SUSTAINABILITY


BREEDON INVESTS TO MEET MARKET REQUIREMENTS


Demand for concrete roof tiles is out-stripping suply, so BMJ meets a company that is investing in a new facility to ensure it has capacity to cope


B


reedon Group, the independent construction materials group, has built a brand-new tile making facility to meet the growing demand in the concrete


roof tile market.


Mark Morris, Commercial Director, Tile and Brick, Breedon Group says: “Concrete roof tiles account for circa 35% of the pitched roof market, and Breedon Group estimates that the total value of this sector of the building market now exceeds £800 million. The demand for concrete tiles over recent years has continued to grow steadily as we have emerged from the pandemic. Various lockdowns have resulted in a demand for new housing and a surge in RMI projects, as people questioned not only where they wished to live, but the types of spaces they wished to live in. Whilst the industry is likely to experience headwinds as we move into H2 2022 and onwards into 2023, overall levels of demand still look promising for the industry.” “We know that the population of the UK continues to grow, whilst the demographic mix shows that the average age of UK residents continues to rise. This will not only fuel demand


for more new housing, but also different types of housing to meet the needs of the population. Alongside houses will come schools and other infrastructure requirements. For this reason, Breedon has decided that now is the time to invest in its tile business.”


Set for completion in 2023, Breedon’s new £5 million tile making facility will be located at its dedicated tile plant in Lisburn County Antrim, NI. The new plant will double Breedon’s production capacity, raising output volume up to circa 23 million tiles per year. In addition, it will allow further development of its range and tile profiles. Currently, Breedon manufactures four main profiles (Flat, Double Roll, Square Edge, Thin Leading Edge) all of which are offered in a variety of colours, along with a wide range of ridge and accessory products. The new plant will also allow the introduction of a new double pan tile, low-pitch product which has been developed in response to feedback from its customer base.


Morris says “Over recent years, the demand for large format interlocking tiles has increased dramatically. All UK concrete tile manufacturers have been producing at full capacity; however, lead times of 20+ weeks are not uncommon. The additional volume that Breedon will bring to the market in H2 2022 will allow its network of stockists across the UK and Ireland access not only a greater volume of tiles but also an increased range of tile profiles.”


Breedon sells its tiles through a network of builders’ merchants and roofing specialists from over 250 locations. Capacity limitations, exacerbated by high levels of demand from the existing customer base, have prevented further geographical expansions of this


September 2022 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 23


network until now. However, Breedon’s new tile plant investment will help the company to further develop its network and meet the ever- increasing demand in the sector. “Breedon’s main geographical market is in Great Britain, with a large percentage of its production shipped to this area. Whilst concrete tiles are sold throughout the British Isles, it is the North of England to the Midlands where concrete tiles command the largest share of the pitched roofing market. Bearing that in mind, Lisburn has great proximity to its core market.” says Morris.


Looking at what this investment means for the group in the future, Morris adds “Given the challenges and uncertainties the industry is currently facing; we believe an investment of £5million+ demonstrates our confidence in ongoing future levels of demand for concrete tiles. It also demonstrates our support for our existing customer base who year-on-year purchase increased volumes of Breedon Tiles, and our belief that together we can continue to build on this success to increase sales and profitability going forward.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44