Weber Saint-Gobain acquires Anchortec and diversifies operation
Valor Econômico
Weber Saint-Gobain, owner of Quartzolit, is operating on several fronts to increase its share in the sector of building materials. The French group is absorbing even smaller companies - with apparently small businesses for the size of the group. Last week, the company signed the purchase of 100% of Anchortec, a national company specialized in chemical products for construction, such as coatings for floors and industrial paints. The value of the deal has not been disclosed, but Valor found out it was a transaction of nearly R$ 25 million (US$ 14.7million).
With a plant in Mogi das Cruzes, in 2010, Anchortec earned R$ 55 million (US$ 32.4 million). The Saint-Gobain Group, owner of brands like Quartzolit, Brasilit, Santa Marina and Placo, earns R$ 6.5 billion (US$ 3.8 billion) in Brazil a year and Weber has net revenues of R$ 1 billion (US$ 588.2 million), according to the very company, which is a private company. Worldwide, Saint-Gobain is a company with sales of 40 billion and 200 thousand employees. "Brazil represents more than half of our participation in the emerging countries", says Jean-Claude Breffort, senior VP of the group, responsible for Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
According to Carlos Orlando, Managing Officer of Weber Saint-Gobain, the acquisition increases the participation of the company on the market of coatings and repairs for floors. The goal is explore segments with greater potential for growth. "The market of floors grows nearly 15% a year and that of mortars, 10%", says Orlando. Mortar is the main product of Weber Saint-Gobain. "Brazil is the largest market of mortar of the group in volume and sales", says Orlando. The French group manufactures the product in 43 countries. Quartzolit, which gained status of brand in the hands of the Saint-Gobain, was founded in 1937 and acquired in 1997. "Since we acquired it, it went from one to 13 plants", says Breffort. The company is building two plants, one in Paraná and one in Ceará, which will be ready by the end of the year, and two distribution centers, in São Luis (MA) and Porto Velho (RO).
For Weber, with strong presence in the retail, the purchase of Anchortec also represents the front door to the contractors. "We want to grow in that market", says Orlando. Anchortec is a new brand. Born as Fosroc, owned by the British Group Burmah Castrol, it landed in Brazil in 1979 and decided to terminate its activities in the country in 2003. The company spent one year looking for new partners that, in the next year, was sold to four national investors.