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Summary of our market study
The French market for clay bricks and tiles is estimated at 1.1 billion euros. Bricks account for around 50% of the total.
Clay bricks are used in 35% of new buildings worldwide.
The French market for terracotta bricks, made mainly from natural clay and sand, has shown a certain resilience in recent years. Terracotta bricks are a material renowned for its authenticity and respect for the environment.
The French renovation market has been growing for several years. France has seen a steady increase in the use of clay bricks for residential construction. Since 2014, it has become the preferred material, particularly in the multi-family housing segment, where its market share has quadrupled.
The French single-family home construction market has seen strong growth through to 2024, with a positive impact on clay brick homebuilding, which now accounts for almost half of all new single-family housing starts.
On a regional level, housing construction activity is concentrated in the south-west and north-east of France, regions that traditionally have a strong affinity for clay brick construction.
The French clay brick market is characterized by a decreasing number of players, but is dominated by major manufacturers such as Edilians and Terreal.
Export and import volumes into France were relatively low, with clay brick exports negligible in relation to production. The French trade balance was slightly in surplus.
The French construction sector is moving towards greater environmental awareness, aligning itself with the future RT 2020 regulations, which call for positive-energy buildings.nergy-positive buildings, putting the clay brick industry on a trajectory towards a low-carbon industry, reducing energy consumption by 17% and CO2 emissions by 37%.
Clay brick market players
- Edilians - Originally from the United States, Edilians is a major player on the French market.
- Terreal - The French market leader's roots are rooted in French building culture, offering terracotta products that blend effortlessly into the aesthetic and functional requirements of historic and modern buildings.
- Wienerberger - Austrian group, European leader in the sector
- BMI Group - American company present on the French market.
- Bouyer-Leroux - This French company is renowned for its environmentally-friendly production methods and the superior quality of its bricks.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Terra cotta brick is a natural brick, the result of ancient design processes. Terra cotta brick is generally made from clay and sand. The color of the clay gives the brick its hue, which is often red or yellow.
Clay bricks are handmade bricks, fired in a kiln at 1200°C. This makes them a much more authentic building material than breeze-block.
Worldwide brick production amounts to 1,500 billion units a year. Asia is the world's leading brick producer, accounting for 87% of the total. China alone accounts for 67% of global supply. [HZZK] In France, clay bricks play a major role in construction. Indeed, since 2014, it has been the most widely used material in residential construction. In multi-family housing, for example, clay bricks quadrupled their market share (between 2005 and 2014). Since then, however, the dynamic has been less positive, with the terracotta sector as a whole suffering a 9% decline between 2010 and 2019.
Brick manufacturers shape their products from the raw material clay. Finished products are then sent to specialized building distributors such as Leroy Merlin or Gedimat. Craftsmen then buy from these distributors. The main manufacturers on the French clay brick market are American Edilians and French Terreal.
Building with clay bricks is perfectly in line with current trends. Indeed, this material meets individual and societal demands for greater simplicity, transparency and clean, environmentally-friendly materials. The advantages of clay bricks should give them an important role in the €7.5 billion stimulus plan for building and renovation announced for 2020.
1.2 A fast-growing European market, driven by 5 countries
By exploiting NAF code **.**Z, which represents "Manufacture of clay bricks, tiles and construction products", it is clear that the clay construction market in Europe has grown enormously between **** and ****, with sales increasing by **% over these years, as shown in the graph below.
Sales trends in the manufacture of clay bricks, ...
1.3 A stable French market in recent years
Sales trends in the manufacture of clay bricks, tiles and building materials France, ****-**** Source: ****
As the graph above illustrates, there has been a slight structural decline in sales of clay bricks on the French market. However, this is hardly significant given the strong stability of sales since ****.
1.4 Low export and import volumes in relation to French production
First of all, the weight of bricks forces France to trade mostly with neighboring countries, and then only in very small quantities. As the Fédération Française des Tuiles et des Briques (***) points out, the volumes of clay bricks exported are negligible compared to the volumes delivered within the ...
