Grafton linked with acquisitions

BUILDERS’ merchants group Grafton is being linked with more acquisition movement as consolidation in the international merchanting sector heats up.

Last week, the Dublin-headquartered group — which also has a significant DIY business through its ownership of popular chains such as Woodies and Atlantic Homecare — bought a single-branch merchanting business in Staffordshire, Britain, called Silverstone Builders Merchants for an undisclosed fee.

It is understood that business — referred to by a Grafton spokesperson as representing a “regional fill-in” — will be amalgamated into Grafton’s British subsidiary, Buildbase.