Company Profile

With operations in more than 50 countries worldwide, Saint Gobain is one of the world's largest industrial conglomerates. The company's sales are divided into building distribution (43%), high performance materials (14%), construction products (19%), flat glass (13%) and packaging (19%). It has a workforce of over 200,000. The building distribution division accounts for 43% of sales and is the European market leader. This position is the result of strong organic growth and various acquisitions. These include Jewson and Graham in the United Kingdom, Raab Karcher in Germany, the Netherlands and Eastern Europe and Dahl in Scandinavia. The group focuses its strategy on prioritising development of construction and housing-related businesses, particularly through bolt-on acquisitions in the building distribution and construction products sectors; R&D and innovation initiatives, especially in high-performance materials and flat glass sectors; and stepping up expansion efforts in emerging countries for all businesses.