34-428: Heidelberg Materials is a premixed concrete, aggregates and precast company. Founded in 1949 as Pioneer Concrete and later re-branded to Pioneer International , it was taken over by Hanson in 1999. In 2024 Hanson was renamed to the now current ‘’’Heidelberg Materials’’’. With more than 4,000 employees across 300 sites, we have an extensive production and logistics network across Australia. In 1949, Pioneer Readymix
68-616: A management buyout and Richard Shops to Habitat , keeping only the core department store business. In January 1986, Hanson bought SCM , an American chemicals to typewriters business, which included the paper division that was formerly the Allied Paper Corporation . Hanson promptly sold most of the SCM business units and the headquarters building in New York City for a significant profit. Hanson's most significant single purchase
102-564: A 50% shareholding. In 1997, Pioneer planned to exit the petroleum industry via a "two-step" process. First, Pioneer sold its shareholding was sold to Caltex Australia in October 1997 in exchange for a 33% stake in Caltex Australia. Pioneer would then attempt to sell these Caltex Australia shares at a good price, which it eventually did through public offering in April 1998, allowing Pioneer to exit from
136-464: A corporate raider, which ultimately worked against him in a failed bid for ICI Group , a chemical group, in 1991 which was at the time the UK's third-largest company. ICI, led by its chairman Sir Denys Henderson hired Goldman Sachs to look into Lord Hanson's business dealings, and they found that Lord Hanson's partner, White, was running racehorses at shareholders' expense. Lord Hanson had purchased 2.8% of
170-559: A joint venture with the Electricity Commission of New South Wales and Ampol . In 1979, Pioneer acquired a 20% stake in Ampol, which was increased to 65% in 1980. Ampol and Pioneer made further mineral acquisitions with uranium producers Nabarlek Uranium Mine and Queensland Mines. In 1983, Pioneer purchased British building materials producer Mixconcrete followed in 1985 by Lone Star Industries' sand, gravel, and quarrying operations in
204-469: A pension top-up of £636,700). In May 2007, HeidelbergCement announced its intent to purchase Hanson Plc for £11 per share, which valued it at approximately £8 billion. This deal made the combined company the second largest cement and building materials company in the world. The transaction was completed through Heidelberg subsidiary Lehigh UK on 22 August 2007. In December 2014, Heidelberg Cement agreed to sell its Hanson Building Products division to
238-470: A series of protests around the over-riding of the local authority's opposition to extend quarrying by the Minister of Climate Change, Julie James. This successful appeal will allow a further 15.7 million tonnes of rock to be extracted for road surfacing and runways. The quarry operations will continue until 2047 and will come within 164 meters of schools and housing as well as destroying a community green space and
272-510: A thirty year period, Hanson pursued a principal strategy of raising shareholder value through a series of acquisitions . Several large businesses were purchased throughout the 1980s, such as the United Drapery Stores in 1983, Imperial Tobacco in 1986 and Kidde in 1987. Some of these acquisitions drew criticism and opposition. During 1991, Hanson Plc attempted its largest-yet acquisition of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), but this
306-646: A wide range of measures to maximise value, including mass redundancies , and therefore attracted opposition and accusations that they were asset strippers . From 1979, the company was successful from the shareholders' point of view and respected during the early 1980s; Hanson (who donated millions of pounds to the Conservatives ) was given a life peerage by Britain's then-Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher , in June 1983. It has been alleged that Hanson benefitted from political favouritism that may have swayed decisions made by
340-545: A wildlife sanctuary. The appeal report claimed that "The dust assessments concluded that the potential impacts associated with both the continuation of existing activities and the proposed extension would be slight adverse at most." and that "From all that I have seen and read there are no objections or concerns relating to landscape, visual impact, ecology, hydrology, cultural heritage, agricultural land quality impacts" James Hanson, Baron Hanson James Edward Hanson, Baron Hanson (20 January 1922 – 1 November 2004)
374-657: Is a British -based building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead . Previously known as Hanson UK , the company has been a subsidiary of the German company HeidelbergCement since August 2007, and was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index . Originally trading as Wiles Group ; the company was transformed into Hanson Trust Ltd by James Hanson and Gordon White in 1964. Over
