HC may integrate Hanson business

HeidelbergCement (HC) is considering integrating Hanson UK's cement, aggregate and ready-mix businesses into one management structure following its £8bn takeover of the building materials company.

The German cement giant is currently working on a '100-day' integration process, during which time it will identify synergies and look to share best practice, while assessing the markets in which Hanson operates.

Its aim is to move quickly to avoid any uncertainty within the business.

As HC's core products are cement, aggregate and ready-mix it is considering projecting the same model onto Hanson and merging Civil + Marine, Castle Cement and Hanson Aggregates into one structure. Hanson Building Products would be kept as a standalone specialist business.

A Hanson spokesman said: "The HeidelbergCement team is looking at the possibility of merging the business as one. This would be about efficiency and improvement rather than cost-cutting. As a group there are lots of things we could do in terms of purchasing power."