March 7, 2024 – The news was not unexpected, it had been rumored for awhile, but it just got real real: Breedon has entered the U.S. construction materials market. Breedon Group plc, in case you are not aware, is a leading vertically-integrated construction materials group in Great Britain and Ireland. Breedon holds “1 billion tonnes of mineral reserves and resources with long reserve life, supplying value-added products and services, including specialty materials, surfacing and highway maintenance operations, to a broad range of customers through its extensive local network of quarries, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt plants,” the company states. In making a move into North America, the company acquired BMC, which operates five hardstone quarries, seven sand and gravel facilities (including river dredging operations), 44 ready-mixed concrete plants and nine building products facilities. The business is predominantly located in Missouri, with further operations in Illinois and Arkansas. I don’t expect this to be Breedon’s only move to build a U.S. business. Ironically, Breedon’s move into the U.S. market comes on the heels of Holcim’s announcement that it intends to publicly list its North American business in the United States with a full capital market separation. The big boys are muscling up on this side of the pond.