Acquisition in the Netherlands

The building materials group CRH, which has its headquarters in Dublin, is taking over the trading and building materials activities of Cementbouw Handel & Industrie. The DIY division of Cementbouw is Intergamma’s second-largest franchisee, with 54 Gamma and Karwei stores mainly located in the north and north-east of the Netherlands. The company also has 36 builders’ merchant outlets. CRH already operates 75 Gamma and Karwei stores in the Benelux countries. The company gives an annual figure of € 650 mio for the expected combined sales. CRH is already active in the builders’ merchant scene, where it has 48 outlets. According to official figures, the annual sales of this segment add up to € 646 mio, plus € 47 mio for a 45 per cent stake in the concrete business of Cementbouw’s building materials division.