Stmt.re Acquisitions in 2000

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain
29 March 2001


                    Saint-Gobain's acquisitions in 2000:
   Expenditure of EUR 2.9 billion for additional sales of EUR 6 billion.

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 2000, particularly those which were not specifically announced at the time.
The sales figures provided below are based on estimated full-year data for 2000.

In 2000 the Saint-Cobain group vigorously pursued its external growth strategy,
acquiring over the course of the year more than 100 companies, representing full
year sales of EUR 6 billion, for a total outlay of EUR 2.9 billion (excluding
EUR 72 million in expenditure on securities carried out by Essilor before
Saint-Gobain sold its stake in the company).

In line with the strategy defined by the Group, the bulk of these acquisitions
(91%) was in the high-growth areas of Building Materials Distribution, on the
one hand, and Ceramics & Plastics, Abrasives and Reinforcements on the other.

The Group issued press releases to announce the largest of these acquisitions in
2000, namely the following:

  - Meyer,  Raab Karcher, Mercader, and Telhanorte, leading groups in
    distribution of building materials to professionals in the United  Kingdom,
    Germany, Spain and Brazil, respectively;

  - In Ceramics & Plastics, Chemfab, the global reference point for glass
    fabrics coated with fluoropolymers. In the same division, Holz Precision    
    Inc., a leader in engineering and manufacturing of precision-machined  and
    complex assemblies for the semiconductors industry;

  - In Building Materials, the roofing business of Celotex, a manufacturer of
    asphalt-covered shingles used as roofing on American houses.

  - In the Pipe division, the pipes business of the British group Biwater.

The following is a review of all of the acquisitions of the period, by division:

Building Materials  Distribution:  acquisitions  of  EUR  2,100  million   for
additional sales of EUR 5,310 million).

The large-scale acquisitions for which announcements were made (Meyer, Raab
Karcher,  Mercader and Telhanorte) allowed the Division to become the European
leader in distribution of building materials and attain the no.2 position in
Brazil, an emerging and fast-growing market. The Division also, acquired smaller
regional operators, particularly in France, representing sales of about EUR 288
million, at a total cost of EUR 77 million.

France:

The Point P group carried out more than 20 bolt-on acquisitions in France,
adding  more  than  EUR 150 million to its full-year sales. The  main companies
involved  were Depot Service Carrelage, a distributor of tiles and other floor
coverings, Tarmac, which sells ready-mixed concrete, Sofilro,  specialized in
kitchens,  bathrooms and central heating,  Mari, a wholesaler of building
materials and DIY and gardening supplies, Guyot et Soba, a timber and panelling
trader. Point P also acquired several broad-based wholesalers, including Tordo,
Comptoir Audomarois, Maeschler & Matter, Letulle, Giaccardi, BSCB, Morel. These
bolt-on acquisitions should rapidly allow synergies, to arise and improve  Point
P's quality of service at the regional level.

United Kingdom:

Drawing upon the Point P business model, the Meyer group began to implement a
strategy of local-market development, by acquiring World's End Tiles Ltd, a
distributor of upmarket tiles with annual sales of EUR 23 million.

Netherlands:

Raab-Karcher acquired De Waardt, the third largest building materials group in
the Netherlands, and became the market leader in the country. Sales: EUR 115
million.

Ceramics & Plastics and Abrasives:  acquisitions of EUR 445 million for
additional sales of EUR 359 million.

The acquisitions of Chemfab and Holz Precision Inc, which were both announced,
brought EUR 250 million in annual sales. They strengthened the Division's
presence  in  two  high-potential technical fields: glass fabrics coated with
engineered  polymers,  which supplement High-Performance Plastics operations;
assemblies and advanced manufacturing services for semiconductors, which broaden
the offerings of the Advanced Ceramics business line. The Division also gained
positions in several technical niche segments in Europe  (mainly the United
Kingdom) and in the U.S., through the following transactions:

In Ceramics & Plastics:

-  Saphikon (United  States) manufactures products in monocrystalline
   sapphire, particularly intended  for electronic optics  applications,
   which are complementary with the offerings of the Saint-Gobain Quartz
   range. Sales: EUR 14 million.
        
