DOJ, Tennessee Seek Two Asphalt-Plant Sales in CRH Deal
The Justice Department and Tennessee are asking a federal court to require the sale of two hot-mix asphalt plants before CRH can complete its proposed acquisition of Standard Construction’s construction-materials businesses.
The civil antitrust complaint and proposed settlement were filed August 7, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The settlement is not a final merger approval: It remains subject to the Tunney Act public-comment process and a federal court’s public-interest review, and the plant divestitures have not occurred.
What the deal involves
CRH subsidiary APAC-Tennessee is seeking to acquire Standard Construction’s sand and gravel, hot-mix asphalt, paving and construction businesses. The transaction value identified in the complaint is at least $133.9 million.
CRH is an Irish building-materials company that operates in the United States through subsidiaries including APAC-Tennessee. Standard Construction Group is a Tennessee corporation headquartered in Cordova. The government’s competitive-impact statement says Standard had approximately $81 million in sales in 2024, while CRH reported global sales of approximately $37.4 billion in 2025.
Why regulators challenged the acquisition
According to the complaint and the Justice Department’s competitive-impact statement, APAC and Standard are two of the three leading suppliers of Tennessee Department of Transportation-approved hot-mix asphalt in Shelby County.
The government alleges that the acquisition as originally proposed would reduce the number of suppliers in that market from three to two and give the combined company more than 45% of sales of TDOT-approved hot-mix asphalt in Shelby County.
DOJ and Tennessee say eliminating Standard as an independent competitor could reduce head-to-head bidding and increase the risk of higher prices, lower quality, less favorable contract terms and coordination among remaining suppliers. Those are allegations in the government’s case, not findings that prices or TDOT project costs have already increased.
Why two plants are central to the proposed remedy
The proposed final judgment would require the sale of APAC’s hot-mix asphalt plant at 4765 Tuggle Road in Memphis and Standard’s plant at 7666 Raleigh Millington Road in Millington.
Dunn Investment Company, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is identified as the proposed buyer. The proposed judgment also allows the United States and Tennessee to approve an alternative acquirer. The assets include related property, contracts, licenses, records, data and intellectual property needed to operate the plants as an independent business.
The proposed judgment includes provisions intended to help the buyer hire relevant employees. Depending on the buyer, those provisions address access to employee information, interviews, compensation and benefits, and limits on interference with hiring negotiations.
Why asphalt competition is local
The government defines the relevant market as TDOT-approved hot-mix asphalt sold for projects in Shelby County, Tennessee. Asphalt is heavy and expensive to transport, and it must remain within a required temperature range before it can be placed. Those factors limit how far a plant can economically serve a job site.
TDOT specifications also restrict substitution. Asphalt that does not meet the agency’s requirements cannot be used on TDOT projects, while ready-mix concrete generally is not an economical substitute for many roadway construction and asphalt-repair projects, according to the competitive-impact statement.
What happens next
The Federal Register published the proposed final judgment and competitive-impact statement on August 19, 2026. Under the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act, written comments may be submitted during a period of at least 60 days from the Federal Register publication date or the later applicable newspaper-publication date.
After the comment period, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee may enter the proposed final judgment if it determines that the settlement is in the public interest. Under the proposed terms, the divestitures generally must occur within 30 calendar days after the court enters the asset-preservation stipulation and order, subject to the judgment’s conditions and possible extensions.
The next developments to watch are public comments, any Justice Department response, federal court action, approval of the buyer and completion of the plant sales. The outcome could affect which companies bid to supply asphalt for road construction and maintenance in Shelby County, as well as which employees move with the divested assets.
Sources
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