Lehigh Hanson Inc. has finalized the acquisition of Sumner, Wash.-based Corliss Resources Inc., one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest family-owned aggregates and ready-mixed concrete producers. The year-end deal, formally announced early last month, includes sand & gravel operations with annual shipments of 2 million-plus tons; reserves exceeding 175 million tons; and, four ready mixed concrete plants serving the greater Seattle area, where the suitor’s long-held Cadman business enjoys a solid footprint.
“The acquisition of the Corliss operations is a great strategic fit with our already strong presence in cement, aggregates and ready-mixed concrete in the Pacific Northwest,” affirms Dr. Domink von Achten, chairman of Germany’s HeidelbergCement AG, Lehigh Hanson parent. “The transaction significantly enhances our vertically integrated position in one of the fastest growing U.S. markets. We welcome the 230 Corliss employees to HeidelbergCement and look forward to accelerating the growth together.”
“For more than five generations, our family has proudly served customers with high-quality building materials and contributed to the growth and development of our communities,” adds Steve Corliss, president. “We are convinced that Lehigh Hanson is best-suited to continue building on the legacy of growth, excellence and quality that our family has established.”
Greater Seattle is a prospering and sustainability focused market within the growing state of Washington, supported by transportation infrastructure under development and further boosted by the recent federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The combined Corliss and Lehigh Hanson business is ideally positioned to realize growth potential and provide customers a wide range of sustainable, low carbon products, HeidelbergCement officials note. The transaction is another important milestone in an ongoing portfolio optimization program, they add, advancing the “Beyond 2020” strategy.
