Acquisition

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain
23 December 2004



press release


SAINT-GOBAIN ACQUIRES THE LEADING SWISS BATHROOMS DISTRIBUTOR AND STRENGTHENS
ITS EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP ON THIS MARKET


Saint-Gobain's Building Distribution Division has announced the acquisition of
the Swiss company Sanitas Troesch, the leading distributor of bathrooms for
professional trade customers and number two distributor of kitchens in
Switzerland.


Formed from the 1991 merger of two family-run companies Sanitas and Troesch,
respectively founded in 1911 and 1912, the group has achieved high levels of
profitable growth over the last ten years, fueled by both organic and external
expansion.


Sales for Sanitas Troesch in 2004 are expected to come in at CHF 474 million
(€308 million), up 6.7 % on 2003. The group currently employs over 720 people in
26 branches located across Switzerland.


This acquisition, which will have a positive impact on the net income of the
Saint-Gobain Group (after interest costs and tax) from as early as 2005, is a
further step in the drive to develop the Building Distribution Division's
specialized business lines. As well as strengthening the Division's leadership
on the European bathroom market, the acquisition will provide the Group with a
solid base on which to develop its various other businesses in Switzerland.


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


Sales for Saint-Gobain's Building Distribution Division in 2004 are estimated at
€13.6 billion. The Division currently has more than 58,000 employees and a
network of over 3,300 sales outlets located in 19 countries. Saint Gobain is the
leading distributor of building materials in Europe and its main brands are
Point.P, Jewson's, Raab Karcher, Dahl, Lapeyre, and La Plateforme du
Batiment. In bathroom distribution, its main specialized brands are Cedeo in
France, Lapeyre, Graham's in the UK and Dahl in Scandinavia.

December 23, 2004


                         Investor Relations Department


Mme. Florence TRIOU-TEIXEIRA     Tel. : [phone]

M. Alexandre ETUY                Tel. : [phone]
                                 Fax  : [phone]


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange