Sweden-based Thomas Concrete Group is expanding in Europe by acquiring Sollebrunns Betongelement. As a result of the acquisition, the company will also become the largest shareholder (35.48%) in the Polish company Scanbet, which develops and produces pre-casted concrete.
“This is an important deal that enhances our offering within precast products. It is another step in our long-term strategy to continue to develop and strengthen our position as a group,” says Hans Karlander, CEO and president of Thomas Concrete Group.
The agreement for the acquisition of Sollebrunns Betongelement was signed on Tuesday 8 December. The change of ownership is scheduled for 1 March 2021. At that point, Sollebrunns Betongelement will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thomas Concrete Group. The acquired company already holds 35.48% of the stock in Scanbet, which, thanks to the agreement, will pass to Thomas Concrete Group.
“We have been impressed by the employees of Sollebrunns Betongelement and by the quality of their products. We now intend to continue to grow and develop the business in Sollebrunn,” says Hans Karlander.
Sollebrunns Betongelement was founded in 1996 and is a complete framework supplier that each year manufactures approximately 10,000 concrete elements. The company has 80 employees in Sweden and has an annual turnover of approximately SEK 200 million (€19.56mn).
“We feel reassured with Thomas Concrete Group as our new owner. For us, it was important to sell to a partner who wants to develop the business in Sollebrunn in the long term. They also want to revitalize and improve the concrete industry, which we regard as a very positive approach,” says Lennart Pehrsson, chairman of the board of Sollebrunns Betongelement.
Thomas Concrete Group was founded in 1955 and has strategically acquired and established operations in Sweden, Germany, Poland, Norway and the USA. Sollebrunns Betongelement focuses on precast concrete elements and complements the Group’s broad plant network.
Following the acquisition, the Group will have 156 plants for ready-mixed concrete and four plants for precast products. The Group is the largest independent supplier of ready-mixed concrete in its markets.
Sweden is the Thomas Concrete Group’s home market. There the Group has a well-established brand, not least through its leading role in the development and production of climate-improved concrete, which has been offered to customers since 2012. The significant need for new housing and infrastructure in Sweden and the rest of northern Europe offers great market potential. At the same time, extensive new construction combined with the current climate challenges makes it increasingly important for the industry to move in a sustainable direction.
“With its long-life cycle, concrete is an important material for achieving sustainable built societies. This acquisition gives us even greater opportunities to develop our business and our customer offering, but also to influence the industry, encouraging it to adopt more sustainable and resource-efficient construction,” says Hans Karlander, who continues: “As an independent and family-owned group, we retain a strong focus on our heritage, culture and vision. Everything is based on us inspiring one another and working together. We are now looking forward to welcoming all our new employees in Sweden and creating valuable relationships with our new co-owners and employees in Poland.”
