Redland has announced that it is to build a new manufacturing line for its plain-tile appearance product DuoPlain and large-format concrete tiles and slates.
The company says the multimillion-pound investment will help secure supply of these products into a UK market that is currently experiencing huge demand and extensive lead times.
The new line, which will come on stream later this year, will be located at the company’s Shawell plant, its most centrally-located facility. Work on the installation is underway, and a number of new skilled jobs will be created when production commences.
Commenting on the announcement, Georg Harrasser, CEO of the Braas Monier Building Group, Redland’s parent, said: “This is a significant investment at an important time in the UK housebuilding industry. The new line gives us not only increased capacity, but also increased flexibility, improving our ability to meet the growing UK market demands for specific roof tile formats. This flexibility will be welcomed by the market as a whole, which is experiencing long lead times for these high-growth products”.
Andy Dennis, country manager UK & Ireland, added: “The drive to build more homes, fueled by Government targets and a generally buoyant housing market, has put enormous pressure on manufacturers like ourselves. The UK’s ability to build more homes is restricted by the availability of roof tiles and other construction materials. Demand currently outstrips supply, especially for large-format and plain-appearance tiles, which housebuilders have been increasingly adopting as their preferred formats”.
He continued: “The new line at Shawell demonstrates not only a commitment to our customers and the industry, but also shows the confidence that the Braas Monier Building Group has in Redland. We will, as a result of this investment, be better placed to meet the challenges faced by the UK housebuilding industry”.
