Aggregate Industries UK Limited, a member of the
Holcim Group
The Holcim Group, legally known as Holcim Limited, (formerly known as LafargeHolcim) is a Swiss multinational corporation, multinational company that manufactures building materials. It has a presence in around 60 countries, and employs around 6 ...
, is a company based in the United Kingdom with headquarters at
Bardon Hill, Coalville, Leicestershire. Aggregate Industries manufactures and supplies a range of heavy building materials, primarily
aggregates such as
stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
,
asphalt and
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...
to the
construction
Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...
industry and other business sectors. Aggregate Industries also manufactures and imports
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
, and provides a range of aggregate-associated goods and services, these include the manufacture of
masonry
Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...
and reconstructed stone items for construction industry and domestic applications, the manufacture of pre-cast concrete items, the supply of ready-mixed concrete, design and project
management consulting
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultant ...
, and
resurfacing contracting services.
Aggregate Industries operates more than 60
quarries in the UK and has several bases throughout mainland Europe and Scandinavia. Its clients operate in a range of services including
construction
Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...
,
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
, education,
horticulture
Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
, road building, housing, power, energy and
rail.
History
The story of Aggregate Industries began with the Ellis family of Beaumont Leys, which is now part of Leicester. Active Quakers, the family was influential in the Midlands' first public railway, the
Leicester and Swannington Railway, which was used to transport
granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
from local quarries. In time, John Ellis became the local MP and his descendant, Joseph Ellis II, entered into partnership with a Breedon Everard of Groby, initially as
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal i ...
merchants, later extending their business interests to
granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
.
In 1858, following the death of Joseph Ellis II, his sons James and Joseph joined with Breedon Everard to lease the Bardon quarries belonging to Robert Jacomb-Hood II of Bardon Hall. Those quarries, now known as Bardon Hills, remained active as the business expanded, and the nearby Bardon Hall became the company's headquarters.
Peter Tom joined the business in 1956 and, as Bardon Group, he steered it towards an
initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...
on the
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange based in London, England. the total market value of all companies trading on the LSE stood at US$3.42 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cath ...
in 1988.
Following the merger of Bardon Group and Camas (the former aggregates business of
English China Clays) in 1997, Peter Tom became chief executive of the merged business, named Aggregate Industries, which continued to grow rapidly by acquisition under his management.
Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, responsible for law enforcement and vehicle regulation across the state. As of 2024, it has 2,500 sworn troop ...
searched the offices of Aggregate Industries, the largest concrete supplier for the underground portions of the
Big Dig, in June 2005. They seized evidence that Aggregate delivered concrete that did not meet contract specifications. In March 2006 Massachusetts Attorney General
Tom Reilly announced plans to sue project contractors and others because of poor work on the project. Over 200 complaints were filed by the state of Massachusetts as a result of leaks, cost overruns, quality concerns, and safety violations. In total, the state has sought approximately $100 million from the contractors ($1 for every $141 spent).
In May 2006, six employees of the company were arrested and charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. In July 2007, Aggregate Industries settled the case with an agreement to pay $50 million. $42 million of the settlement went to civil cases and $8 million was paid in criminal fines. The company will provide $75 million in insurance for maintenance as well as pay $500,000 toward routine checks on areas suspected to contain substandard concrete.
In 2005 the company was acquired by the Swiss-based
Holcim Group
The Holcim Group, legally known as Holcim Limited, (formerly known as LafargeHolcim) is a Swiss multinational corporation, multinational company that manufactures building materials. It has a presence in around 60 countries, and employs around 6 ...
, which in 2014 was one of the largest cement companies in the world.
Governance
Aggregate Industries' board is chaired by a representative from Holcim. Other members comprise the chief executive officer, chief financial officer/deputy chief executive and a non executive director. The board oversees performance and ensures that Aggregate Industries complies with the principles of good corporate governance. Strategy formulation, operational management, performance monitoring and the evaluation of major capital projects fall within the remit of the UK Executive Committee.
References
External links
Aggregate Industries
{{Authority control
Building materials companies of the United Kingdom
British companies established in 1858
Companies formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange
Companies based in Leicestershire
Construction and civil engineering companies of the United Kingdom
1858 establishments in England
Construction and civil engineering companies established in 1858
Holcim Group