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[May 2003]
Yorkshire Brickmaker Builds on 15 Years of Success
The York Handmade Brick Co Ltd (Alne, North Yorks, England) is celebrating
its 15th anniversary this year by installing a brand new £300,000 kiln. The
company, which is said to run the most modern small brickmaking factory in
the UK, was bought by Chairman and Managing Director David Armitage in June
1988. Today it has a turnover approaching £2 million a year and employs 28
local staff.The new 'moving head' computer controlled kiln - manufactured by CGE Kilns
(Skelmersdale, Lancs, England) - is the latest investment in a programme
which has seen more than £1.5 million pumped into buildings and equipment
during the past 15 years. This has enabled the company to maintain the most
up-to-date facilities for producing its individual, hand-made products."It is a happy coincidence that this state-of-the-art kiln has arrived in
our 15th anniversary year," said David Armitage. "The new kiln, which
enables our bricks to be fired more quickly, flexibly and efficiently, is a
symbol of what we have achieved since the company began in June 1988. It
also heralds an exciting and challenging future."The new kiln will help us to respond quickly to all our customers' needs
and will enable us to break into new markets. We have already made our mark
in California, Japan and East Germany and we will be looking to strengthen
our presence there - and elsewhere in the world - as well as in the UK
self-build market."It has given me enormous pleasure to help real brickmaking return to the
Vale of York. Rural manufacturing has been in steady decline during the
past 20 years, but the York Handmade Brick Company has bucked this trend in
spectacular fashion. That makes me very proud."Traditionally, villages in the Vale of York - and indeed York itself - have
mainly been built with local handmade bricks but these had been unavailable
for more than 20 years until York Handmade was established. The company
also has an excellent environmental record, making use of the natural
resources on its land, including the neighbouring landfill site and a quarry
pond.The company's range now extends beyond hand-made bricks to terracotta floor
tiles, landscape paving products, garden edgings and wine stackers. It has
received widespread acclaim for its products, winning a number of awards,
including the Supreme Brick Award, the Craftsmanship Award and the Public
Building Award.
ENDS