CRH favourite in bid to buy top German building materials firm

SPECULATION is mounting that Dublin-listed CRH, one of the world’s leading builders suppliers, is the front-runner to buy Xella, the building materials company being sold by German conglomerate Haniel.

CRH recently made it to the second round of bidding for the group, but Irish analysts played down the prospect of a deal, pointing out that traditionally the Irish group has done deals one-to-one.

Dublin-based CRH is the only trade bidder to make it to the second round at the end of May.