Gibraltar Steel Corp., Buffalo, N.Y., has purchased Portals Plus Inc., a Chicago-based, privately held manufacturer of roofing products. Financial terms of the deal, the fifth building products company acquired by Gibraltar in the last 16 months, were not disclosed.

Portals Plus is a privately held company, with affiliates Roofing Products & Systems Corp. and J.L.R. Services Inc. The company had 2003 sales of approximately $14 million, operates two facilities, and employs approximately 80 people.

"The strategic acquisition of Portals Plus strengthens our position in the roofing accessories market by broadening and diversifying our product line, expanding our customer base, and creating numerous sales, marketing, and operating synergies with Milcor," said Brian Lipke, Gibraltar's chairman and CEO. Milcor is an Ohio-based manufacturer of metal building products acquired by Gibraltar in 2000. Lipke said Portals' management team will stay on with Gibraltar.