HeidelbergCement recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a U.S. affiliate of Lone Star Funds to sell its North American (excluding Western Canada) and UK building products business (collectively “Hanson Building Products”), for an aggregate purchase price of $1.4 billion, of which up to $100 million will be payable in 2016, depending on the performance of the business in 2015. The closing is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. HeidelbergCement expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2015.

 

The sale of Hanson Building Products is consistent with HeidelbergCement’s strategy of focusing on processing and refining raw materials for its core products of cement and aggregates and further downstream activities. Deutsche Bank AG, BNP Paribas and Bank of America Merrill Lynch acted as financial advisors, and Shearman & Sterling LLP acted as legal advisor to HeidelbergCement for the transaction. For Lone Star Funds, Citi, Credit Suisse, and Barclays acted as financial advisors, with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher acting as legal advisor.

 

“Hanson Building Products is a multinational business with leading market positions, but the focus of its product portfolio on brick, pressure and gravity pipes and precast is outside the core businesses of HeidelbergCement,” said Bernd Scheifele, Ph.D., CEO of HeidelbergCement. “We are pleased that Lone Star will acquire this business, which as an experienced financial investor will support the sustainable development of the business going forward. We will use the proceeds to accelerate our debt pay down. This is an important step toward reaching our target financial metrics that are relevant for improving our credit-worthiness. I am very pleased with our financial discipline in 2014, and we will do our utmost to continue to create value for our shareholders in 2015.”

 

Hanson Building Products is one of the largest brick producers in North America and the UK, as well as a leading manufacturer of concrete pressure and gravity pipes in North America. The business employs a staff of 4,621 and has a network of 107 manufacturing plants and 11 distribution facilities in the U.S., Eastern Canada and the UK. In 2013, revenues totaled approximately $1.1 billion and adjusted pro-forma EBITDA reached $90 million.

 

For more information, visit www.heidelbergcement.com. Hanson’s website is located at www.hansonbuildingproducts.com.