1.5 The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the clay brick market
The situation that emerged in **** with the Covid-** crisis led to a decline in demand for almost a year, due to a drop in household purchasing power and the inability of the French to travel.
Change in domestic and export sales index for bricks, roof tiles and clay building products France, ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Demand remains solid
From **** to ****, the FFTB claims that clay brick has grown from **% to **% of the new-build market, all housing types combined. Demand has thus stimulated this market until today, when almost half of all new single-family housing starts are in clay brick.
Size of the French single-family home construction market France, ****-****, ...
2.2 New housing construction and renovation drive demand for clay bricks
every year, nearly ***,*** new homes are built in France, or around ** every hour.
Housing starts by regionFrance, ****, in % year-on-year
Source: ****
This map shows the geographical distribution of housing starts, which are particularly concentrated in the South-West and North-East, which means that these are also the regions where clay bricks are increasingly ...
2.3 Production where the demand is
Because of the difficulty of transporting large quantities of bricks, production sites are set up in the most convenient locations to minimize transport distances and delivery times. Indeed, transport costs can account for up to **% of total production costs. This is why the sites are located in regions where many terracotta ...
3 Market structure
3.1 A market in which the number of players is declining slightly but steadily
Growth in the number of companies in the clay brick and tile manufacturing market France, ****-**** Source: ****
Since ****, the number of companies operating in this sector has fallen by almost **%. For the most part, the companies that have disappeared from this market were small or very small businesses, faced with economic ...
3.2 Typology of French market players
First of all, the players are fairly evenly distributed, with companies of very different sizes. This means that there is a wide range of products and services on offer, even if some of the major players, which we will describe in greater detail later, monopolize a large part, if not almost ...
3.3 Key players in market sales
Among the companies present on the French market, according to figures from the Conseil National des greffiers des Tribunaux de Commerce, the * with the highest sales in France alone accounted for **.*% of French sales for clay bricks and tiles in ****. They share these sales as follows:
Main players in the clay ...
3.4 Clay brick production structure
According to the Belgian think tank CEPS, clay brick production costs are determined by energy and transport costs, with transport sometimes accounting for up to **% of production costs. For this reason, production sites are often located close to extraction sites.
There are * distinct stages in the production process:
Raw material ...
3.5 A market increasingly moving towards a low-carbon industry
According to Le Moniteur, the "Usine bas carbone ****" technological breakthrough program, in which clay bricks have been involved for ** years, is to be extended to the European level. Its impact on the clay brick market is already remarkable, as its thermal resistance has been multiplied by *, which means that energy consumption ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Factors in the price of clay brick construction
According to the official website of the world's leading manufacturer of terracotta products, Wienerberger, the following parameters are immediately apparent: surface area, whether or not there is an upper floor, the shape chosen and delivery (***), as well as the professional contacted.
Other factors also need to be taken into account:
Bricks ...
4.2 Clay brick product range typology
The clay brick market is divided into several categories, not all of which have the same market weight.
Typology of bricks on the clay bricks marketFrance, ****
Source: ****
Travaux Maçonnerie adds that the price of a terracotta brick house generally ranges from *** to *,*** euros per square meter, including tax. this range ...
4.3 Product benefits and breakdown by type
according to Travaux Maçonnerie, terracotta bricks offer a number of general advantages for construction:
High-quality, natural insulation for thermal savings: effective at containing heat in winter, and keeping cool in summer. An atrisanal construction based on a natural, ecological and recyclable material: clay, widely found in French subsoils Quick and ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Current and future regulations
At European level, there is a "Construction Products Regulation" (***) under which brick manufacturers must draw up a declaration of performance and affix the CE mark to their construction materials when these are covered by a harmonized European standard. Manufacturers are then required to undergo certification, which ensures that the product marketed ...
5.2 Financing assistance for eco-responsible brick homes
In addition to the price factors involved in building a home, we also need to take into account all those that can reduce the cost of construction.
Terracotta bricks, with their low environmental impact once installed (***), are part of an eco-responsible approach.
