Acquisition

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain
28 March 2002

                       SAINT-GOBAIN'S ACQUISITIONS IN 2001 

Expenditure of EUR 412 million for additional sales of more than EUR 850 million

The purpose of this press release is to recapitulate the acquisitions (not
including buybacks of Compagnie de Saint-Gobain stock) carried out by the Group
in 2001, particularly those which were not specifically announced at the time.
The sales figures provided below are based on estimated full-year data for 2001.

In 2001, the Group continued to pursue its external growth strategy, through
more than 60 acquisitions, most of them small-scale operations in the high-
growth businesses of Building Materials Distribution on the one hand and
Ceramics & Plastics, Abrasives and Reinforcements on the other. These
acquisitions represented an aggregate investment in securities of EUR 412
million, with enterprise value of EUR 402 million since the net cash acquired
totaled EUR 10 million, for additional full-year sales of EUR 854 million. 

The Group also bought out almost all minority interests in some of its listed
subsidiaries, for a total expenditure of EUR 345 million. These operations
concerned the Spanish subsidiary Saint Gobain Cristaleria (for EUR 231 million)
and the three listed Brazilian subsidiaries (for EUR 114 million).

In line with the Group's development strategy, the majority of these
acquisitions concerned the high-growth businesses of Building Materials
Distribution and Ceramics and Composites. Investment in these two areas totaled
EUR 323 million, for additional sales of EUR 776 million.



• Building Materials Distribution: acquisitions of EUR 192 million for
additional annual sales of EUR 660 million

In 2001, the Division continued its external growth through 46 bolt-on
acquisitions in France, the United Kingdom and Germany.


France:

The Point.P group carried out 35 external growth operations, adding EUR 272
million to its full-year sales. In particular, Point.P strengthened its coverage
of southeastern France by acquiring Materiaux Reunis, a network of 30 outlets
selling a broad range of building materials. The company enjoys an excellent
reputation and has an annual sales volume of EUR 107 million.

Point.P also acquired the following companies, which added 65 sales outlets:

- several general distributors (total sales acquired: EUR 75 million), including
SPC (Paris area), Vinets Materiaux and Betons Champenois (central France),
Verney (region of Lyon), and Sud Ouest Materiaux Penquerch (southwest);

- specialized distributors (total acquired sales: EUR 90 million), such as
Brill, dealing with ceilings, insulation and partitions; Hubert, specialized in
hardware, carpentry, wood and paneling (northern France); Sevegrand, a
distributor of plumbing equipment in the Paris area and BCCDL, a producer of
ready-mixed concrete in the southwest. 


United Kingdom:

Drawing upon the Point.P business model, Saint Gobain Building Distribution
carried out several bolt-on acquisitions in the United Kingdom. Of the six
companies purchased in 2001, the four largest were Archibald and Matthew
Charlton, two general distributors, and Cakebread Robey and Nixon Knowles,
specialized respectively in heating and bathroom supplies, and in wood and
paneling. These four companies, which represent sales of EUR 108 million, have
been integrated into the Group's two distribution networks in the United
Kingdom, Jewson as the general distributor, and Graham as the plumbing and
heating specialist.


Germany and Central Europe:

Raab Karcher acquired Keramundo, the leading German distributor of ceramic tiles
with 52 sales outlets and sales of EUR 230 million. This operation was rounded
out by the takeover of another specialized ceramic tiles trader, Geldmacher.
Still in Germany, Roha, Menke and Kulb & Diers, three specialized distributors
of materials for heavy construction also joined the fold.
In the Czech Republic, Raab Karcher bought the BayWa group's building materials
distribution network, which includes 10 outlets.

In all, Raab-Karcher's acquisitions added EUR 280 million to its sales. 



• Ceramics and Composites: acquisitions of EUR 131 million for additional annual
sales of EUR 116 million

In Ceramics & Plastics:

The Division continued to bolster its positions, focusing mainly on specialty
products. 

Its principal acquisitions included Mox-Med Inc., a U.S. based manufacturer of
silicone elastomers mainly for the healthcare industry, with annual sales of EUR
20 million, and Jinzhou in China, a producer of quartz for the semiconductor
industry. 

In Saudi Arabia, the Division set up a joint venture with Obeikan to produce
coated fabrics (part of the High-Performance Plastics business), intended
particularly for the market of large-format advertising displays. 
The Division also took full control of its previously equity-accounted U.S.
subsidiary Norton Alcoa Proppants, in which it already held a 50% interest. This
company, which was renamed Norton Proppants Inc., produces ceramic pellets for
oil and gas well fracturing. Its annual sales amount to EUR 70 million.

The total sales acquired by the division came to EUR 90 million. 

In Abrasives, the Group acquired Merit, an abrasives manufacturer with
operations in California and Mexico, and annual sales of EUR 26 million. 

In Reinforcements, the Group kept up its development in Asia, by acquiring an
80% stake in the Chinese company Hanghzou.



• Historical businesses: investments of EUR 89 million, of which EUR 37 million
gave rise to additional annual sales of EUR 78 million.

Among the historical businesses, only the Flat Glass, Insulation and Pipe
divisions pursued acquisitions in 2001. As required by the strategic focuses
defined by the Group, these operations were designed to extend the reach of
these historical businesses in emerging countries and/or in downstream
operations.

Flat Glass: EUR 57 million in acquisitions of investments, of which EUR 14
million gave rise to additional sales of EUR 27 million.

In China, the Division acquired Yong Xin Glass, which manufactures microwave
oven trays. 

In France, it performed two bolt-on acquisitions in processing and distribution
of flat glass for the building industry, with Pradel and AMS. In the United
Kingdom, it purchased the assets of Art Glass, also in the field of processing
for the building industry.

The Division also bought out the minority interests in its Mexican subsidiary SG
Glass Mexico (previously 80%-owned and fully consolidated), and increased to 40%
its interest in the Korean company Hankuk Glass Industry, previously accounted
for by the equity method and now proportionally consolidated. 

Insulation: EUR 21 million in acquisitions of investments, of which EUR 17
million gave rise to additional sales of EUR 21 million.

The Division's main investment consisted in acquiring API, a company specialized
in metallic frames for suspended ceilings.

Pipe: EUR 11 million in acquisitions of investments, of which EUR 6 million gave
rise to additional sales of EUR 30 million.

The Division's main investment consisted in acquiring Sebold (annual sales: EUR
30 million), which allowed it to extend its German distribution network for
public-works pipes. 


March 28, 2002 


                         Investor Relations Department

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