The expansion of the precast concrete products market, at an annual rate of 25-30%, has attracted the attention of Europe's biggest players on this segment, which not only include investment funds, but companies such as Consolis (Finland) and Ergon (Belgium), part of Ireland-based CRH.
In recent years, the ever-tighter deadlines for projects have pushed builders to increasingly resort to precast concrete, which enables a much shorter execution period than the older method of laying the structure directly on the construction site.
The precast concrete products market will hit 150m euros this year, according to market estimates, and will attract investments worth hundreds of millions of euros in production facilities, reads the 25 September edition of Business Construct monthly.
Recently, Swedish investment fund Oresa Ventures acquired, through Sonriso, three subsidiaries of the Somaco firm for 32.5m euros, after having sealed other acquisitions in the sector of constructions. "Investments in retail and industrial space and in infrastructure are the growth drivers of precast concrete product sales," says Cornel Marian, an investment manager with the fund. "(...) We'll invest 10m euros to modernise the existing plants and boost the production capacity," he adds.
Belgium's Ergon Concrete International, part of CRH, which also owns Elpreco Craiova, has announced the biggest investment project. Ergon may invest 70m euros to increase the production capacity of the plant in Brazi, Prahova county, a location in which the group has already invested 15m euros.
The production centre, with 110 employees, currently has a capacity of 26,000 cubic metres, which will be expanded in the coming years. "We'll most likely start building the second plant next year considering the contracts we're now negotiating," stated Steven Houbracken, general ma
