North American quarry company Polycor is to buy all of the French company Rocamat (subject to various approvals by French authorities) for an undisclosed sum.

The move follows Polycor entering an agreement with Rocamat five years ago, becoming a minority-share holder and taking over operations at five quarries.

It runs the quarries of Chassagne, Massangis, and Rocherons in Burgundy and has the rights for quarrying at Lens in the Gard region.

Taking over the whole of Rocamat, founded in 1857, will give Polycor nearly 30 quarries in France, four processing plants and an additional 160 employees.

Polycor France Holding, a subsidiary of the Polycor Group, has signed a preliminary offer to acquire 100% of the shares it does not already own.

Polycor, which sells its French stones in the UK and is a member of Stone Federation Great Britain, says the move will consolidate its position as a natural-stone industry leader and strengthen its presence in Europe and internationally.

Patrick Perus, Polycor CEO, says: “This acquisition project is a natural step for Polycor’s growth.

“Since its foundation in 1987, and by establishing a long-term vision, we have built alliances with companies that share our values.

“Rocamat’s heritage counts over 170 years of expertise, in addition to a knowledge and mastery of natural stone that is unmatched in France.

“This industry flagship is the perfect ally for the future of sustainable construction materials. The acquisition of Rocamat would allow us to enrich our offering by proposing an even more comprehensive portfolio of products that meet unparalleled standards of quality.”

Stone extracted from Rocamat’s quarries are sold as blocks and slabs, flooring and facades, masonry and carvings.

Rocamat President Jean-Louis Marpillat says the sale will mean “Rocamat can now enter a development phase by seizing the opportunities that the natural and ‘green’ materials market is opening.

“In order to tackle this new area of development, Rocamat is pleased to be backed by a major group within the industry that is capable of financially ensuring the achievement of these new challenges.”

Pierre Brousse, Rocamat’s majority shareholder, adds: “The outlooks for the natural stone market in France call for high-capacity industrial investments. We consider it wise to entrust such execution to the world leader in ornamental stone, which, I am confident, will know better than anyone how to develop the company’s capabilities.”