Displaying items by tag: acquisition

Poland: Switzerland-based Holcim has acquired precast concrete producer HM Factory. HM Factory supplies precast concrete products manufactured in Poland to the Scandinavian export market. It employs 70 people across its operations.

Holcim’s Europe regional head Miljan Gutovic said “HM Factory is a perfect complement to our existing operations, offering multiple technological and raw material synergies. I look forward to welcoming the employees of HM Factory, whose expertise will be invaluable in accelerating green growth, especially in highly efficient modular construction.”

US: SRM Concrete has borrowed US$300m as an add-on to its senior secured term loan. Moody's Investor Services reported that part of the funds will pay off SRM Concrete's US$130m seller note issued for its acquisition of USC Atlantic from Vulcan Materials in November 2022.

Australia: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has called for public comment on Switzerland-based Sika's proposed acquisition of Germany-based fellow construction chemicals producer MBCC Group. The commission has raised 'preliminary concerns' over the possible competition impacts of Sika obtaining an 80% Australian market share as a result of the deal.

Sika group responded to the ACCC's concerns with an offer of an undertaking to divest MBCC Group's entire Australia and New Zealand business.

Estonia: The Estonian Competition Authority has granted permission to Schwenk Eesti to gain a majority stake in ready-mix concrete producer Betoonimeister. Baltic Business Daily News has reported that Betoonimeister's six ready-mix concrete batching plants are located in Tallinn, Tartu, Johvi, Tapa and Parnu.

France: Switzerland-based Holcim has acquired self-levelling screed producer Chrono Chape. Chrono Chape’s screeds create even foundations for builders to lay floors on. It serves its customers in France with a fleet of batching trucks.

Holcim’s Europe region head Miljan Gutovic said “I am excited to acquire Chrono Chape, as another step in advancing our Strategy 2025 – Accelerating Green Growth. With this operation, we will expand our range of services and geographic footprint in France. Building on the entrepreneurial vision and legacy of the Dupuy family, I look forward to investing in this business’ next era of growth and warmly welcoming their employees into the Holcim family.”

UK: Germany-based Heidelberg Materials has signed a deal for the acquisition of Mick George Group, the leading concrete recycling company in the East Midlands and East of England. Mick George Group’s 40 sites span bulk excavation, earthmoving and demolition services and demolition waste removal and management, as well as ready-mix concrete and aggregates distribution.

Heidelberg Materials Western and Southern Europe director Jon Morrish said “With the acquisition of Mick George, we are clearly moving towards establishing a truly circular materials and services offer in our UK business. I warmly welcome all 1000 Mick George employees to Heidelberg Materials and look forward to further developing the business together.”

Heidelberg Materials aims to offer circular alternatives for half of its products by 2050.

Costa Rica: Holcim Costa Rica has acquired the heavy precast unit of Productos de Concreto for US$3.35m. The La Nación newspaper has reported that the company also increased its stake in prefabricated construction company Tecnología de Construcción to 100% from 49%. The latter deal's value was US$774,000.

Holcim Costa Rica's corporate affairs manager José Alfredo Alpízar Guzmán said that these latest acquisitions complement the producer's existing abilities to supply its customers.

Spain: Votorantim Cimentos Spain has completed its acquisition of Heidelberg Materials' businesses in the south of Spain. Under the deal, Votorantim Cimentos Spain gains control of FYM's 1.6Mt/yr Málaga cement plant, as well as three aggregates quarries and 11 ready-mix concrete plants in Andalusia.

Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos' Europe, Asia and Africa CEO Jorge Wagner said “This acquisition is fully aligned with our strategy, reinforces our presence in the Iberian Peninsula to better serve our customers and creates significant synergies with our existing assets. Besides this, it will be key to accelerating our decarbonisation journey to achieve our 2030 Sustainability Commitments."

Votorantim Cimentos Spain operates a mortar plant and multiple concrete batching and aggregates plants across Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Castile and León, Extremadura and Galicia.

Estonia: Competition authorities have opened additional proceedings into Schwenk Zement subsidiary Schwenk Eesti's deal to acquire a majority stake in Betoonimeister. The parties concluded their agreement in late September 2022.

Betoonimeister supplies ready-mix concrete across Estonia from six batching plants in Jõhvi, Pärnu, Tapa, Tallinn and Tartu. It employs a total of 90 people.

Germany: Ireland-based CRH has agreed to sell its subsidiaries Opterra Zement and Opterra Beton to Thomas Gruppe. Thomas Gruppe expects to complete its acquisition of the businesses later in 2022. Opterra Zement owns the 1.4Mt/yr Karsdorf, Saxony-Anhalt, cement plant and 0.5Mt/yr Sötenich, North Rhine-Westphalia, grinding plant, the latter of which is closed. Opterra Beton operates the Neufahrn, Bavaria, ready-mix concrete batching plant.

Thomas Gruppe said "For years, we have been pursuing a steady and long-term growth course in the field of cement and precast and ready-mix concrete. In the cement segment, our competitive position improved significantly with the purchase of the Erwitte (North Rhine-Westphalia) plant in 2017. Together with the grinding plant in Dorndorf (Thuringia), we have achieved a significantly larger area coverage in Germany, and also in the Netherlands, and benefit from synergy effects." It continued "We would like to continue on this growth course. An opportunity like the one to take over the cement plant in Karsdorf does not come often. The Karsdorf plant, with its gigantic limestone deposits, its market position of well over 1Mt/yr of cement and its experienced team, enables us better to supply our customers, and to leverage improvement potential. In addition, Karsdorf is of sufficient size for us to implement CO₂ separation technology in its production of clinker for the Dorndorf grinding plant." Thomas Gruppe concluded "We are convinced that cement will become a clean building material and believe in its future."