That's why numerous aid schemes have been set up ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Market segmentation between different players
- Edilians
- Terreal Groupe (Wienerberger Group)
- Wienerberger 1
- Bouyer Leroux Groupe
- Briqueterie Chimot
- Briqueteries du Nord
- La Française des Tuiles et des Briques
- Fabemi Groupe
- Wienerberger Terca
- Vandersanden
- Cleia Ingenierie
- Rairies Montrieux
- Acceo
- Raise invest
- Gide Loyrette Nouel Avocats
- Rairies Montrieux
- Tegulis
List of charts presented in this market study
- Sales trends in the manufacture of clay bricks, tiles and building materials
- Sales trends in the manufacture of clay bricks, tiles and building materials
- Top 5 European countries producing clay bricks, tiles and building materials
- French clay brick exports negligible in relation to total production
- Breakdown of housing starts by category
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Latest news
Technical inspection: Acceo speeds up with Sagard - 04/03/2024
- 2016: European investment company Gimv acquires a stake in Acceo.
- Acceo has a network of 16 branches in France.
- It has more than 1,300 property management trustees, representing nearly 60% of its customer portfolio.
- Acceo sales: 39 million euros in 2023, forecast 50 million euros in 2024.
- The market generated by the new energy renovation regulations is estimated at between 2.5 and 3 billion euros.
- Acceo employs 430 people, with a forecast of 510 by the end of 2024.
- Acceo plans a minimum of seven additional acquisitions over the next five years. Gimv remains a minority shareholder in Acceo, alongside some sixty of the company's employees.
- Sagard, the fund launched by the Desmarais family and several industrialists, recently invested in Acceo
Ten years after its creation, Raise goes international - 04/03/2024
- Management company founded by Clara Gaymard and Gonzague de Blignières
- Raise management company celebrates its tenth anniversary.
- Opening of offices in London and Munich, in addition to the Paris office
- Raise currently manages €2 billion and over 55% of its business is carried out internationally.
- 70% of its mergers and acquisitions are carried out in Europe.
Building : Bouyer Leroux invests 76 million in decarbonization - 17/11/2023
- Firing clay bricks is an energy-intensive activity
- Bouyer Leroux, the French industry leader
- The cooperative, based near Cholet in the Maine-et-Loire region, has programmed 76 million euros between 2018 and 2027 to move away from fossil fuels, mainly gas.
- This brickworks, which produces 300,000 tonnes of bricks a year (equivalent to 18,000 houses), is one of the largest in France
- It intends to defend its leading position, with over 50% of the structural brick market, even after the announced merger of its competitors in France, Austrian Wienerberger, which has taken over Terreal.
- The cooperative (brick business) has sales of €165 million and 550 employees, and has made a series of acquisitions in joinery, wood flooring and precast concrete.
- Group with 2,000 employees and 540 million euros in consolidated sales
Cleia seeks to diversify - 15/09/2023
- The Cleia engineering group is based in Nolay (Côte-d'Or).
- Industrial production accounts for almost 70% of the group's sales.
- Last year, Cleia Group sales totaled 30 million euros.
- 120 employees.
- The Cleia Group is present in North Africa and Europe, and plans to expand into the Middle East.
Wienerberger world number one in terracotta - 10/08/2023
- Wienerberger, the world's leading manufacturer of clay products, saw its share price plunge by almost 10% on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
- The Group's new-build and renovation markets in Europe are expected to shrink by 30% and 15% respectively.
- In France, housing reservations plunged by 20% in volume and 28% in value for Nexity.
- For Kaufman & Broad, the drop is -11% in volume and -19% in value.
- For Altarea, the drop was -12% in volume and -7% in value.
- New home builder Hexaom saw its order intake drop by almost 36% in value and 42% in number over the first six months of 2023.
Terreal invests 20 million to save gas at its main tile plant | 20 million investment to save gas at Terreal - 16/05/2023
- Energy efficiency investment - 6.4 million euros
- Terreal sales - 880 million euros (50% in France)
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