Frazer - Our heritage

Frazer is owned by the multi-national Saint-Gobain Group, which operates in 49 countries and employs over 180,000 people worldwide. As part of Saint-Gobain's Building Distribution Division - the largest division within the Group as well as Europe's number one building materials distribution business - Frazer belongs to a 3600-strong network of outlets. Among Frazer's 40 sister companies in the UK are Jewson, Graham, Ashworth, Solaglas and British Gypsum Isover.

Frazer has moved a long way from its Victorian roots in north-east England. Founded by Robert Frazer in Hebburn in 1857, it began as colliery contractor, with the founder working alongside his five sons.

The transformation to its present sector started in the 1940's when it began supplying structural steel for construction projects, and this development was followed in the 1950's by the acquisition of a steel recycling company.

It then became involved in steel tube stockholding, extending its product range to include joints for steel tubes and quicklock joints for the gas industry, as well as couplings for the water utilities. With the sell-off of its structural steel business, it became general civil engineering stock holder.

The 1970's saw it expand out of its North East heartland to Forfar, Manchester and Leicester as it sought to set up a national network. In the following decade its product line expanded into ductile iron pipes and valves and general waterworks products, eventually establishing itself as a leading supplier to the water and civil engineering industries.

In the early 1990's the business became under new ownership when it was sold to ASD Stockholders, and in 1994 it was all changed again when it was sold to the Oliver Ashworth Group, which two years later was floated on the London Stock Exchange.

Oliver Ashworth was acquired by Saint-Gobain in 1998 and two years later the group's activities were rebranded as Saint-Gobain Pipe Systems.

In early 2003, Frazer was relaunched by SGBD as a separate brand that is recognised today as the below ground products specialist. Since then the branch network has expanded, with even more branch openings planned in 2008.