Grafton Group
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGrafton Group is an Irish-headquartered builders' merchanting and building materials group operating primarily in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Grafton Group is an Ireland-founded multinational distributor of building materials and construction-related products, with manufacturing and DIY retail businesses. Grafton Group is an Irish-headquartered multinational distributors of building materials and construction-related products, with manufacturing, DIY retail and technical wholesale businesses across Ireland, the UK, Northern Europe and Iberia.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Grafton Group is an Ireland-based builders' merchanting group with operations in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Its businesses supply construction materials, plumbing and heating products, timber, civils and infrastructure materials, and related products to trade customers and, through selected retail and online operations, to consumers. The group is associated with several established merchanting and home-improvement brands, including Chadwicks, Woodie's, Selco, Jacksons, Civils & Lintels and a number of online businesses. The company's origins date to 1902, when William Thomas Chadwick established a builders' merchants and building contractors business in Dublin. The operating company was incorporated as Chadwicks (Dublin) Ltd in 1909. In the following decades, the business expanded beyond distribution: in 1930 Chadwick acquired a Dublin manufacturer of roof tiles and concrete blocks, which was registered as Concrete Products of Ireland Ltd in 1931. That manufacturing company later became the corporate vehicle for the wider group. It became a public limited company and incorporated Chadwicks (Dublin) Ltd in 1965, while Marley increased its shareholding to 51 percent. Michael Chadwick subsequently bought out Marley and renamed the business Grafton Group in 1987. The group adopted the Grafton Group plc name in 1988 and then pursued a sustained acquisition-led expansion strategy. In the United Kingdom, it acquired British Dredging, including the Selco chain, in 1998; Jackson Building Centres in 2003; and Plumbline, a Scottish plumbing-merchanting business, later in 2003. In Ireland, it acquired Heiton Group in 2004. The group also expanded its digital and consumer-facing activities through the 2006 purchase of Plumbworld, an online bathroom retailer. During the 2010s, Grafton continued to add regional merchants and specialist distributors. Acquisitions included Thompsons in 2013, Binje Ackermans in Belgium in the same year, Direct Builders Merchants and Crescent Building Supplies in 2014, TG Lynes in 2015, T Brewer in 2016 and Allsand Supplies in 2016. These transactions broadened the group's geographic reach and strengthened its exposure to timber, mechanical engineering products, plumbing, bathrooms and general builders' merchanting. The group also launched Bohen, a showroom and online proposition focused on bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. A major strategic change came in January 2022, when Grafton completed the sale of its United Kingdom merchanting business to Huws Gray for £520 million. The divestment included Buildbase, Civils & Lintels, PDM Buildbase, The Timber Group, Bathroom Distribution Group, Frontline and NDI Brands. Following that transaction, the group retained a portfolio centered on its Irish operations and selected UK businesses, including Woodie's DIY, Civils and Lintels, Selco and Jacksons as identified in the reference material, alongside online-only activities. Grafton remains a listed construction-distribution group whose positioning combines national scale, specialist product knowledge, regional branch networks, trade-service capability and consumer-facing home-improvement retail.
History
Grafton Group traces its origins to a Dublin builders' merchants and building contractors business established by William Thomas Chadwick in 1902. The enterprise was incorporated as Chadwicks (Dublin) Ltd in 1909. Its early development combined merchanting with manufacturing: in 1930 Chadwick acquired a Dublin business making roof tiles and concrete blocks, and incorporated that activity as Concrete Products of Ireland Ltd in 1931. Concrete Products of Ireland later became the group's principal corporate vehicle. It converted to a public limited company and incorporated Chadwicks (Dublin) Ltd in 1965. Around the same period, building materials company Marley increased its holding to 51 percent. Michael Chadwick later bought out Marley and renamed the business Grafton Group in 1987. The corporate name changed from Concrete Products of Ireland plc to Grafton Group plc in 1988. From the late 1990s, Grafton developed through acquisitions in the builders' merchanting and plumbing-supply sectors. The purchase of British Dredging in March 1998 brought the Selco chain into the group and provided a major UK platform. Further UK expansion followed with the acquisition of Jackson Building Centres in February 2003 and Plumbline in October 2003. In Ireland, Grafton acquired Heiton Group in June 2004. The 2006 acquisition of Plumbworld added a significant online bathroom-retailing activity and complemented the group's branch-based businesses. The group continued to assemble a broad portfolio during the 2010s. It acquired Thompsons in 2013, adding a Wearside builders' merchant, and Binje Ackermans, a Brussels-based merchanting operation, later that year. Grafton also developed a more consumer-oriented home-improvement proposition by opening showrooms and launching Bohen for bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. Further acquisitions included Direct Builders Merchants in Kent in 2014, Crescent Building Supplies in Ruislip later that year, TG Lynes in 2015, T Brewer in London in 2016 and Allsand Supplies in Kent in 2016. Together, these transactions covered general merchanting, plumbing, timber and mechanical engineering distribution. The next major phase was portfolio rationalization. In January 2022, Grafton completed the sale of its UK merchanting business to Huws Gray for £520 million. The divested operations included Buildbase, Civils & Lintels, PDM Buildbase, The Timber Group, Bathroom Distribution Group, Frontline and NDI Brands. This disposal materially changed the group's geographic and business mix. The reference material identifies the remaining portfolio as including Woodie's DIY, Civils and Lintels, Selco and Jacksons, together with online-only businesses. Grafton continues to be described as an Ireland-headquartered group operating in the UK and Ireland and listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- 2024
Acquires Salvador Escoda
- 2022
UK merchanting business sold
[1]Grafton completed the sale of its UK merchanting business to Huws Gray for £520 million.
