Three private equity firms join building supplies as potential buyers of £2.8bn turnover Wickes.
Cinven, Permira and CVC are considering the purchase of builders merchant Focus Wickes acccording to The Times.
The private equity firms approached Focus Wickes’ largest shareholder Duke Street last week with an offer for Britain’s second biggest building supplies company.
It also emerged yesterday that Wolsley, the world’s biggest plumbing and heating pipe supplier, was in the frame to buy Wickes.
Other companies interested in Wickes and its 172 outlets are believed to include Travis Perkins and European building distributor St Gobain, which owns Jewson.
Cheshire-based Focus Wickes had a turnover of £2.8bn in 2003 and is expected to be sold for around £900m.
