Plumbing and heating giant Wolseley has revealed that new acquisitions made in the last 11 weeks will add £170 million to full year sales.
The building supplies group yesterday said it has spent £87 million on eight acquisitions in Europe and North America since the start of its current financial year on August 1.
Goodwill related to these acquisitions is estimated at £45 million.
Wolseley - which has a major operations in the Midlands - said it spent £20 million on two European distribution acquisitions, and £67 million on six North American plumbing and heating distribution companies.
Chief executive Charlie Banks said the moves "will further strengthen our presence in Europe and also in North America.
"They support our strategy of growing the business through acquisition and organic growth."
The business has acquired HGH Plumbing Supplies, a specialist merchant of plastic above ground drainage products operating from Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
In the year ending January 31, HGH achieved sales of £5.9 million and had gross assets of £1.9 million at that date.
The company also acquired the Belgian Centratec Group, a distributor of domestic and commercial heating equipment and pipes valves and fittings (PVF).
That business operates from six locations focused on the central and eastern regions of Belgium.
It achieved sales of £28.8 million in the year ending December 31, 2004, and at that time had gross assets of £14.7 million.
In addition Wolseley acquired businesses in North American locations, ranging from Chicago, Indiana and Northern Virginia, as well as in Ontario, Canada
The news comes after the group hit the headlines yesterday when The Birmingham Post revealed it was believed to be one of the firms bidding about £1 billion for Swedish industrial materials supplier Ahlsell.
The business was competing against a handful of private equity firms in the auction, which has been running for several months and is nearing its final stages, sources said.
Ahlsell's private equity backer Nordic Capital was selling the company in an auction being run by Morgan Stanley, they said.
And Morgan Stanley was also offering a financing package for bidders which was oversubscribed, it was claimed.
Wolseley and Morgan Stanley yesterday declined to comment.
The Reading-based group runs the headquarters of its UK arm at Leamington Spa where it employs about 350 people.
It is also creating a new distribution centre in the town, which will increase the capacity of Wolseley's UK distribution network through its 1,500 branches, which include the Build Center, Climate Center and Plumb Center chains.
The group posted an expected 16 per cent rise in annual profit on September 26 and predicted higher US sales following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
