan Stanley, Ananta Agarwal, Savio D'Souza, Maju Samuel, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Grupo Argos, Summit, BofA Securities, Thomson Locations: Argos, Bogota, Colombia, U.S, Mid, Atlantic, Texas, Summit