- 2022
Eric Born appointed CEO
- 2021
Completes acquisition of IKH businesses
- 2018
Acquires Leyland SDM
- 2017
Michael Roney becomes Chair
- 2015
Enters the Netherlands through Isero
- 2013
Bohen launched
[1]The group opened ten showrooms and launched Bohen, a proposition focused on bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms.
- 2013
Moves to a sole London Stock Exchange listing
- 2011
Selco reaches its 30th branch
Products and positioning
A multi-brand builders' merchanting and home-improvement group serving professional construction customers, specialist trades and consumers through branch networks, showrooms, retail stores and online channels. A multinational building-materials and construction-products group combining distribution scale with local brands, market knowledge and customer-focused service; it also operates a leading home improvement retailer in its home Irish market.
Builders' merchanting
Chadwicks
Chadwicks is the group's historic Irish builders' merchanting identity. Its business serves construction professionals and trade customers with general building materials and associated products through a branch-based distribution model.
DIY and home improvement retail
Woodie's DIY
Woodie's DIY is a consumer-facing home-improvement business within the identified Grafton portfolio. It serves do-it-yourself customers with products and services connected to household maintenance, renovation and improvement. Woodie's DIY is a consumer-facing home-improvement business within the identified Grafton portfolio. It serves do-it-yourself customers with products and services connected to household maintenance, renovation and improvement, offering DIY products, paints, lighting, home styling, housewares, bathroom products, kitchens and seasonal ranges.
Builders' merchanting
Selco
Selco is a UK builders' merchanting chain acquired through British Dredging in 1998. It represents Grafton's trade-oriented branch network and supplies construction materials and related products to professional customers.
Builders' merchanting · 2003
Jacksons
Jacksons is a builders' merchanting brand acquired by Grafton in 2003. The business forms part of the group's UK merchanting heritage and provides building materials to trade customers.
Online bathroom retail · 2006
Plumbworld
Plumbworld is an online bathroom retailer acquired by Grafton in 2006. Its inclusion broadened the group beyond physical merchant branches into digital retail and direct-to-consumer bathroom sales.
Bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms · 2013
Bohen
Bohen was introduced as a showroom and online proposition centered on bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. The concept was supported by ten showrooms opened in 2013 and was designed to give Grafton a more design-led, consumer-facing presence.
Building materials and construction-related products
Distributed through the Group's construction and building-materials businesses.
DIY, home and garden retail
Woodie's offers DIY products, paints, lighting, home styling, housewares, bathroom products, kitchens and seasonal ranges.
Workwear, PPE, tools, spare parts and accessories
Distributed by IKH in Finland through partner stores, third-party distributors and its own stores.
Air-conditioning, ventilation, heating, water and renewable products
Product categories associated with Salvador Escoda, serving professional installers.
Marketing campaigns
- 2013Bohen showroom and website launch
United Kingdom · Ireland
Grafton opened ten showrooms and launched a new website for Bohen, a brand focused on bathroom, kitchen and bedroom products. The initiative expanded the group's showroom and digital presence in consumer-oriented home improvement, although the available reference does not provide performance results.
Outcome. The initiative expanded the group's showroom and digital presence in consumer-oriented home improvement, although the available reference does not provide performance results.
Brand decisions
2022
Divestment of UK merchanting businessM&ABackground
Grafton undertook a major portfolio change by separating its UK merchanting operations from the retained group.
Action taken
The company completed the sale of the UK merchanting business to Huws Gray for £520 million. Businesses included Buildbase, Civils & Lintels, PDM Buildbase, The Timber Group, Bathroom Distribution Group, Frontline and NDI Brands.
Aftermath
The transaction reduced and reshaped Grafton's UK merchanting footprint and left the group focused on its remaining Irish, selected UK and online activities identified in the reference material.
Sale consideration. £520 million (2022)
2013
Sole listing on the London Stock ExchangeOther
Recent events
Reported
Grafton Group raises full-year guidance[6]
Grafton Group raised its outlook, saying it anticipated adjusted operating profit of £130–£140 million in the second half, provided trading trends remained consistent with October and were not materially affected by newly introduced Covid-19 restrictions.
Sources6 sources
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