$168M Acquisition & Post-Merger Integration
Public Company • $900M to $2BN Turnover • 18 Months
A $168 million acquisition of a direct competitor created one of the most complex integration mandates in the building supply distribution sector. The combined business had a turnover of $900 million and faced a $32 million synergy target — but the path to realising it was anything but straightforward.
A Competition Authority Undertaking governed how the merger of two direct competitors could be managed, imposing strict constraints on the integration process. Compounding this, a flawed retail ERP and POS system rollout had created operational instability across the combined network. A number of retail sites were loss-making, and the business lacked a coherent national retail footprint strategy for building supply distribution.
The business needed embedded leadership capable of managing regulatory compliance, technology remediation, financial performance, and full-scale integration simultaneously.
Realign was engaged to lead the post-merger integration and drive the operational, financial, and structural outcomes required. The mandate was hands-on and enterprise-wide — spanning regulatory compliance, technology stabilisation, synergy delivery, and network rationalisation.
- Competition Authority Undertaking — managed integration within regulatory constraints governing the merger of competitors
- ERP & POS remediation — led the stabilisation and remediation of the flawed system rollout across the combined business
- Synergy programme — identified, tracked and delivered synergy realisation across all workstreams
- Network strategy — defined and executed the national retail footprint for building supply distribution
- Financial performance — rationalised loss-making sites and drove working capital reduction
| 01 | Regulatory Compliance | Managed all aspects of the Competition Authority Undertaking — ensuring the integration of two direct competitors remained within the legal framework while progressing integration activities at pace. |
| 02 | ERP & POS Stabilisation | Diagnosed and remediated the flawed retail ERP and POS rollout, stabilising operations across the combined network and establishing a single, reliable system platform for the business. |
| 03 | Synergy Realisation | Delivered a structured synergy programme across procurement, operations, headcount and property — exceeding the $32 million target to achieve $35 million+ in verified synergy realisation. |
| 04 | Retail Network Rationalisation | Assessed the full retail footprint, rationalised loss-making sites, and set a coherent national distribution strategy for building supply — establishing the platform for sustainable growth. |
| 05 | Customer-Centric Process Reform | Redesigned key processes with the customer at the centre — ensuring that integration activity improved rather than disrupted the customer experience across the combined network. |
| 06 | Working Capital Optimisation | Targeted and delivered $50 million in working capital reduction through improved inventory management, procurement terms, and debtor controls across the combined business. |
Within 18 months, the combined business reached $2 billion in turnover — doubling the pre-acquisition revenue base. Every major workstream delivered against target, with several exceeding expectations.
| Combined turnover achieved | $2 billion |
| Synergy target | $32M target → $35M+ delivered |
| Working capital reduction | $50 million |
| ERP/POS platform | Stabilised → single system |
| Loss-making retail sites | Rationalised |
| National distribution footprint | Established |
- Large acquisitions require embedded integration leadership — advisory support cannot move fast enough
- Regulatory constraints (Competition Authority Undertakings) must be managed as an operational discipline, not a legal sideshow
- ERP instability during an integration compounds every other risk — stabilisation is a prerequisite, not a workstream
- Synergy targets are achieved through structured programmes with clear accountability, not through assumed cost reduction
- Customer-centricity during integration protects revenue while the business restructures
- Working capital is a strategic lever — $50M freed up capacity to fund the integration itself
Planning an acquisition or managing a complex integration?
Realign provides embedded leadership for high-stakes M&A integration. Get in touch at with the team at Realign Partners or contact our Managing Director, Tim Bradfield on +61 400 082 750 or tim@realignpartners.com.au