CED, the specialist suppliers of landscaping and paving products, have taken over the stocks, name and records of the bust Granit Union, who supplied paving and landscaping products throughout the UK from their base in Scotland.

Calum Fraser, the sales manager of Granit Union, is joining CED in Essex full time while David Burton, the managing director, will participate on a consultancy basis so that the specialist knowledge of the company will be retained as well as the products.

Arrangements have been made for the contracting arm of Granit Union - a company specialising in the laying of natural stone paving - to continue under their manager, Vitor Agosto. They are now trading as G U Contracts Ltd.

Granit Union also owned a Caithness stone and two red sandstone quarries. These will be disposed of by the Receivers.

Receivers were called in at Granit Union on 8 July. The high costs of developing the quarries and operating production facilities in the UK were blamed for undermining the profitable operations of the company.

Michael Heap, the managing director of CED, based in Grays, Essex, says the primary reason for taking on the Granit Union ranges and customers was to ensure nobody was let down.

Most of Granit Union\'s customers were local authorities and they operate within a smallish community. He did not want them deciding not to use stone for their hard landscaping projects because they were worried the companies might go bust half way through.

He says CED have been careful to acquire all the information within Granit Union so that if a customer calls and says he had some material three years ago and wants some more, CED know what it was and can satisfy the order.

Heap says the takeover of the business happened in stages. "We are not a great big company eagre to acquire another company. It isn\'t like that. We have gained a customer database and a few new suppliers from China and Portugal - it has increased our range, but not hugely. And David and Callum will add to our technical knowledge. But most importantly it has enabled the customers of Granit Union to get a continuing service and a better one."

CED already have a presence in Scotland, at Castlecarey, in between Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and Granit Union\'s premises in Inverness have been closed.

CED have worked hard, they say, to ensure a minimum of disruption to Granit Union\'s customers and are doing all they can to maintain the good reputation of the stone supply industry.

David Burton\'s knowledge of the technical specification of mortar systems and laying methods will continue to be available and he will be acting as specialist consultant and supplier of the SteinTec range of specialist mortars. He will also continue to be the contact point for the Norwegian Alta Quartzite and related quartzite paving and flooring tiles.

The Granit Union telephone number (below) remains available as a first contact point for matters relating to the company.