Brick giant could bring back mothballed factories

Brick maker Forterra has said it could turn two mothballed plants back on “in a matter of weeks” after strong brick demand over the summer.

The firm, previously known as Hansom Building Products, mothballed two plants in Lancashire in July, blaming the move on economic uncertainty and the number of bricks already on the market.

At the time, Forterra – which floated on the Stock Exchange back in April – added the two plants at Accrington and Claughton had been mothballed before between 2010 and 2014, with the firm demonstrating “its capability to successfully bring production back online in a short period of time”.

It said the two plants are set to be upgraded and work will be carried out before the kilns are brought back online.

The firm said: “There are signs that the excess inventory being carried by merchants is being worked through the supply chain and we anticipate that this will continue through to the end of the year.”

It added: “With the inventory on hand, the high capacity utilisation of the other kilns and our demonstrated ability to relight the cold kilns in a matter of weeks if required, we remain confident of our ability to meet market needs whilst operating efficiently.”