CB Group Aggregates, a division of CB Group - Find out more
OUR HISTORY
Expertise that stands the test of time
Founded in 1896 by Auguste Poulain, the family business, now known as Groupe CB, has been forging and maintaining close ties with its community for five generations.
A family and heritage legacy with strong local roots: some 130 years later, the Ferques Quarry is now the largest open-pit quarry in France on a single site.
A legacy of excellence and innovation that has enabled the expansion of the sector across nine quarries in France and internationally.
Les Granulats du Groupe CB is now one of France's leading independent companies in the extraction and recovery of high-quality natural and recycled aggregates for industry, construction, and public works.
1896
The CB Group's aggregates business began in the Marquise basin (62) with the small-scale operation of a marble quarry, which in 1917 became the company Marbres du Boulonnais, managed by Auguste Poulain.
1927
Construction of the first "ballastère" (crushing plant) that processes marble waste and transforms it into calibrated stones. The Marbles business is growing rapidly in France and internationally. Products from the Boulonnais region are used in the construction of prestigious buildings in Europe and the United States.
1950
Launch of the first crushing unit at the Ferques site.
1961
Construction of a modern crushing plant marking the transition to an industrial activity comprising the extraction, manufacture, and sale of aggregates.
1963
The opening of the Usinor site (Sacilor, Sollac, then ArcelorMittal) in Dunkirk marked the CB Group's first major expansion. Supporting this customer and delivering large volumes required significant adjustments to production tools and internal organization.
1974
Marbres du Boulonnais is renamed Carrières du Boulonnais. This milestone is marked by significant investments: the Ferques site is connected to the railway line and a material washing plant dedicated to products for the concrete industry is created.
1995
The Group achieved its first significant expansion in aggregates with the acquisition of the Carrière du Bassin de la Sambre quarry in Limont-Fontaine (CBS) in the Valenciennes region.
2000
The Aggregates division is embarking on the rollout of multimodal logistics platforms and has acquired the Mitry Mory platform near Charles de Gaulle Airport. The Ferques quarry completes its industrial facilities with a large processing unit for products intended for the construction industry.
2008
The Carrières du Boulonnais Group becomes CB Group to better reflect the diversity of its activities.
2010
Fifteen years after the integration of CBS, the aggregates business is relaunching a process of external growth beyond its natural borders with the acquisition of Carrières Blanc, located in Izernore (01).
The Aggregates Division is continuing to expand its logistics presence in the Paris region and is operating two new multimodal platforms in Limay (78) and Rieux (60).
2015
Acquisition of Carrières Rivat and Vincent TP in Ain in the Rhône-Alpes region, enabling further development of this sector.
The Napoleon project marks a new turning point: demolition of the offices and related facilities at the Ferques site in order to free up the remaining deposit of the former marble quarry, known as Carrière Napoléon.
2016
Start of aggregates operations in Canada, with the management of a limestone quarry dedicated to supplying a cement plant.
Groupe CB celebrates its 120th anniversary.
2017
Reopening of the Porcieu-Amblagnieu quarry (38) as part of the Rhône-Alpes region's plan.
2019
Acquisition of a fourth multimodal platform in the Paris region at Émerainville (77). The CB Group's aggregates division alone accounts for more than 25% of rail transport of aggregates in France.
More than 2.5 million tons of aggregates are transported by rail each year to supply the steel industry in Dunkirk (59), its four multimodal platforms, and its customers in the Paris region. The Aggregates division is one of the main suppliers of materials for the Grand Paris construction projects.
2021
Commissioning of a new rail terminal enabling the CB Group's Aggregates division to increase its rail capacity to 4 million tons.
Expansion of its activities in Europe with the acquisition of a stake in Granulats du Hainaut in Soignies, Belgium, to operate and market more than 1.5 million tons of aggregates.
2022
Continued development in the Rhône-Alpes region with the acquisition of the Cusy quarry (74) and in Europe with the acquisition of a stake in the Canteras La Belonga quarry in Oviedo, Spain, for nearly 1 million tons of aggregates.
2025
Signing of a partnership agreement with LOGICMASTER for the marketing of Rockbags, a new maritime and offshore protection solution.
