CRH in top spot in Northern Ireland

A RECENT market survey of all known sand and gravel pits and crushed rock quarries in Northern Ireland has confirmed CRH's position as the largest aggregates company. They are estimated to be the largest supplier of crushed rock, and second only to Readymix in sand and gravel.

These are some of the headline conclusions of a BDS Marketing & Research survey estimating the outputs of all pits and quarries in the province. This is the first time BDS have covered Northern Ireland, although the equivalent report analysing Great Britain has been published for the last 10 years.

In recent years Hanson, Readymix and Tarmac have all made acquisitions in Northern Ireland, however nearly half of the industry's output is represented by independent companies outside the top 10. The top 10 companies, in descending order, are: CRH, Lagan, Tarmac, Readymix, Acheson & Glover, Gibson Bros., W.J. McCormick & Sons, Quinn Group, Hanson, and Blue Circle.

The report also forecasts further acquisitions, as the prospect of major acquisitions in Great Britain is now limited. BDS say they expect the larger companies to increasingly turn their attention to Northern Ireland and believe that the top 10 companies could represent 75% of the market in the next five years. This compares with an estimated 52% at present.