Brick maker to build on record turnover as lockdown is eased

THE award-winning York Handmade Brick Company said that before the lockdown, it had enjoyed the most successful 12 months in its 30-year history, with a record £2.7m turnover.

Based in Alne, near Easingwold, York Handmade said it is looking forward to a positive postCovid future with a healthy pipeline of work.

The company is working on a raft of commercial and residential developments across the UK, as the lockdown eases.

Chairman David Armitage said: “Before coronavirus struck, we were flourishing, with some high-quality commissions in London, Cambridge, the North-West and, of course, Yorkshire.

“Obviously the lockdown has hit us, but we have kept our factory open – with strict social distancing and safety measures in place.

“As the country emerges, albeit slowly, from this nightmare, we are well-positioned to tackle the tough challenges posed by coronavirus and to emerge stronger than ever.

“Our order book for this year is very healthy, with a number of exciting commissions on the horizon. We have just completed two huge projects in London, Lancer Square in Kensington and One Molyneux Street in Marylebone, and there are two more highquality developments in the pipeline in Mayfair and King’s Cross.”

Mr Armitage said there were fears that Covid-19 might hit the self-build residential property market hard, but that is not York

Handmade’s experience. The firm said it is providing bricks for self-build projects across the UK.

These include commissions in York, Doncaster, Sheffield, Liverpool, the Wirral, Durham, Hexham, Shropshire, Rugby and Stoke, totalling almost £1m.

Mr Armitage said: “Our success has enabled us to invest in a new dryer, which will speed up the production process and make us more efficient.

“Looking ahead, it is encouraging to report that brick remains the building material of choice for many architects and specifiers across the UK.”

York Handmade was founded in 1988, taking control of a redundant pipeworks in Forest Lane, Alne. Since then the company has grown to 30 employees.