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#1732852277917408-516: The Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC). One of the most notable takeovers, at least to the general public, was the acquisition in 1983, of the United Drapery Stores (otherwise known as UDS Group ), which owned many of Britain's most well known high street clothes shops and department stores, including John Collier , Richard Shops and the chain of Allders department stores. To fund this purchase, Hanson broke up UDS and sold John Collier via
442-564: The " cash-for-questions affair " in the mid-1990s. He was also an active " Eurosceptic ", opposed as he was to Britain joining the Euro zone, and was a founding member of Business for Britain , an anti- European Union (EU) organisation. He was also a member of the Bruges Group , which advocates a substantial renegotiation of Britain's relationship with the EU, or if that is not possible, total withdrawal from
476-468: The EU. His billion-dollar empire earned Hanson the nickname "Lord Moneybags ". Hanson dated Jean Simmons and Joan Collins and was engaged to Audrey Hepburn for almost a year, until she called off the marriage. In 1959 Hanson married Geraldine, née Kaelin, an American divorcée. He became stepfather to her daughter, and the couple had two sons of their own, Robert (born 1960) and Brook (1964–2014). Hanson died, aged 82, on 1 November 2004 after
510-693: The United Kingdom, followed in 1963 by Israel and 1964 by Italy. In 1965, it formed a joint venture with Shell Australia to enter the asphalt manufacture and supply industry. In the same year, the company diversified into aggregate quarrying in Hong Kong. In 1967, Pioneer acquired FW Williams Holdings that had plastic manufacturing operations and tea and coffee plantations in Papua New Guinea. In 1970, Pioneer acquired pre-mix and quarrying companies in Spain and by
544-583: The United States. In 1986 Pioneer was the subject of a hostile but ultimately unsuccessful takeover bid from FAI Insurance . In 1986, the building materials divisions in Italy, Portugal, and South Africa were sold. In 1987, mineral and gold producer Giant Resources was acquired. In 1988, the company changed its name to Pioneer International and gained full control of Ampol. In 1995, Ampol merged with Caltex Australia to form Australian Petroleum , with Pioneer holding
578-538: The biggest takeover in British history at that point. In October 1991, Hanson opted to not proceed with the deal. During September 1991, Hanson acquired Beazer , a major British housebuilder, in exchange for $ 609 million. Two years later, it also purchased a portion of the Watt Housing Corporation under a £116 million (£76 million) deal. During the mid-1990s, conglomerates were falling out of favour with
612-429: The company focused on building materials. By December 1999, Hanson had become the world's biggest aggregates supplier and the second largest supplier of ready-mixed concrete. In November 1999, Hanson acquired Australian building materials business Pioneer International . In early 2002, Dougal parted ways with Hanson, leaving with a controversially large pay-off (variously reported at between £400,000 and £660,000, plus
646-598: The family transport business. Lord Hanson and Gordon White (later Lord White of Hull ) formed a partnership in the 1960s, and began a greetings card business. The two men also began buying other companies, in such diverse industries as fertilisers and bricks , which all sat under the umbrella of a listed entity called Hanson Trust (later renamed simply Hanson). By the 1980s, the Hanson Trust operated in both Europe and North America , purchasing under-managed businesses in sectors such as batteries , locks and safes . He
680-413: The firm, but backed away from the takeover. The chief characteristic of a Hanson company was that of a short-term cash-generating machine, involving large scale redundancies, and the slashing of research and development to the bone - all the hallmarks of an asset stripping operation. Hanson was well known for his support of ex- Conservative MP Neil Hamilton , who became famous for his involvement in
714-604: The investment community. Some of the manufacturing businesses were spun off as US Industries in February 1995. In January 1996, Hanson ended its time as a diversified conglomerate by breaking itself up into four separate listed companies: Hanson plc, Imperial Tobacco , The Energy Group and Millennium Chemicals . This restructuring had reportedly cost the group £95 million in professional fees by August 1996. During December 1997, Lord Hanson stepped down as chairman. Led by Andrew Dougal , chief executive from 1997 until 2002,
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#1732852277917748-553: The mid-1980s, giving its backing to the successful British Government-backed bidder for the British aerospace firm Westland Helicopters . In mid 1987, the firm acquired the American consumer products group Kidde at a cost of $ 1.7 billion; during October of that year, Black Monday hit and stock valuations plunged, leading to criticism that Hanson had allegedly overpaid for Kidde. In November 1988, Hanson bought Consolidated Gold Fields in exchange for £3.5 billion. The Gold Survey
