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Hollick: chief executive of UBM

United Business Media has become the leading player in the b2b construction market this week with the acquisition of Aprovia UK - owner of The Builder Group and Barbour Index.

The Builder Group portfolio of titles and events, including Building, Housing Today and The Brick Awards, as well as The Barbour Index - the information services provider for the industry - will be integrated into CMPi, the professional media arm of United.

UBM is to pay £79m for the division, the fate of which was left hanging in the balance in 2001 when French owner Vivendi Universal put its entire B2B assets up for sale.

Aprovia UK was acquired by a consortium of venture capitalists comprising Cinven, The Carlyle Group and Apax Partners, who bought the assets for £1.2bn in June 2002.

Clive Hollick, chief executive of UBM, said: "This acquisition is financially and strategically attractive. It will strengthen CMPi's leadership position in the UK construction and design market."

Earlier this year, CMPi acquired Property Media and The Interior Design Handbook.

Bernard Gray, chief executive of CMP Information, said: "Aprovia will increase CMPi's share of this market - estimated at £140m annually - to more than 30%. Following this move, CMP Information will cover the information needs of UK construction professionals across the full industry life cycle, from development and design initiation, via facilities management and occupation and through to property sales. This pre-eminence in construction will also drive synergies with CMP Information's existing market-leading presence in the architecture and built environment sectors."

The acquisition is the third deal for CMPi in this area this year. In May it acquired the Interior Design Handbook and related assets from Kenrick Place Media for £1.6m and, in April, took full control of publisher Property Media.