Ibstock has announced a £50 million investment to build the UK’s first automated brick slip systems factory in tandem with the launch of a new business unit ‘Ibstock Futures’, which will enable the company to accelerate growth and diversify its revenue base by targeting fast growing areas of the UK construction market.
The new business unit will focus specifically on the development of technologies, products and solutions that are aligned to the two key trends shaping the construction sector: sustainability and the industrialisation of construction processes.
Solutions for off-site market
Headquartered at the company’s London i-studio, Ibstock Futures enables the Group to develop a stronger presence in the fast-growing off-site and modular construction markets.
As demand grows for façade products and solutions for both new build and re-cladding products, Ibstock Futures will develop new products suitable for a wide range of residential, commercial and mixed-use applications.
New automated brick slip systems factory
The Group will also be investing £50 million to create the UK’s first automated brick slip systems factory in Nostell, West Yorkshire, with the capacity for up to 60 million brick slips a year.
In support of Ibstock’s net zero goals and its commitment to its Sustainability Roadmap to 2025, brick slips provide a durable, safe and energy efficient alternative to other cladding solutions, which is also supported by the significant UK market for brick slips, with annual volumes of circa 120 million slips.
The new factory will manufacture a wide range of different brick slip types and associated systems. It will incorporate the latest manufacturing technology to deliver a very significant reduction in carbon compared to both imported and domestically cut slips.
It will be constructed within the existing footprint of the Group’s Nostell facility, which benefits from significant adjacent clay reserves and established infrastructure. The construction on-site is expected to start during Q1 2022.
A word from the CEO
Commenting on the developments, Joe Hudson, chief executive officer of Ibstock, said: “Our new business unit will directly address a number of exciting growth markets that complement our existing offer for conventional building methods as the focus on sustainability and the industrialisation of construction processes gathers pace.
“The initial £50 million investment in brick slip manufacturing capacity will be a first for the UK and will enable us to take a leadership position in this fast-growing market. Crucially, it will also be a beacon of manufacturing excellence and sustainability – we are all very excited at the prospect of producing a net zero brick slip. We have made ambitious commitments on our Sustainability Roadmap to 2025 – and this announcement underpins our ambitions.
“The Nostell plant is the first of a pipeline of growth initiatives we have in development for Ibstock Futures and we are excited about the potential this new business has to accelerate growth in the years ahead.”
>>Read more about Ibstock’s sustainable developments here.
