Holcim UK–Thory acquisition: materials supply and recycling lens for project teams
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Holcim UK has acquired PJ Thory and its subsidiaries Gemmix and Pro Minimix, adding nine sites with sand and gravel and limestone quarries, readymix concrete plants and a secondary aggregate recycling centre across the East Midlands and east of England. The deal follows Heidelberg Materials’ purchase of Mick George, with the Competition & Markets Authority having previously forced quarry and readymix disposals that helped make Gemmix the UK’s largest independently owned readymix supplier. Holcim gains additional mineral reserves, expanded readymix coverage and stronger recycled aggregate capacity in a region of intense competition.
Technical Brief
- Acquisition covers nine operational sites, including sand and gravel pits, limestone quarries and a secondary aggregate recycler.
- Geographic spread runs from Market Harborough, Northampton and Wellingborough across to Peterborough, Ely, Barnwell and St Ives.
- Around 130 staff transfer with the deal, preserving local operational and quarry management expertise.
- PJ Thory previously bought three quarries in Norfolk and Northamptonshire from Heidelberg’s Mick George divestments.
- Gemmix acquired five readymix plants in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire under the same CMA disposal package.
- CMA-enforced disposals indicate continued regulatory scrutiny of regional quarry and concrete market concentration.
- Holcim UK and Heidelberg Materials have effectively mirrored each other’s regional moves, intensifying competition for East Midlands supply chains.
- Holcim UK is the rebranded Aggregate Industries entity, with the Thory deal aligned to its circular materials strategy.
Our Take
Holcim’s move into additional sand, gravel and limestone capacity in the east of England comes in a Materials category where our database shows only a handful of recent pieces, signalling that incremental aggregates consolidation is occurring mostly through smaller, less-publicised regional deals.
The nine acquired sites, including a recycling centre processing secondary aggregate, align with UK policy pressure on construction materials decarbonisation, and suggest Holcim UK is positioning to meet future specifications favouring recycled content in ready-mix concrete supply chains.
With around 130 employees transferring across multiple counties in the east of England and East Midlands, this M&A deal likely strengthens Holcim’s local logistics and haulage density, which is critical in low-margin sand and gravel markets where transport distance is a major cost driver.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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