Two friendly takeover bids (takeover bids) in a little over two years in the United States, to which is added the acquisition in June of a Canadian family business, Kaycan, specializing in siding products. Saint-Gobain is expanding at full speed in North America, which has become one of its main growth areas.
The group has invested nearly 5 billion euros there since 2020. Between 2018 and 2022, its turnover on site increased from 6 to 10 billion euros, with an annual increase of 13% on average.
Plasterboard, now the group’s main business
« This year, the United States became the group’s first country in terms of profitability “, underlines Benoit Bazin, its general manager. With the takeover of Continental Products, a plasterboard manufacturer, in 2019, Saint-Gobain doubled its market share in the United States, which reached nearly 20%. A decisive element for products that are made locally and must be close to their sales area.
The Frenchman is taking full advantage of the good health of the construction market and the appetite of Americans for single-family homes (1.7 million housing starts per year) with products adapted to local demand: siding for external insulation, roofing and lightweight partitions.
Entering the plasterboard market in 2005, Saint-Gobain has become the world leader, with 68 factories worldwide. It is even today the first business of the group (15% of turnover), ahead of glass (10%). A small revolution for the former Manufacture des Glaces, created by Louis XIV in 1665.
Focus on building renovation in Europe
« In total, lightweight construction represents 40% of our sales and fits perfectly with our strategy of more sustainable products, which use half the raw materials, while improving thermal and acoustic comfort. “, explains Benoit Bazin, recalling that on average 40% of CO emissions2 come from the building.
The group relies heavily on the building chemistry », in order to reduce by three or four the carbon footprint of cement and concrete, with new admixtures. Thanks to two acquisitions, the French Chryso and the American GCP, Saint-Gobain is now the world co-leader in this sector with the Swiss Sika, which it had also tried to buy a few years ago.
In France, Saint-Gobain is also playing the energy renovation card thoroughly, even if its boss finds that we are not going fast enough. He calls for the establishment of a plan Marshall », in particular to eradicate thermal colanders.
This priority is bearing fruit. In 2021, the group had achieved the best year in its long history, financially. The record should be broken in 2022.