Bathroom manufacturer, the Roca Group has acquired Sanit, a German manufacturer of concealed cisterns and built-in installation sanitaryware systems.

With this deal, which is pending approval by the competition authorities, Roca Group will reinforce its presence in a category in which Sanit is the third largest in Germany and the fifth largest in Europe.

As part of the group’s strategy to set up specialised competence centres for different product categories in the bathroom, Sanit will become the development hub for Roca Group’s installation systems.

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The Roca Group currently operates in 170 countries and has 85 factories worldwide.

According to Roca, the built-in installation systems category – which includes concealed cisterns, flush plates, and frames for wall-hung WCs  –  is growing rapidly and globally.

Founded in 1945, Sanit is headquartered in Eisenberg and is part of Aliaxis, a global leader in advanced piping systems with presence in more than 40 countries.

The company has three production sites in Germany, located in Eisenberg, Rödental and Wittenberg and employs 378 professionals.

With a turnover of €74million in 2020, Sanit exports to more than 70 countries worldwide.

CEO of the Roca Group, Albert Magran, highlighted the synergies of the transaction: “The acquisition of Sanit is a fundamental step in our strategy of integrating products into complete bathroom solutions and incorporating high value-added technology into our product portfolio, thereby strengthening our global leadership”.

Alantra has been Roca Group’s advisor in this transaction, and Allen & Overy has been the legal advisor.

It follows on from the acquisition of a Brazilian sanitaryware factory and Spanish bathroom furniture manufacturer Royo.

Managing director of Roca UK Alan Dodds spoke exclusively to Kitchens & Bathrooms News. earlier this year, and said expect to see the company becoming more dynamic, as it plans to compete with specialist manufacturers: “I think you’ll see more from Roca, in terms of moving into other areas and a realisation that we want to be seen as a complete bathroom supplier.”