Joint Venture with Carrières du Boulonnais

15 June 2021

(EPIC: SRC / Market: AIM / Sector: Construction Materials)

SIGMAROC PLC

 ('SigmaRoc', the 'Company' or the 'Group')

Joint Venture with Carrières du Boulonnais

SigmaRoc (AIM: SRC), the AIM quoted buy-and-build construction materials group, is pleased to update the market on its developments in its Benelux platform:

Joint Venture focussed on Aggregates Markets in Benelux and Northern France

SigmaRoc is pleased to announce that it has signed a joint venture agreement with major Calais based high grade limestone and construction materials company, Carrières du Boulonnais ('CB'), part of Groupe Carrières du Boulonnais ('Groupe CB'), which has become a 25% shareholder in Granulats du Hainaut ('GduH'), with the aim of expanding GduH into a Benelux and Northern France wide supplier of limestone products. As a shareholder, CB will assist in the development of GduH from a financial and technical perspective and materially increase GduH's market presence in these target markets. As a result, it is expected the target footprint for GduH's activities will reach beyond Belgium and into Northern France. GduH is the Group's Benelux production and distribution subsidiary and SigmaRoc will continue to wholly own its quarrying assets in Belgium.

As part of the Joint Venture agreement, CB has agreed to co-fund the new crushing and screening installations planned to be built by 2024 at GduH's aggregates operations at Carrières du Hainaut. CB will also lend its vast technical expertise in the sector to optimally set up the new installations and their product offering. As a result, GduH will be able to commence servicing the Benelux and Northern French markets and, following the expiry of its existing agreement to supply LafargeHolcim in 2024, supply over two million tonnes of virgin construction aggregates per year, making it one of the largest suppliers in the region.

About Groupe Carrières du Boulonnais

CB is part of Groupe CB, which is a major independent supplier of construction aggregates and High Grade Limestone products, destined for the Metals, Pulp, Chemical and Agricultural industries. Groupe CB has a distinguished history of family ownership dating back 120 years and is presently held and managed by its founding family.

Groupe CB is headquartered at Ferques, near Calais in France, at one of Europe's largest quarrying operations. Connected by rail to supply multiple platforms in Paris, it is a major operator in the French construction materials market. Furthermore Groupe CB operates a large network of quarries and concrete plants across France and has a further presence in 30 countries via several Joint Venture partners. 

Max Vermorken, CEO of SigmaRoc commented:

"It is a real privilege to sign a Joint Venture agreement with a quarried materials group of the renown of Groupe CB. Our collaboration is strategically, technically and financially a major step forward as we build our footprint in the Benelux and North French markets. We thank Groupe CB for their confidence in SigmaRoc and aim to make our collaboration a real success."

Gilles Poulain, CEO of Groupe CB commented:

"We are very proud to become part of SigmaRoc development in Continental Europe. Groupe CB is honoured by the trust and confidence SigmaRoc is showing us through this onboarding for the development of Soignies site, which is a site for which we share the same ambitions. The great quality of the knowhow we have found in Sigmaroc's teams is expected to put all of us on the track of success."

Information on the Company is available on the Company's website, www.sigmaroc.com.

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.