Breedon Group has completed its acquisition of Hope Construction Materials, creating one of the UK’s largest independent construction materials group in a deal worth £336m.

The 200-strong team at the Hope Cement works in Derbyshire celebrated becoming part of Breedon with a visit from group chairman Peter Tom CBE and group chief executive Pat Ward. Accompanied by Hope Cement managing director Ashley Bryan, they toured the site and met members of the workforce.

The iconic Peak District cement works becomes a key asset in the Breedon Group network which has now grown to include around 60 quarries, 27 asphalt plants, just under 200 concrete plants and a major surfacing and road contracting operation. Its combined mineral reserves and resources are in excess of 750m tonnes, securing the future of the business for decades to come.

Mr Tom said: “We’re delighted to complete the acquisition of Hope – it’s a great business and will add a lot of value to everything Breedon has achieved, giving us an even stronger platform for growth through a broader geographical footprint, increased scale, improved product mix, greater financial capacity and some highly talented people.”