French-based building-materials manufacturer Saint-Gobain Group announced plans on Dec. 8 to acquire a controlling interest in Swiss-based construction-chemical maker Sika AG. One of the largest makers of building products in the world, Saint-Gobain arranged the purchase of 16.1% of Sika's shares and 52.4% of its voting rights from the family of the company's founder.
Both companies have North American subsidiaries, and the merger is expected to combine their broad portfolios of building products. "The complementary synergies [of the acquisition] also apply to North America," says Susanne Trabitzsch, spokeswoman for Saint-Gobain. "We expect to have a stronger presence in the U.S. that will enable us to develop greater commercial synergies within the businesses," she told ENR.