Derbyshire concrete firm sold in £20m deal

Swadlincote precast concrete firm Bison has been bought by Forterra from Laing O’Rourke in a deal worth £20m.

Bison, founded by Royal Engineers in 1919 and responsible for an array of iconic products, from pillboxes in the Second Word War to the terraces of Old Trafford and the new Wembley Stadium, is to continue as Bison Precast, part of Forterra.

The Bison Precast brand will expand to cover Forterra’s existing precast concrete facilities at both the Hoveringham and Somercotes sites.

The overall production volume of Bison Precast under Forterra is to effectively double, making it one of the biggest precast concrete manufacturers in the country, and the largest in terms of precast flooring.

This expansion means the 195 staff at Bison in Swadlincote will join forces and share expertise with the 230 staff at Forterra’s Somercotes and Hoveringham sites, which specialises in precast concrete solutions for all sectors of the construction industry.

Matthew Clay, managing director of Bespoke Products divison [which includes Bison Precast], said; “We are proud to be able to continue and build upon the long, distinguished history of Bison, a true British innovator in precast concrete for almost a century.”

Stephen Harrison, chief executive of Forterra, said, “The combined manufacturing knowledge, skills and resources of Bison Precast and Forterra makes us bigger, stronger and faster, and reinforces our status as a leading precast manufacturer in the UK.”