Austria’s Wienerberger has completed the acquisition of Serbian clay-block manufacturer Univerzum Group, adding two production facilities and about 200 employees to its Southeast European manufacturing network.
The transaction, following regulatory approval, transferred ownership of Univerzum Export-Import and Univerzum Ciglana to Wienerberger. The Serbian business is expected to generate approximately €20 million in revenue in 2026. The acquisition strengthens Wienerberger’s position in Serbia’s clay-block market while complementing its existing roofing-material operations in the country.
Serbian factories join regional production network
The Univerzum facilities in Aranđelovac and Inđija will become part of Wienerberger’s wider wall-material production network covering Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary and Romania. Wienerberger plans to modernise the acquired plants, raise energy efficiency and product quality, and integrate manufacturing and logistics operations with its regional network.
The acquisition also expands the company’s ability to combine its Serbian clay-block business with its existing roofing portfolio. Univerzum’s established distribution channels can therefore be integrated with Wienerberger’s other building-material activities in the country. When the transaction was announced, Wienerberger said the business offered attractive margins and valued the acquisition at a synergised enterprise-value-to-EBITDA multiple of around five times.
Acquisition adds capacity as Western markets weaken
The Serbian deal comes as Wienerberger faces weaker construction demand in several mature markets. The company has reduced its full-year operating EBITDA guidance to €640–650 million, citing persistently weak demand, particularly in the UK and North America, together with accelerating cost inflation. Residential new construction remains under pressure in several mature markets, while renovation and infrastructure activity has been comparatively more resilient.
Against that backdrop, Serbia and Southeast Europe provide Wienerberger with exposure to markets where residential construction, renovation requirements and infrastructure investment form part of the demand base for building materials.
Inđija and Aranđelovac strengthen Serbian footprint
The two acquired plants also provide Wienerberger with production locations serving different parts of the Serbian market.
The Inđija facility is positioned on Serbia’s main north-south transport corridor, while the Aranđelovac plant provides access to central Serbia and the Belgrade construction market. Their integration with Wienerberger facilities in neighbouring EU countries could enable production, logistics and product allocation to be managed across the wider regional network rather than solely within Serbia.
For Univerzum, the acquisition brings the business into an international group with access to capital and technology for factory modernisation and energy-efficiency improvements. For Wienerberger, the transaction adds an established Serbian customer base and production platform without requiring the longer development process associated with a new greenfield facility.
Serbian building-materials market undergoes consolidation
The transaction forms part of broader consolidation in Serbia’s construction-materials industry, where international groups have expanded their positions across cement, roofing, insulation, aggregates and other building-material categories.
The shift has increased the presence of companies capable of distributing technology investment, procurement, energy management and product development across multiple regional production sites. Wienerberger’s acquisition of Univerzum therefore combines an established Serbian manufacturing operation with the group’s broader Southeast European platform, while the two factories are set to undergo modernisation and integration into the regional network.
