National Cement Co. parent Vicat Group has acquired Walker Concrete and Walker Construction Products, Stockbridge, Ga., which serve primarily south-metro Atlanta through 14 ready mixed plants and four retail locations — the latter offering tools, decorative flatwork supplies, and concrete landscaping units. The transaction will foster production synergy with the National Cement mill in Ragland, Ala., east of Birmingham. A 2.2 million-ton/year facility with additional capacity scheduled to come on line in 2010, Ragland feeds a distribution channel that includes three metro-Atlanta terminals.

In a post-deal company gathering cited in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Walker Concrete Chief Executive Doug Walker and Walker Construction Products President Gary Mercer recognized those who helped get them to the table by dispersing a total of $2 million to 190 employees. Walker, who like Mercer is continuing in his capacity as the business transitions to the National Cement umbrella, opted to share proceeds of the sale by rewarding employees with $1,000 for each year of service with the companies. Walker Concrete's longest-serving employee, a batch operator, grossed $45,000.

Walker Concrete becomes a fourth ready mixed production platform for Encino, Calif.-based National Cement. Its 1.6 million-ton/year Lebec, Calif., mill serves 10-plant National Ready Mixed Concrete, a key Los Angeles County operator, and Builders Concrete and Viking Ready Mix, both in Fresno. In Alabama, National Cement operates Birmingham mainstay Kirkpatrick Concrete, plus bolt-on businesses in other markets. The move into Atlanta extends Alabama-market overlap between National Cement and Georgia's top guns in ready mixed production, Lafarge North America and Ready Mix USA.