“Hyprescon and Miceli are premier companies with a reputation for producing high-quality concrete products,” said Richard Manning, president of Hanson Building Products North America. “This purchase expands Hanson’s presence in the Canadian market while benefiting the country’s infrastructure.”

Hyprescon began producing concrete products in 1931, and is the largest producer of concrete pressure pipe in Canada, with three facilities located in Saint-Eustache, Québec, a suburb of Montréal, as well as Uxbridge and Stouffville, located near Toronto, Ontario. Hyprescon produces large and small diameter concrete pressure pipe as well as Hy-Span^® bridge girders, gravity pipe, and precast product.

“Hanson strives to be geographically available to our customers, and the acquisition of Hyprescon and Miceli makes that goal possible while serving the growing market in Canada, said Clifford Hahne, president of Hanson Pipe & Precast’s South Central region. “We are proud to add Hyprescon and Miceli employees to the Hanson family.”

Miceli was founded in 1971 as a manufacturer of precast concrete products and extended production to concrete pipe, box culverts, short span arch bridges and precast concrete products. In 1988, Miceli opened a concrete pipe manufacturing facility in Mascouche, Québec and a second facility in Saint-Jérôme, Québec in 2004.

“Adding the production capabilities of Miceli to the Hanson team will prove beneficial for both companies and Canada,” said Eric Wheeler, president of Hanson Pipe & Precast’s Northeast region. “Hanson will be able to better serve its customers and provide them the most knowledgeable engineering and sales team.”

More than 320 employees from Hyprescon and Miceli will become Hanson employees and will also have opportunities for further training and advancement.

Hanson’s Northeast region based in Columbus, Ohio is made up of 28 facilities, including the two concrete pipe and precast facilities near Toronto. The facilities produce several products, including those used for community and roadway development, such as reinforced concrete pipe, drainage structures, noise barriers, bridge products, the HansonArch, QuickSpan and precast vaults. The company’s South Central region, based in Grand Prairie, Texas, has 34 facilities, which provide gravity pipe, pressure pipe and precast concrete products to Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and now Québec and Ontario. Steel and concrete pressure pipe produced at the Grand Prairie facility are available nationally. Products produced in Hanson’s South Central region, such as reinforced concrete pipe, drainage structures, modular bridges and pressure pipe are used for community and roadway development.

About Hanson Building Products North America
Hanson Building Products North America, a division of Hanson PLC, is comprised of Hanson Brick, Hanson Roof Tile, Hanson Pipe & Precast, Hanson Structural Precast and Hanson Paver Products. Hanson Brick is the largest brick producer in North America. Hanson Roof Tile is a leading manufacturer of concrete roof tile in the United States. Hanson Pipe & Precast is a manufacturer of concrete pipe; precast concrete products including manholes, drainage structures, box culverts, bridge components, retaining walls and concrete block; and steel and concrete pressure pipe. Hanson Structural Precast produces products used in commercial, residential and educational buildings, sports facilities, bridges and parking structures. Hanson Paver Products produces decorative concrete pavers for residential and commercial building. For more information, please visit www.hansonbrick.com, www.hansonrooftile.com, www.hansonpipeandprecast.com, www.hansonpipeandprecast.com/structural and www.hansonpaverproducts.com.

Hanson Building Products North America has grown and prospered into an organization of more than 7,400 employees and 140 facilities with products available throughout the U.S. and Canada. To learn more about Hanson’s quality products, services and building technology, please visit www.hanson.biz.

About Hanson PLC
Hanson is one of the world's largest suppliers of heavy building materials to the construction industry, with turnover in 2006 of £4.1bn. Our products fall into two ategories: "aggregates" (crushed rock, sand and gravel, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt- and cement-related products), and "building products" (concrete pipes, pre-cast products, concrete pavers, blocks, tiles and clay bricks). We employ approximately 26,000 people, operating primarily in North America, the UK and Australia with further operations in Asia Pacific and continental Europe.

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