Our history

Grafton acquires Salvador Escoda S.A., one of Spain's leading distributors of air conditioning, ventilation, heating, water and renewable products serving professional installers across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.

Ian Tyler joins the Board as Non-Executive Director on 1 March 2024 and assumes the role of Chair on 2 May 2024. He succeeds Mr. Michael Roney who stepped down as Chair of the Board and the Nomination Committee on 2 May 2024.

Eric Born is appointed CEO on 28 November 2022, succeeding Gavin Slark who stepped down after 11 years in the role.

The Group divests its traditional merchanting business including the Buildbase, Civils & Lintels, PDM Buildbase, The Timber Group, Bathroom Distribution Group, Frontline and NDI brands.

Grafton completes the acquisition of Isojoen Konehalli Oy and Jokapaikka Oy (IKH). IKH is one of the largest workwear, PPE, tools, spare parts and accessories technical wholesalers and distributors in Finland.

Grafton acquires StairBox, an industry-leading UK manufacturer and distributor of bespoke wooden staircases.

The Group acquires Leyland SDM, London’s largest independent specialist decorators’ merchant.

Further expansion in the Netherlands with the acquisition of Gunters en Meuser BV in 2017 and Polvo BV in 2019.

Michael Roney joins the Board in May 2016 as Chair Designate and assumes the role of Chair on 1 January 2017.

Michael Chadwick retires as Chair and Director after 41 years with the Group.

Entry into the Netherlands distribution market with the acquisition of Isero BV, the leading specialist distributor of tools, ironmongery and fixings trading from 38 branches.

David Arnold succeeds Colm O’Nuallain as CFO, who retired after 23 years in the role.

Listing moves from the Dublin Stock Exchange to a sole listing on the London Stock Exchange.

Buildbase acquires Thompson, a five-branch merchanting business that extends market coverage into the North East of England. It also acquires a single-branch merchanting business in Oban on the west coast of Scotland.

Selco opens its 30th branch.

Gavin Slark is appointed as Group Chief Executive to succeed Michael Chadwick. Mr Chadwick remains as non-executive Chair.

The Group enters into the Belgian merchanting market.

Grafton completes the takeover of Heiton Group plc for a total consideration of €359 million in cash and shares. This business includes, among others, the no. 1 builders’ merchanting operation and the no. 2 DIY retailing brand in Ireland. It is a good strategic fit with Grafton's existing operations and consolidates its position as the leading player in the Irish distribution and DIY markets.

Continued organic growth with the development of 19 greenfield outlets, four new Irish DIY stores, a new dry mortar plant in Bristol, and 14 merchanting outlets across the UK.

Group turnover exceeds €1 billion for the first time. The acquisition of Jackson Building Centres Limited strengthens Grafton’s position as Britain’s fourth- largest merchant.

A record year with a total of 15 acquisitions adding a further 39 branches to the UK merchanting network. These acquisitions include five small chains: Lakes in Derby, BMB in Barnsley, PDM in Edinburgh, Aizlewoods in Rotherham, and J.K.S. Heating & Plumbing Supplies (JC1) in Manchester. The number of UK trading outlets now exceeds 200.

The Group continues its bolt-on acquisition programme adding 16 more locations, through eight acquisitions in the UK. Over 50% of group turnover is now from UK operations. Plumbase more than double its size with the back-to-back acquisitions of E J Thompsons and Essex Heating Supplies, taking the network to 85 branches, which included the opening of eight greenfield sites.

UK merchanting operations expand substantially with the acquisition of British Dredging plc, the first time an Irish company acquires a UK-listed plc. This business operates a total of 23 locations incorporating 17 builders’ merchants, including the Selco brand, and six plumbers’ merchants.

Six additional acquisitions are made, adding a further 19 locations, including the London-based Deben Builders Merchants business with ten branches, and A R Hendricks Limited, a heavyside builders merchant trading from five branches.

The Group continues its strategic development in the UK with its acquisition of R.J. Johnson in Oxford, and Buildbase is established the following year as the trading name for the Group’s UK builders merchanting operation, adding a further 14 locations through six small but significant acquisitions and achieving critical mass in its UK operations.

Grafton acquires P.P.S. Mortars, a silo mortar plant based in Glasgow.This business adopts the EuroMix silo mortar business model and technology, which have been successfully developed by CPI, the Group's Irish concrete products business.

Grafton acquires H. Bradley Ltd., a six branch plumbing and heating merchant in central London, and Lumley and Hunt, a five-branch plumbers’ merchant operating in and around Sussex.

Grafton acquires of Macnaughton Blair, a long-established and well-known Belfast-based builders’ merchant.

Grafton makes its first UK acquisition, Williams (Southwest), a small heating and plumbing business which gives the Group familiarity with the large UK merchanting market.

The Group changes its name to Grafton Group plc.

The Group opens its first DIY retailing store in the Irish market, Woodie’s DIY.

Marley plc decides to concentrate on the manufacture of building materials and as a consequence sells its controlling shareholding in Concrete Products of Ireland to management and institutional investors.

Mr. Michael Chadwick is appointed Executive Chair of CPI.

The Chadwicks branch network increases to 14 branches throughout Ireland.

CPI introduces factory-insulated concrete blocks to the Irish market for the first time.

CPI is the largest manufacturer of roof tiles in Ireland and its tiles have been used on over half the houses in the country.

Chadwicks becomes one of the first companies in Europe to run a fully computerised building supply operation.

Michael Chadwick joins the business and is appointed to the Board in 1979.

Chadwicks’ expansion begins with a new branch in Kilkenny.

CPI becomes a public company and is quoted on the Dublin Stock Exchange, incorporating the Chadwicks business; Marley Limited increases its holding to 51%.

Concrete Products of Ireland re-locates from Dolphins Barn to a 50-acre site in Lucan, Co. Dublin. The business begins producing concrete blocks in 1947 and PVC flooring in 1956.

William Chadwick dies, leaving his son Terence Chadwick in charge of the business.

Marley Limited acquires a minority shareholding in Concrete Products of Ireland in exchange for modern tile production machinery.

William Chadwick acquires control of a small firm engaged in the manufacture of concrete blocks and roof tiles, in Dolphins Barn, Dublin, which his company was supplying with cement. The following year, Concrete Products of Ireland is registered as a private limited company. By 1938 output of roof tiles is 5,000 tiles per day.

William Thomas Chadwick establishes his first business, supplying builders’ merchants and major building contractors with Irish and imported cement and plaster. Chadwicks (Dublin) Limited is incorporated in 1909.