Boral
| Company type | Public (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Building and construction materials |
| Founded | March 4, 1946 |
| Founder | David Craig |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Australia, formerly United States |
| Products | Building and construction materials |
| Owner | Seven Group Holdings |
Boral Limited is an Australian enterprise specializing in building and construction materials, currently under the ownership of Seven Group Holdings.
History
The company was established by David Craig on 4 March 1946 under the name Bitumen and Oil Refineries (Australia) Limited, with Caltex holding a 40% share. In 1947, it launched Australia's inaugural bitumen and oil refinery located at Matraville. The firm adopted the name Boral Limited in 1963, subsequently broadening its operations by acquiring the Gas Supply Company in 1964 and expanding into building materials through further acquisitions in 1969. Between 1968 and 1972, Boral divested its refining division to TotalEnergies.
Boral entered the American market in 1979 by securing a controlling interest in California Tile. In 1987, it acquired cement producer Blue Circle Southern Cement from BHP and Blue Circle Industries, followed by the purchase of Midland Brick in 1990.
During the 2000s, Boral streamlined its portfolio by disposing of non-core divisions, including selling its tyre operations to Bridgestone and spinning off energy assets into Origin Energy. The company withdrew from brick manufacturing on Australia's eastern seaboard in 2016 and transferred ownership of Midland Brick to the Buckeridge Group of Companies in 2020.
In April 2021, Boral finalized the divestment of its plasterboard segment by selling its stake in the USG Boral joint venture to Knauf for US$1 billion. Later that year, it also exited the US market through the sale of its operations to Westlake Chemical.
Seven Group Holdings initiated a takeover attempt in May 2021, acquiring a 70% stake by July. In February 2024, Seven proposed a full acquisition which was initially declined by Boral’s board. After revising the proposal, Seven Group Holdings completed full ownership of Boral in July 2024, resulting in Boral’s removal from the ASX listing.