Clay and concrete building products manufacturer Ibstock has announced the launch of a new business unit — ‘Ibstock Futures’.
The new business unit will focus specifically on the development of technologies, products and solutions that are aligned to two key trends shaping the construction sector: sustainability and the industrialisation of construction processes.
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.
The Group is announcing plans to invest £50m to create the UK’s first automated brick slip systems factory in Nostell, West Yorkshire.
With a capacity for up to 60 million brick slips per annum, the factory will be constructed within the existing footprint of the Group’s Nostell facility, which operated as a brick factory until its closure in 2020. The planning application process has commenced, and construction on site is expected to start during Q1 2022.
“The launch of Ibstock Futures is an important strategic development for the Group,” says Joe Hudson, Ibstock plc’s Chief Executive Officer. “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 £50m investment in brick slip manufacturing capacity at Nostell, West Yorkshire, 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.”
