Brett Landscaping acquires part of Lafarge

THE acquisition of part of Lafarge Concrete Products by Brett Landscaping marks another step in the planned growth strategy laid down when the company was launched at the start of 2003, a move that brought together Brett Paving, Atlas Stone and Brett Specialized Aggregates as divisions of Brett Landscaping.

Brett have now added Lafarge’s concrete products business at Barrow upon Soar, near Loughborough, to their portfolio. Among the products made the Leicestershire site are specialized kerbing products, block paving aimed primarily at the civils merchant market, and a range of decorative textured paving.

Lafarge’s building block plants at Charing in Kent, Shawell in Leicestershire and Sonning in Berkshire are not included in the deal and remain part of Lafarge Concrete Products.

The acquisition gives Brett Landscaping, who are based at Cliffe in Kent, a strong manufacturing presence in the Midlands, with a range of products that not only complements their own premium paving and stone interests, but also takes them into the expanding transport solutions sector.

Commenting on the acquisition, Bill Brett, deputy chairman of Robert Brett & Sons, said the investment reinforced the company’s commitment to offer their customers something ‘different and extra’.

‘Following on so closely from our £6.7 million block paving plant investment at Cliffe, this geographic leap provides us with a hub from which we can offer an exciting and extended range of hard landscaping products on a national scale,’ he said.

This latest acquisition boosts Brett Landscaping’s turnover to £40 million a year and takes the number of employees to nearly 300.