Acquisition

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain
11 January 2005




press release


SAINT-GOBAIN ACQUIRES W.A.W - A-KERAMIKA, THE LEADING DISTRIBUTOR OF TILES AND
SANITARY-WARE IN SLOVAKIA AND NUMBER 2 IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC


Saint-Gobain's Building Distribution Division has announced the acquisition of
the W.A.W - A-KERAMIKA Group.


W.A.W - A-KERAMIKA is the leading distributor of tiles and sanitary-ware in
Slovakia and number 2 in the Czech Republic, with 23 branches (15 in Slovakia
and 8 in the Czech Republic) and more than 400 employees. The Group's sales for
2004 are estimated to come at €37 million.


The acquisition of W.A.W - A-KERAMIKA is a further step in the drive to develop
the Building Distribution Division's specialized structures alongside its
general retailer network. Building on its existing presence in the Czech
Republic through Raab Karcher Staviva, the Division's expansion into Slovakia
will allow it to strengthen its foothold on Eastern Europe.


The completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of the relevant
competition authorities.


Estimated sales in 2004 for Saint-Gobain's Building Distribution Division should
reach 13,7 billion Euro. The Division has over 58 000 employees, with a network
of over 3,300 sales outlets located in 19 countries. Today, it is the number One
distributor of building materials in Europe and worldwide leader in distributing
tiles. Its main corporate brand names are Point.P, Jewson, Raab Karcher, Dahl,
Lapeyre, and La Plateforme du Batiment.


January 11, 2005


                         Investor Relations Department


Mme. Florence TRIOU-TEIXEIRA     Tel. : [phone]
M. Alexandre ETUY                Tel. : [phone]
                                 Fax : [phone]

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