Heiton Holdings has acquired a builders' merchants in the south-east of England and a 30 per cent stake in a building materials distribution company in Poland.

Heitons will pay up to £1.8 million sterling for Willis Builders Merchants in Essex. Willis is involved primarily in the distribution of drainage products. The Polish investment of €1.68 million is in Betor Sklady Budowlane, a builders merchants and readymix provider based in western Poland. Heitons has obtained an option to increase its shareholding to 100 per cent in three tranches by 2006.