Saint-Gobain Steps Up Presence in Abrasives in Brazil

PARIS, April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Saint-Gobain has signed a joint venture agreement with British Indústria e Comércio Ltda., a manufacturer of non-woven abrasives in Brazil, resulting in the acquisition of 70 percent of this company's equity. Created in 1996, the company is located in Indaiatuba, 100 km from Sao Paulo. It manufactures and sells non-woven abrasives for industrial applications (surface conditioning materials), professional cleaning and consumer goods.

In a market for non-woven products that has high growth potential in South America, this investment will enable Saint-Gobain to strengthen its lead position in the industry and construction segments. The Group will be able to expand its range of abrasive products and add new customers to its portfolio.

ABOUT SAINT-GOBAIN  

In 2015, Saint-Gobain is celebrating its 350^th anniversary, 350 reasons to believe in the future. Backed by its experience and its capacity to continuously innovate, Saint-Gobain, the world leader in the habitat and construction market, designs, manufactures and distributes high-performance and building materials providing innovative solutions to the challenges of growth, energy efficiency and environmental protection. With 2014 sales of €41 billion, Saint-Gobain operates in 64 countries and has over 180,000 employees. For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit  http://www.saint-gobain.com and the twitter account @saintgobain or download the "Saint-Gobain Shareholder" application for tablet and smartphone.

With approximately 10,600 employees, Saint-Gobain's Abrasives Activity has a powerful manufacturing network of 63 plants in 27 countries. Its portfolio of products (coated, bonded, superabrasives, organic grinding wheels, construction products) offers comprehensive solutions for every step of the grinding process. For more information, visit  http://www.saint-gobain-abrasives.com.

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SOURCE Saint-Gobain