Francis Flower acquire Scunthorpe ggbs plant
Mineral resources company acquires ground granulated blast-furnace slag facility from Hanson Cement
FRANCIS Flower, the mineral resources company, have acquired the Scunthorpe ground granulated blast-furnace slag (ggbs) facility from Hanson Cement for an undisclosed sum.
The Scunthorpe plant is capable of producing more than 500,000 tonnes of ggbs a year and supplies customers in the Midlands and north of England.
Ground granulated blast-furnace slag complements Francis Flower’s existing range of high-quality powdered minerals, which originate as by-products from various industries, thereby reducing the need for mineral extraction and landfill, and delivering sustainable environmental solutions for their customers.
Commenting on the acquisition, Adrian Willmott, chairman and chief executive officer of Francis Flower, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted and very excited to announce this new acquisition. Ground granulated blast-furnace slag is an excellent fit with our existing product range and will help further our long-standing relationships in this sector.
‘We have a proven track record of making the most of mineral resources, reducing the need for mineral extraction as well as landfill, and delivering sustainable solutions for our customers.’
‘We are very much looking forward to working with the team in Scunthorpe and developing the opportunities in the ggbs market as the UK construction sector continues to grow.’
The purchase of the Scunthorpe ggbs plant follows a study by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into the British aggregates, cement and ready-mixed concrete markets, which concluded that Hanson should sell one of their three ggbs plants.
Following a competitive bidding process, Francis Flower were approved by the CMA as the purchaser of the Scunthorpe facility. The plant employs 25 people, all of whom will transfer to Francis Flower.
The sale of the plant means that the CMA has completed the divestment remedies arising from the Competition Commission’s report.
