BPB's international building materials business is continuing its investment in growing markets, announcing the construction of a new £36 million plasterboard and plaster plant to the east of Rome.

Utilising state-of-the-art BPB technology, the new combined manufacturing plant is expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2001. The operation will have an annual capacity of more than 25 million square metres of plasterboard, together with over 250,000 tonnes of building plasters and fine finishing coatings, strengthening BPB's leadership of the Italian gypsum products market.

"BPB is committed to strengthening its world-wide presence in growth markets for plasterboard and related building materials" said BPB's chief executive Richard Cousins. "Our investment in the new plant at Termoli will meet the needs of a fast growing domestic market, enable us to supply expanding Mediterranean export markets and significantly reduce our regional cost base".

This addition to the 60 million square metres of new plasterboard capacity brought on-stream last year will increase BPB’s international manufacturing base to service annual sales of over 650 million square metres.

Notes to editors:

• BPB is the world’s leading supplier of plasterboard systems and building plasters, serving markets in over 45 countries.
  
• BPB published a trading update on 23 March, ahead of its preliminary results for the year to 31 March 2000 due on 1 June; pre-tax profit is expected to be in line with expectations, implying full year earnings per share growth of around 30 %.

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