Etex Group

Etex describes itself as a global leader in construction offering sustainable building materials and a pioneer in lightweight construction. The company reports approximately 13,500 teammates, 46 operating countries, EUR 3,747 million in total revenue, and more than 190 sites across the world. Its history traces back to 1905, when Alphonse Emsens founded the Eternit fibre cement factory in Haren near Brussels after acquiring the manufacturing technology from Austrian industrialist Ludwig Hatscheck. Over the following decades Etex expanded internationally and diversified its product portfolio, adding plasterboard in 1957 with the founding of Gyproc in Belgium, acquiring German passive fire protection expert Promat in 1981, and completely banning asbestos from its production processes in 2002.

Etex's history begins in 1905, when Alphonse Emsens founded the Eternit fibre cement factory in Haren near Brussels after acquiring the manufacturing technology from Austrian industrialist Ludwig Hatscheck. In the 1930s Eternit expanded across Europe and invested in overseas export markets in Latin America, including Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, with Eternit Argentina established in 1937. After World War II, Eternit grew and continued to invest, building its first fibre cement factory in Africa in Congo in 1949, and in 1950 expanded into Asia with a fibre cement facility in Manila, the Philippines. The next 50 years were characterised by product diversification: plasterboard was added to the product portfolio in 1957 and the Gyproc company was founded in Belgium. German passive fire protection expert Promat was acquired in 1981, and ceramic tiles for floors and walls manufactured and marketed in Latin America became a new product segment with Ceramica San Lorenzo in Argentina added to the corporate group. Asbestos was completely banned from Etex's production processes in 2002. Aliaxis was born when plastic activities were split from Etex's building materials activities in 2003. In 2011, Etex acquired more than 80% of French company Lafarge's European operations.

Global leader in construction offering sustainable building materials and a pioneer in lightweight construction.

• Fibre cement

• Plasterboard

• Passive fire protection

• Ceramic tiles

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