Nick Herbert visits local brick factory
Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert visited a local brick factory to see how bricks are made and discuss issues affecting the UK’s construction industry during the recession.
Mr Herbert was at the Ibstock factory at Laybrook near Thakeham on Friday morning (4 December) and was given a tour of the site by factory manager Phil Carter.
The tour included a visit to the vast kilns that fire bricks at temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees centigrade.
The MP also met with Ibstock's Regional Production Director Andrew Craddock, Marketing Manager Andrew Halstead-Smith and Simon Storer of the Construction Products Association to discuss a range of issues including the impact of the recession and measures to protect the environment.
Ibstock Brick Limited is part of the CRH Group and is the UK's largest brick maker with 1,350 employees and 20 factories across the country.
The Laybrook factory has 84 staff on a site that can trace its origins in brick making back to 1857. All of its bricks are made using clay extracted on the site.
Andrew Craddock commented: "It was very pleasing that Nick was able to take time out of his busy schedule to visit Ibstock's Laybrook brick factory. He was clearly impressed by the scale and efficiency of the operation and the wide range of bricks produced to meet the local market demands."
Nick Herbert commented: "It was fascinating to see how bricks are made at Laybrook and to hear about Ibstock's plans for the future. As a local business in my constituency, it was useful to listen to their concerns about the impact of the recession too. With the collapse in house-building, the construction industry has been hit very hard but it was encouraging to hear that Ibstock is doing what it can to retain its skilled workforce in the area."
Ends
Notes for Editors
1. The Ibstock factory is located at Goose Green Lane, Thakeham, West Sussex RH20 2LW. For more information about Ibstock Brick Limited, visit http://www.ibstock.com/.
2. For more information on the Construction Products Association, visit http://www.constructionproducts.org.uk/.
3. In the photograph Nick Herbert (right) is shown with Ibstock's Regional Production Director (South) Andrew Craddock.