Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Building materials producer wienerberger has opened Smeed Dean, its first concrete tile factory in the South of England.
The 7,800 sq m production facility, based in Sittingbourne, Kent, has the capacity to produce 94 million roof tiles annually.
Manufacturing both Danum TLE large format concrete tiles and plain concrete tiles on two production lines, the factory will complement existing sites in the north, and reduce average transport distance to southern markets by over 200 miles.
The site is wienerberger’s first fully electrified concrete tile facility, harnessing renewable energy and embedding sustainability into every layer of its operations. This includes smart lighting, heat recovery systems for energy efficiency, a 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting system, participation in The Pallet LOOP scheme to minimise pallet wood waste.
Chief operating officer Keith Barker says: “Launching Smeed Dean is about more than expanding our national manufacturing footprint, it’s about building for what’s next. Increasing our production capacity in the south, and investing in decarbonised operations have been key priorities for us, so it is extremely rewarding to see these cutting edge production lines up and running to deliver products that will support the UK’s evolving housing needs.”
As part of wienerberger’s commitment to social responsibility, and its partnership with the charity Emmaus, a portion of proceeds from sales of the Danum TLE tile manufactured at the Smeed Dean and Sandtoft production sites will go to support the charity in combatting homelessness and social exclusion.
