Fletchers applies for clearance to acquire Auckland and Whangarei masonry assets of Stevenson Group

The Commerce Commission has received an application from Fletcher Building Limited seeking clearance to acquire up to 100 percent of the assets of Stevenson Group Limited’s Whangarei masonry business, and Stevenson’s Auckland masonry business.

Fletcher Building’s masonry business is part of its larger Infrastructure Division. One of the businesses within that division is Firth, which designs and manufactures concrete and concrete masonry products. Fletcher Building has a block making plant located in Auckland (at East Tamaki), as well as in other locations throughout the country. It does not have a masonry plant in Whangarei and instead supplies customers in Whangarei from its Auckland plant.

The Stevenson Group is a major player in the construction industry, supplying aggregates and a very wide range of concrete-based building materials throughout New Zealand. Its Building Products Division has masonry block plants in Auckland (at Drury), Whangarei and Christchurch.

In considering the application, the Commission’s role is to determine whether the acquisition has the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market.

A public version of the application will shortly be available on the Commission’s website www.comcom.govt.nz under Public Registers.