Heidelberg Materials says the company has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire The SEFA Group Inc., the largest fly ash recycling company in the United States.
Based in Lexington, South Carolina, the operations of the SEFA Group include five business units, five utility partners, 20 locations, and more than 500 employees. The SEFA Group supplies quality fly ash to over 800 concrete plants in 13 states. Fusing fly ash from energy generation in alternative products such as composite cements strengthens circularity within Heidelberg Materials’ value chain: The addition of fly ash as secondary cementitious material (SCM) helps reduce the CO₂ intensity of concrete.
“Fostering circularity by increasing the use of by-products and recycled materials from other industrial sectors is an essential part of our strategy,” said Dr Dominik von Achten, managing board chairman. “Our focus is on rapidly and significantly reducing our CO₂ emissions, and The SEFA Group will make an outstanding contribution to our US business.”
“The acquisition of The SEFA Group will further strengthen our cementitious footprint in the fast-growing Southeastern US market,” said Chris Ward, president and CEO of Heidelberg Materials North America. “We welcome the addition of this innovative business and its talented employees to Heidelberg Materials as we grow our portfolio of sustainable products, technologies, and customer-focused solutions on the path to Net Zero.”
For over 40 years, The SEFA Group has focused on providing a reliable supply of quality fly ash for the ready-mixed concrete industry. It provides technology and services to construction materials and other industrial sectors. It has developed the most advanced technology to process ash from storage ponds and currently processes about 1 million tonnes of pond ash per year. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the transaction. The transaction is anticipated to close in June 2023.
Last week, Heidelberg Materials closed the divestment of its Eastern European joint venture in Georgia. The company previously held a 45% participation in CaucasusCement Holding B.V. (CCH), the parent company of HeidelbergCement Georgia Ltd. and Terjola Quarry Ltd., Tbilisi.
Heidelberg Materials sold its share to its long-term joint venture partner Cement Invest B.V., an investment company jointly managed and owned by the Georgian Co-Investment Fund and Hunnewell Partners. The joint venture’s scope included two integrated cement plants, 14 ready-mixed concrete plants, and two aggregates plants. The partners agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the transaction.
These latest steps by Heidelberg Materials reflect the continued focus on simplifying its country portfolio and positioning the company as a front-runner on the path to Net Zero and circularity in the building materials industry.
