UNITED STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC
20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13A - 16 OR 15D - 16 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
01
March 2017
Commission
File No. 001-32846
____________________________
CRH
public limited company
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
____________________________
Belgard Castle, Clondalkin,
Dublin 22, Ireland.
(Address of principal executive offices)
____________________________
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports
under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
Form
20-F X Form
40-F___
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper
as permitted by
Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):_________
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper
as permitted by
Regulation
S-T Rule 101(b)(7):________
01
March 2017
Development
Strategy Update
CRH
announces 2017 year-to-date acquisition and
investment spend of c.€500 million and disposals
totalling c.€400 million
CRH
plc, the international building materials group, announces 2017
year-to-date acquisition and investment spend of approximately
€500 million reflecting eight transactions. In addition, the
Group has reached agreement to divest six businesses which will
result in total proceeds of approximately €400
million.
Commenting on these developments, Albert
Manifold, CRH Chief Executive, said:
"CRH's
development activity in the first two months of 2017 demonstrates
both our strong pipeline and our commitment to value-accretive
portfolio management. With the disposal transactions announced
today, proceeds from divestments since 2014 will have reached
€2 billion, and the Group continues to reinvest these
proceeds to strengthen our core existing businesses and expand our
operations."
Acquisitions - c.€500
million
Development
activity in the first two months of 2017 comprised seven
acquisitions spread across each of our four Americas Materials
divisions (North, South, Central and West) and also CRH Canada. In
addition, one small investment transaction was completed by our
Americas Products Division.
South
(1): The principal acquisition completed to date in 2017 is that of
Mulzer Crushed Stone, Inc.. Mulzer is one of the largest privately
held aggregates producers in the United States and operates six
quarries, five sand and gravel operations, fourteen aggregates
yards, four readymixed concrete plants and three asphalt plants,
serving the Ohio and Kanawha river valleys.
Central
(2): Two acquisitions in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul region,
Hardrives Inc. and Chard Tiling and Excavating, strengthen our
aggregates-based vertical integration strategy in this region and
also increase and diversify our exposure to residential and
commercial/industrial segments. These acquisitions add two
aggregates operations, eight asphalt plants, asphalt construction
and an asphalt terminal operation and will provide immediate
synergies as we integrate these businesses with our existing
aggregates and asphalt business in southern Minnesota.
West
(2): Columbia Asphalt, a vertically integrated business in Yakima,
Washington, with three aggregates sites, three asphalt plants and
one readymixed concrete plant was acquired. We also purchased
certain assets of Connell Resources, a vertically integrated
aggregates, asphalt, and construction company with operations in
Colorado.
North
(1): The acquisition of Costello Industries Inc., a leading cold
milling contractor in Connecticut, will provide synergies with our
existing asphalt production and paving business in the
region.
Canada
(1): The acquisition of certain quarry assets in the Greater
Montreal Area significantly strengthens our position in the
concrete stone market by adding c.100mt of licensed reserves as
well as securing long-term concrete stone supply for our vertically
integrated readymixed concrete business.
The
Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope® business of
Americas Products completed a small investment in January
2017.
Divestments - c.€400
million
In line
with our continued focus on portfolio management, our Europe
Heavyside Division has reached agreement on six divestments to date
in 2017 for total proceeds of approximately €400
million.
Germany: In the
largest disposal transaction so far this year, CRH has reached
agreement to divest one cement plant and one grinding station in
Germany; these assets formed part of the LH Assets acquisition in
2015. The transaction is subject to approval by the German
Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt).
Netherlands,
Belgium, Germany: Two years ago, CRH sold its clay and concrete
businesses in the United Kingdom and its clay business in the
United States. At the end of January 2017, the majority of CRH's
remaining clay products businesses in Europe were
divested.
Benelux: In January
2017, Europe Heavyside sold its non-core civil prefabricated
concrete businesses in the Benelux.
France,
Germany and Switzerland: Three further smaller divestments have
taken place in France, Germany and Switzerland in the first two
months of 2017.
|
Contact
at Dublin +353 1 404 1000
|
|
Frank
Heisterkamp Head of Investor Relations
|
About
CRH
CRH
(LSE: CRH, ISE: CRG, NYSE: CRH) is a leading global diversified
building materials group, employing c.87,000 people at c.3,800
operating locations in 31 countries worldwide. With a market
capitalisation of c.€26 billion (March 2017), CRH is the
largest building materials company in North America and the second
largest worldwide. The Group has leadership positions in Europe as
well as established strategic positions in the emerging economic
regions of Asia and South America. CRH is committed to improving
the built environment through the delivery of superior materials
and products for the construction and maintenance of
infrastructure, housing and commercial projects. A Fortune 500
company, CRH is a constituent member of the FTSE 100 index, the
EURO STOXX 50 index and the ISEQ 20. CRH's American Depositary
Shares are listed on the NYSE.
For more information visit www.crh.com
Registered Office: No 12965.
Registered Office: 42
Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, D02 R279, Ireland.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
CRH public limited company
(Registrant)
Date 01
March 2017
By:___/s/Neil
Colgan___
N.Colgan
Company Secretary