Breedon Aggregates to acquire Barr Quarries
Breedon to expand into south-west Scotland with planned £21 million acquisition of Barr Quarries Ltd
BREEDON Aggregates are to acquire Barr Quarries, the market leader in the supply of aggregates in south-west Scotland, for approximately £20.8 million. Completion is expected by the end of the month and remains subject to TUPE consultations and final due diligence.
Barr Quarries employ around 130 people and are headquartered near Cumnock, 35 miles south of Glasgow. The company operates 11 quarries, five asphalt plants and six ready-mixed concrete plants extending from Dalry in the north to Stranraer in the south and east to Moffat.
It has approximately 57 million tonnes of mineral reserves and resources; enough to last approximately 70 years at current rates of extraction. The quarry operators also run a successful contract surfacing business.
In the year to 31 December 2013, Barr Quarries generated sales of £25.5 million with an underlying EBITDA of £2.7 million. The company has performed well in 2014, with year-on-year sales ahead in the first half.
Peter Tom, chairman of Breedon, believes that Barr Quarries will be an excellent fit for the business. It is fully integrated and will give Breedon a fifth self-contained region in Scotland.
He commented: ‘Scotland has played a vital part in Breedon’s success and we have made significant investments there over the past four years. With the uncertainties surrounding the independence issue now behind us, we believe our prospects north of the border have never been brighter and we can look ahead with renewed confidence. Our acquisition of Barr Quarries is a clear demonstration of our long-term commitment to this important market.
‘Barr Quarries represents a great opportunity to secure some rare assets in a new region, which perfectly complements our existing operations in Scotland. It’s an excellent business with a fine heritage and great people – all of whom we look forward to welcoming to the Breedon family.’
Philip Cheevers, chairman of Barr Holdings Ltd, said: ‘I am pleased with the sale of our quarry interests to Breedon. This will give the quarry business the opportunity to further grow and develop under the umbrella of a major aggregates company and we wish them every success. At Barr we will continue to focus on our core construction business which is performing well, and on our environmental business which has made significant progress over the last few years and is trading very strongly.’
