Grafton Group completes divestment
Building materials distributor Grafton Group has confirmed that it has completed the divestment of its traditional merchanting business in the UK.
The group announced the sale of the business to builder merchant Huws Gray in July for an enterprise value of £520 million.
The businesses included in the deal, which comprise approximately 200 merchant branches and 3,500 people, are Grafton Merchanting GB Ltd (Buildbase), Bathroom Distribution Group UK Ltd (Smiths Briten), Frontline Bathrooms, The Timber Group, Harvey Steel Lintels, and Crescent Building Supplies (Ruislip) Ltd.
Selco Builders Warehouse, as well as a number of UK-based specialist distribution and manufacturing brands, will remain within the Group.
Huws Gray is one of the UK’s largest independent builders’ merchants, trades from over 100 locations across the UK and is controlled by equity funds managed by Blackstone.
Grafton Group traces its roots back to 1909 when William Thomas Chadwick set up Chadwick’s in Dublin to supply builders merchants and building contractors with Irish and imported cement and plaster.
