France’s Garandeau acquires Carrières d'Ambazac

French construction materials company Garandeau has invested €1 million in the creation of a quality laboratory for concrete and aggregates at its Châteauneuf-sur-Charente (Charente) site.

Expected to be operational in a few months’ time, the unit will comprise one laboratory for aggregates, another for concrete and a reserved space for road surface formulations.

Sources suggest that the site may soon be equipped with a 2,000m² logistics platform for trade activity.

Continuing its targeted acquisitions policy, road construction specialist Colas (Bouygues) has acquired fellow French company Carrières Rambaud. Carrières Rambaud has 170 staff and owns six mining sites (in Deux-Sèvres, Haute-Vienne and Indre) that together produce close to 2.5 million tonnes of aggregate/year. It also produces asphalt and ballast. Colas' CEO Hervé Le Bouc said new acquisitions are always in the pipeline, but there is nothing concrete for the coming months. Colas has over 500 mining sites.

Thomas Concrete Group has acquired two concrete plants in northern Germany, Lübeck and Tensfeld, from the family-owned company Fischer Beton. Thomas now has a total of 25 plants in the region, and last week it also acquired several plants in the United States to produce ready-mixed concrete. “We continuously evaluate possibilities for structural improvement and potential acquisitions,” says Hans Karlander, president and CEO of Thomas Concrete Group. “During the last three years the group’s turnover has