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[December 2006]
Two New Wienerberger Plants in France
Wienerberger AG (Vienna, Austria), the world’s largest producer of bricks and the number two in clay roof tiles in Europe, is continuing the pursuit of its growth strategy in the French facing brick market with the acquisition of more than 50% of the shares in Briqueterie Bar Frères. The Bar company with its plant in Flines Les Raches near the Belgian border represents an ideal geographical addition for Wienerberger, which already operates two facing brick plants in this region. Bar generated revenues of roughly €5 million in 2006 with 40 employees. The parties have agreed not to disclose any information on the purchase price for this transaction.
Wienerberger also strengthened its French activities through the recent start-up of a hollow brick plant in the greater Paris area. Production at the Angervilliers plant was converted from facing bricks to hollow bricks in order to more efficiently meet the steadily growing demand for hollow bricks in the regions with high residential construction activities surrounding Paris, which include Ile de France, Normandy, Pays de la Loire and Picardy. "We will profit from this planned €15 million investment in a number of ways: it will adjust our capacity to match the growing market share of hollow bricks in France, expand our product line in the high-quality segment and, at the same time, optimize production costs", explained Heimo Scheuch, the member of the Wienerberger Managing Board responsible for North-West Europe, in conclusion.
This acquisition and the renovation of the Angervilliers plant represent part of the profitable Wienerberger bolt-on growth programme, which is expected to have totalled more than €300 million by the end of 2006.
www.wienerberger.com
ENDS