Leading UK building products manufacturer, Forterra, has completed its £3.2 million investment at the Group’s Claughton brick facility in Lancashire, resulting in an increased capacity of over 5 million bricks per annum. Thousands of freshly made bricks at Forterra’s Claughton plant, ready to be shipped to merchants and housebuilders.
The investment centred around the installation of a new dryer system and a complete upgrade of the factory control systems. The company has also boosted output and the range of bricks in production at its Accrington plant. Staffing levels at both brickworks are being raised to reflect this increase in production, which comes in response to the continued growth in homebuilding in the north of England.
Stephen Harrison, Chief Executive of Forterra, said: “It has been encouraging to see demand for our bricks rise in line with the growth in the housebuilding sector. The investment in new driers for Claughton has been critical in helping us to achieve the necessary increase in that facility’s output. In addition, we have increased operations at our Accrington brickworks, and we expect the plant to build up to full production utilising both of its kilns during 2018.”
The extensive range of bricks available at Claughton, which has been developed to meet key aesthetic and technical requirements of planners in northern England, is also being updated and modified, to meet with the construction industry’s developing needs. The first of the facility’s new bricks will be available from February 2018.
Bricks in the Claughton range, which are made from clay mined from Caton Moor, are highly resistant to frost, and their sustainability credentials are enhanced by their long life performance, low maintenance and high recycled content.