782-474: The middle of the decade the company's interests had spread to Asia, Africa, and most of Europe. In 1973, in partnership with CSR , Pioneer acquired Australian & Kandos Cement Holdings. In 1975, Pioneer diversified to invest heavily in resources in a joint project with Pennzoil . In 1978, Pioneer became involved in a major coal coking and steaming development in the Hunter Valley area of New South Wales in
816-567: The morning of the takeover to find the Pension Trustees had closed the Fund the evening before, denying him the asset. Lord Hanson had expected to use the Pension Fund as consideration for the transaction. However, it was funded entirely by selling many of Imperial Group's subsidiaries, leaving him with a business that made an operating-profit margin of nearly 50%. Hanson developed a track record as
850-406: The petroleum industry completely. In 1998, Hymix Concrete was purchased. In 1999, Pioneer International was taken over by Hanson . It was rebranded as Hanson Australia in 2004. As of 2018, Hanson operated 226 ready mix concrete plants and 75 aggregate operations. [REDACTED] Media related to Hanson Australia at Wikimedia Commons Heidelberg Materials UK Heidelberg Materials UK
884-411: The private equity firm Lone Star for £900 million. During 2023, Hanson was reportedly planning the construction of a new carbon capture facility that was aimed at reducing the emissions from their Padeswood cement works . The British government chose Hanson, along with other companies, to present progress plans for carbon reduction solutions. In October 2023, the company announced that it
918-417: The second largest cement and building materials company in the world. In October 2023, the company announced that it was rebranding as Heidelberg Materials . Originally known as Hanson Trust plc, the company was built up by James Hanson, later Lord Hanson , and Gordon White, later Baron White of Hull , who created Hanson Trust out of the former Wiles Group in 1964. Hanson and White were willing to take
952-507: Was knighted in 1976 and created Baron Hanson , of Edgerton in the County of West Yorkshire , a life peerage , on 30 June 1983. Hanson's greatest deal was the 1989 purchase of Imperial Group , a British tobacco conglomerate with a diversified portfolio of brand leaders in tobacco, brewing and food, and with a cash rich pension fund, that was his real target. Hanson's team turned up in Bristol
986-449: Was an English Conservative industrialist who built his businesses through the process of leveraged buyouts through Hanson plc . Educated at Elland Grammar School near Halifax and at the short-lived Maiden Erlegh House School at Earley , formerly the home of Solly Joel , James Hanson served as a staff officer with 7th Battalion, the Duke of Wellington's Regiment before going into
1020-642: Was founded in St Peters , Sydney . In 1954 it was purchased by Tristan Antico and Kelvin Conley. In 1954 a concrete plant was acquired in Canberra . In 1959 it was listed on the Sydney Stock Market as a public company. As well as acquiring further concreting businesses, it diversified into building materials products. In 1961, Pioneer purchased a pre-mix concrete plant in Hong Kong. In 1962, it commenced operations in
1054-548: Was hotly contested and ultimately unsuccessful. By the start of the 1990s, Hanson Plc had become a sizable conglomerate and one of the largest firms based in Britain. However, amid negative perceptions of the conglomerate model, the company was reorganised into four separate listed firms during the mid 1990s, these being: Hanson plc, Imperial Tobacco , The Energy Group and Millennium Chemicals . In 2007, HeidelbergCement purchased Hanson Plc in exchange for £8 billion to create
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1088-418: Was probably its takeover of Imperial Tobacco Group in 1986. Hanson paid £2.5 billion for the group then undertook a major reorganisation; divestitures netted £2.3 billion, leaving Hanson with the hugely profitable tobacco business for "next to nothing." Hanson sold off the food brand, Golden Wonder , to Dalgety plc in 1986. Hanson was also involved in the politically charged Westland affair of
1122-600: Was rebranding as Heidelberg Materials , as part as a branding rationalisation by its parent company. The principal markets of Heidelberg Materials UK are the major conurbations in England and Wales and the central belt of Scotland . The company supplies heavy building materials such as ready-mixed concrete, asphalt and cement to the UK construction industry. In March 2024, residents of Glyncoch, near Pontypridd in South Wales, started
1156-502: Was taken on by a new company, now known as GFMS . During mid 1991, the company attempted to acquire Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), a business that was once viewed by many in Britain as the nation's leading company but was by then in decline. Hanson had acquired a 2.8 per cent stake in the company as part of its hostile takeover attempt, which ICI's management team chose to oppose. The envisioned acquisition became hotly contested and controversial, partially as it would have been
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