-  Norwood Coated Products (United States), a manufacturer of foam  and
   adhesives for the medical,  electronics,  automobile  and building
   sectors.  The company  was  brought into the  Saint-Cobain Performance
   Plastics business line. Sales: EUR 17.2 million.
 
-  Magic Manufacturing Inc  (United   States), a producer of precision-machined 
   complex parts for integrated circuit manufacturing. This acquisition         
   strongly complements that of Holz  Precision,  making Saint-Cobain one of    
   the leading suppliers of these cutting-edge systems. Sales: EUR 53 million.
        
-  Eta Process Plants Ltd (United Kingdom), specialized in manufacturing
   plastic,  metal or ceramic filler media for mass transfer columns used
   in the petrochemical industry. Sales. EUR 9 million.

In Abrasives:

-  Raising of the Group's stake in the Polish company Korund to 97%,
   following a first acquisition of 51% at the end of  1999.  Located  in
   Kolo, to the west of Warsaw, Korund SA is Poland's leading producer of       
   abrasives.  The Division's leadership  position in Europe has been bolstered 
   by the addition of this very competitive company, offering low costs and an  
   extensive product range. Sales: EUR 16 million.

Insulation and Reinforcements: acquisitions of EUR 115 million, for   
additional sales of EUR 106 million

        
In Insulation:

The Group acquired two small companies with specialized skills that can bring 
added value to some of the products the Division markets in Europe:

-  Asbiro  Prefab BV (Netherlands) transforms and markets mineral wool
   insulation products. Sales: EUR 8 million.

-  Benken  AG  and Lignoform Produktions und Vertriebs AG  (Switzerland)
   manufactures noise insulation products in wood and laminate. 
   Sales:  EUR 4.5 million.

        
In Reinforcements:

The Division continued to pursue its strategy of development towards downstream 
and processing applications. The key acquisitions of the year were:

-  BTI (United States), manufacturing non-woven complexes used mainly in
   boat hulls and for refrigerated transport. Sales: EUR 38.5 million.

-  Purchase of the glassfiber mats business of Celotex. Sales: EUR 34 million,

-  Syncoglas (Belgium), specialized in fabrics and flat reinforcements,
   particularly for use in wind turbines. Sales: EUR 21 million.

   
Flat Class (expenditure on securities of EUR 41 million, of which EUR 14
million giving rise to additional sales of EUR 15 million)

-  The Division's expenditure on securities included, on the one hand,  the
   raising  of  its equity interests in Korea (where Hankuk Glass Industry and
   Hankuk Sekurit Limited are now 33%- and 66%-owned, respectively) and on the
   other  bolt-on acquisitions aimed at strengthening regional positions in
   processing and distribution of flat glass for the building industry. The
   main local acquisitions were Portaglas in Spain, with sales of EUR 8 million 
   and GVI in Montpellier, France, with sales of EUR 7.5 million.

    
Building  Materials (expenditure on securities of EUR 121 million, of  which
EUR 89 million giving rise to additional sales of EUR 144.4 million)

-  The  Division's  main  transaction was the  acquisition  of  the  roofing
   business  of  the U.S. company Celotex, specialized in the manufacturing  of
   asphalt-covered  shingles.  This purchase,  adding  to  the  acquisition  of
   GS-Roofing in 1999, has raised Saint-Gobain to the no.2 position for  roofing
   products in the U.S. market. Sales: EUR 144.4 million.
   
-  The Division also bought out, in May 2000, the remaining 20% stake in        
   Quartzolit - market leader for mortars and glues in Brazil.

Pipe (acquisitions of EUR 66 million, for additional sales of EUR 142 million)

In addition to the acquisition of Biwater Industries, representing sales of EUR
98 million, which was announced, the Division rounded out its specialized
distribution networks for piping products in Spain and Germany:

-  Saniplast SL (Spain), based in northwestern Spain, with six outlets.  
   Sales: EUR 26 million.

-  Leysser (Germany) - Sales: EUR 18 million.

March 29, 2001.

                   Investor Relations Department

Tel.: Florence TRIOU-TEXEIRA [phone] - 
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Tel.: Lounis BEKKAT [phone] - 
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