On 1 September, the French competition authorities (Autorité de la concurrence) approved the planned takeover of Panofrance, the lumber and wood-based panels trader previously belonging to Bois & Matériaux, by Compagnie de Saint-Gobain. Saint-Gobain and Chausson Matériaux, the owner of Bois & Matériaux, had entered into exclusive negotiations concerning this transaction at the beginning of May. The competition authorities were then notified of the transaction on 6 July by the Distribution Matériaux Bois-Panneaux (DMBP) subdivision, which belongs to Saint-Gobain.
According to the clearance notice published by the competition authorities at the time of closing, DMBP generated total turnover of approximately €380m in the 2020 financial year, with its total of 46 locations and its brands Dispano, CBC, Fabre & Lebeau and CIBM (Centre d’Importation de Bois). Panofrance, with its 30 locations, achieved a turnover volume of around €150m. However, the three locations in Marseille, Metz and Nancy will be excluded from the transaction and will instead remain under the control of Bois & Matériaux. In the region around Tarbes, the takeover of Panofrance by DMBP would lead to overlaps. DMPB has therefore agreed to sell one of the three branches based in this area: the Dispano location in Lons.
