GRS form new sustainable aggregates partnership with Ocean

09 October, 2023

L-R: GRS Maen Karne managing director Doug Galbraith with Ocean Blocks & Aggregates director Leigh Genge at their Lee Moor site near Plymouth

Construction materials firm acquires 50% stake in secondary materials producer

CONSTRUCTION materials trading group GRS have acquired a 50% stake in Devon-based Ocean Blocks and Aggregates Ltd. The deal strengthens GRS’s ability to serve the construction industry in the South West and boosts the firm’s capacity to supply sustainable secondary aggregates into the South East using its established rail and marine freight network to achieve the lowest carbon footprint.

The latest partnership also opens up new local markets for Ocean, which has access to millions of tonnes of granite arising as a by-product of Imerys' china clay mining operation at Lee Moor, near Plymouth. Ocean also have a new on-site processing plant that washes and grades the material to produce high-quality bagged aggregates for the building trade, as well as using the product to make concrete blocks for housebuilders in the area.

Ocean’s directors Andrew Lakeman, son Edward, and Leigh Genge will remain on the board, along with directors from GRS, including Doug Galbraith, managing director of GRS’s South West subsidiary Maen Karne. Under the new partnership Ocean will work closely with both GRS and Maen Karne to supply the material locally and nationally.

Jon Fisher, chief executive of GRS, said: ‘Our new partnership with Ocean is a great addition to our portfolio. It gives us a complementary presence in Devon and Cornwall and opens up opportunities to supply premium secondary aggregates to housing and infrastructure projects across the country, easing the pressure on primary aggregates.

‘Better still, GRS shares the same ethos as Ocean and we are looking forward to working with the founders and the whole team to support their growth as an independent business, both locally and nationally.’

Ocean director Leigh Genge added: ‘We have worked alongside GRS for a number of years and they are a great fit for our business. GRS already has established supply chain networks to efficiently transport our secondary aggregates from Lee Moor to major construction markets.

‘Coming together also means we can continue to grow our business with the agility and entrepreneurial spirit of an independent operator. We’re looking forward to promoting the use of high-quality materials that would otherwise be a waste product to make the most of the country’s natural resources and reduce net carbon emissions.’