The construction industry is expected to continue to grow in the United States, thus, fueling the construction material industry. The construction market is expected to reach over 1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2020 worldwide. The growth in Asia’s market is expected to be one of the most significant in the world. This growth is especially prominent in China where increase in urbanization has been one of the main drivers behind the government’s proliferation of infrastructure and housing project investments.
France’s Saint-Gobain S.A. was among one of the largest construction materials manufacturers in the world. The company was founded in 1665 as a glass and mirror manufacturer during the height of the mirror’s popularity among the upper class population. Throughout the 1900s, Saint-Gobain expanded their production to include other materials including fiberglass, ceramics, and abrasives. It was not until around the mid-1990s when the company bought Poliet, a French building and construction distribution group, that Saint-Gobain broadened their product line to include construction materials.
