Jobs boost at Lancaster brick works after £3.2m investment
Owners Forterra said the investment centred around the installation of a new dryer system and a complete upgrade of the factory control systems, resulting in an increased capacity of more than five million bricks per annum.
The Northampton based company has also boosted output and the range of bricks in production at its Accrington plant.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdStaffing levels at both brickworks are being raised to reflect the increase in production, which the company says comes in response to the continued growth in homebuilding in the north of England.
The site had previously been mothballed by then owners Hanson due to a downturn inhouse building.
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.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe 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.
Bricks in the Claughton range 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.