£5m investment plan for Breedon tile plant in Lisburn

The existing facility was originally built by the Lagan Group in 1995, however due to a strong housing market both in Ireland and GB, demand has increased to more than double the levels in 1995.

Breedon Group employs more than 3,500 people across the UK and Ireland, with over 250 staff based in Northern Ireland.  The new plant will have capacity to produce up to 22m tiles to meet the ever-growing demand across the GB market. It will also allow the business to increase the range of tile profiles it manufactures.

Managing director, Jude Lagan, welcomed the announcement, and said it highlights the Breedon Group’s willingness to invest heavily in direct response to market demand.

He continued: “Our new concrete roof tile plant will be welcomed by the industry as it is a direct and timely response to rising demand. It demonstrates Breedon’s confidence in the market going forward, as well as its desire to continue working closely with builders’ merchants and roofing specialists to give them the products they require.

“The new plant should come on stream in mid to late 2023 and will see an uplift in production volumes from 11 million to around 22 million tiles per year. Breedon prides itself on responding quickly to our customers’ needs so we’re pleased to say that the new plant also will enable the business to offer lower pitch tiles going forward to meet the growing requirement for this type of product.”

The new plant is also seen as important in helping Breedon Group’s drive to net zero, both in terms of the thermal efficiency of Breedon’s products and carbon footprint.

Jude added: “Once our new roof tile factory is commissioned, we will see a significant reduction of emissions from gas, electricity, and oil. There will also be a substantial reduction in packaging per product tonne. The new plant and equipment will also facilitate a major reduction in concrete waste, and any waste that is generated will be recycled through the plant.”

Breedon, a leading construction materials group in GB and Ireland, acquired the NI based Lagan Group in 2018. The company produces cement, aggregates, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete, Welsh slate and specialist concrete and clay products, and also offers a range of contracting services. It has strong asset backing, with around 1 billion tonnes of mineral reserves and resources.

Breedon has continued to grow as the UK and Ireland market remains strong, even in the grip of a pandemic, with demand levels remaining encouraging across the Group.

Trends evident in the first half of 2021 have persisted with momentum in residential housebuilding and infrastructure spending continuing to drive volume growth.

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