Following the announcement of its new £18.5m manufacturing facility, Russell Roof Tiles has awarded Midlands based RL Harrison Construction Ltd with the £2m construction contract.
The pioneering concrete roof tile manufacturer announced the new project in May this year and ground works are underway at the site.
The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, based on its existing site in Burton on Trent will double output and help meet the UKs continued need for new homes.
This project is a multi-national co-ordination of supply partners from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and the UK. The expansion will create approx. 25-30 skilled and semi-skilled jobs in engineering and maintenance.
Early site works have already started on preparation for the new factory and line. The new manufacturing facility is expected to complete by summer 2024 and the current site will continue to manufacture whilst the major project takes place.
Ground works have already started on preparations for the new factory and line. Construction will start towards the end of 2023 with the new facilities completed, and product output starting from mid July 2024. The current site will continue to manufacture whilst the major project takes place.
This is the largest single investment since Russell Roof Tiles was acquired (from Cemex) in 2011 by Crown Global Equity, which manufactures concrete roof tiles in the US and Mexico. Since then, the UK company has seen £17.3m invested in its three sites, continuing to increase efficiencies and capacity to meet demand.
The firm employs 150 over three sites, two in Burton and one in Lochmaben (Scotland) and the company is already the leading independent supplier of concrete derivatives for the UK pitched roofing market.
Midlands based RL Harrison Construction Ltd is a family run firm of building and restoration contractors, established 40 years ago. Based close to Burton on Trent, they carry out projects throughout the UK and have an extensive portfolio of work in the commercial and industrial sectors.
Paul Harrison, Director at RL Harrison Construction Ltd commented “We are delighted to have been awarded this new contract and be supporting Russell Roof Tiles in this major pioneering project to support the best of British manufacturing.”
Russell Roof Tiles is a leading independent pitched roof tile manufacturer supplying products for top housebuilders and high-profile social housing and commercial projects. The company produces thousands of concrete roof tiles and accessories tiles every week used on roofs across the country.
The Nicolson Way site in Burton was first opened in 1990 and now covers 9-acres. This new investment will deliver more manufacturing lines and a new 1600 sq m building which will house a state-of-the-art curing chamber (only the second of its type in the country) for the concrete tiles.
This latest investment is part of Russell Roof Tiles’ ongoing capital improvement plan to further enhance quality across the business, by utilising the latest innovations in manufacturing.
The new facility, a QUADRIX® from Kraft Curing Systems GmbH, accelerates the curing process through the controlled addition of heat and humidity. This guarantees a continually uniform environment for curing, with high air volumes at a low flow rate. Not only does this new system improve quality of the concrete roof tiles it is the most sustainable curing method available globally, aligning with Russell Roof Tiles’ commitment to sustainability.
In January last year, the company announced its mission to reach net zero by 2040 and has already been investing in sustainability for over 10 years. The company has a CHP unit (generating its own heat and power) and has reduced its environmental impact already by investing significantly in policies and adopting new technologies as part of its sustainability commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
It has worked hard to source materials locally and was the first British roof tile manufacturer to have achieved an “Excellent” rating for responsible supplier sourcing. RRT is signed up to the SME Climate Hub, which is a government initiative aimed at getting SME businesses in the UK on the path to Net Zero. It has also achieved gold status with the Supply Chain Sustainability School, which is a multi-award-winning initiative that represents a common approach to addressing sustainability within supply chains.
Over the past two years Russell Roof Tiles has also invested £3.25m at its 11-acre Scottish plant, highlighting its ongoing dedication to offering housebuilders and developers high-quality products and UPVC accessories.
This latest investment in improving efficiencies at its 11-acre site follows a £ 2 million utility plant investment at the site last year, which involved the firm’s first robotic packer helping to increase production speeds and efficiency.
The recent upgrade, which has taken five months to complete, will further speed up manufacturing at the Scottish site. The investment includes a new and better-insulated curing chamber with a modern and improved heating system being installed. Using state-of-the-art technology improves output to help the company continue to meet demand for its products.
The Lochmaben site is also boosting its workforce locally, increasing shifts to expand capacity and meet the needs of the construction sector.
This latest investment is part of Russell Roof Tiles’ ongoing capital improvement plan to further enhance quality across the business, by utilising the latest innovations in manufacturing.
Andrew Hayward, Managing Director at Russell Roof Tiles said: “It’s an exciting time at Russell Roof Tiles as we continue to innovate and invest at all of our sites. The new £18.m facility in Buton on Trent will house groundbreaking new technology to enable us to provide some of the most sustainably manufactured concrete roof tiles available in the UK today.”
@russellrooftile
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