Builders FirstSource Inc. (Nasdaq: BLDR), Dallas, TX, a supplier and manufacturer of structural and related building products for residential new construction in the U.S., has agreed to acquire ProBuild Holdings LLC for $1.6 billion.
The purchase unites two of the largest building materials companies in the U.S.; ProBuild was No. 2 and Builders FirstSource was No. 7 on the sector's 2014 MDM Market Leaders list. Builders FirstSource reported sales for 2014 of $1.6 billion, up 7.7 percent over the previous year, and ProBuild Holdings had estimated annual sales of $4.3 billion in 2014.
Both firms have private equity backing. Builders FirstSource is partially owned by Warburg Pincus LLC and JLL Partners. And private equity firm Devonshire Investors formed ProBuild in 2006 after nine years of owning and expanding the Strober Organization brand of building material suppliers.
"As the U.S. housing market continues its recovery, we believe now is the ideal time to position Builders FirstSource for its next phase of growth and value creation," said Builders FirstSource CEO Floyd Sherman. "Together we will establish a broader, more efficient platform of manufacturing and distribution capabilities, supported by high-quality service from the best talent in the industry. In addition, each of our companies has complementary strengths, and we plan to learn from each other by implementing best practices across the combined company."
