York
Handmade Brick Company has invested £1.5 million in brand-new machinery which
will transform how the company makes bricks.
York
Handmade, who are now the UK’s leading small independent brickmaker, is
confident this investment will open a new chapter in the company’s illustrious
history.
The first
bricks from the new plant will be available in March.
David
Armitage, chairman of York Handmade, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, commented: “Over the years, we have undertaken
significant technological improvements, culminating in this £1.5 million
overhaul and renewal of our manufacturing process, which will speed up
production, facilitate two brand-new products and increase efficiency.

“This
is a transformational move, by far the biggest and most significant in our
history. Our revolutionary new manufacturing line will
combine three different types of brick - the Handmade Style, as currently
produced, together with Water Struck and Pressed Bricks.
“Most of
the Water Struck Bricks, which are currently very popular in London, are
imported, so we are fulfilling an important demand and supporting the
sustainability agenda. We have an impressive track record in London, with
iconic projects across the capital, and we can now build on this.
“More
generally, this investment will enable us to manufacture high-quality, UK-made
bricks for many years to come and it reflects our commitment to the brick
industry and the astounding architectural projects using bricks,” explained Mr
Armitage.
This
investment comes in the wake of a stellar year for York Handmade Brick,
culminating in supplying the bricks for the 2022 RIBA Stirling
Prize-winning new library at Magdalene
College, Cambridge, the highest accolade in architecture.
Mr Armitage
commented: “These are challenging times but I am confident we can maintain the
progress we made last year, despite inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, this
year. We are flourishing in commercial property and education sectors, whilst
residential housing, which has been our staple for a number of years, remains
strong. In these testing times, it is vital to spread our work across as many
different markets as possible.

Apart from the award-winning
Magdalene College Library, high-profile contracts that York Handmade have
completed during the past 12 months include Mount Row, a mixed-use development
in the heart of Mayfair; a prestigious residential housing development at Kings
Cross; and two superb residential projects in Yorkshire, at Felixkirk and
Easingwold. Looking ahead, we are currently working on a magnificent house in
East Lothian and two landmark commercial projects in Baker Street in London and
in Oxford.
Mr Armitage
concluded: “Looking ahead more generally, it is encouraging to report that
brick remains the building material of choice for many architects and
specifiers across the UK. We particularly value the contacts we have built up
over the years with architects, planners, self-builders and developers. We look
forward to continuing those relationships in the years to come and are
confident that our new plant will help us immensely in achieving this
objective.”