Member Article

Investment Goes Through the Roof at Russells

Enjoying a dynamic period, pioneering manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles continues its capital investment programme.

Gearing itself for sustained growth, the company has invested £5.7million in new capital equipment since it become in independent five years ago, with almost £1million invested so far this year.

Russell Roof Tiles provides pitched roofing solutions for leading UK house builders and high profile social housing projects, where sustainability and eco-credentials are of the utmost priority. The company is now the third largest manufacturer in the UK by volume, with a turnover of over £30million.

The ongoing investment covers all three of its award-winning manufacturing sites, two in Burton on Trent and one in Scotland. The investment programme enables the firm to deliver existing and new customer orders and increases capacity for its growing collection of colours and profiles. Including its biggest growth area thinner leading edge tiles.

Russell Roof Tiles was one of the first manufacturers to market with its thinner leading edge designs – responding to local authority planning requirements for a thinner profile roof tile. Sales of thinner leading edge have doubled over the past three years and now account for over 30 per cent of tile sales.

Bute is its latest thinner leading edge part of the Natural Range – an expanding selection of concrete tiles that have the appearance of slate, clay and stone. Thinner leading edge tiles were created to be approximately half the thickness of standard concrete tile and are on average are 50 per cent less than the cost of most slate roofs. These high tech tiles are manmade versions of tiles that match the indigenous look of the most widely used roof tiles across the UK.

The expanding Natural Range features five thinner leading edge tiles - this developing collection has been completely refigured to meet huge market growth.

The £5.7million investment includes “pallets”, moulds used for different profiles of tiles, installing and upgrading its lines plus £300k of new tooling and machinery for its plastics division. This expenditure is supported by more shifts and staff investment. The improvements in manufacturing improve speed and efficiency, providing a 30 per cent increase in capacity at the Burton main tile factory.

Last year Russells celebrated 50 years at its Lockerbie plant and 25 years in Burton on Trent, the firm employs a team of 170 across its three sites.

Andrew Hayward, Managing Director at Russell Roof Tiles, comments; “It is important as a UK manufacturer we continue to gear up and invest in the latest technology to continue to drive the business forward. As well as investing in employee talent it is vital that we continue to innovate and invest in plant and equipment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Greenwood .