New million pound investment advances efficiency

Lochmaben roof tile firm Russell Roof Tiles (RRT) has officially completed its latest £1million manufacturing upgrade.

The business is already the largest independent manufacturer of concrete derivatives for the pitched roofing market.

This latest investment in improving efficiencies at its 11-acre site follows a £ 2 million utility plant investment at the site last year, which involved the firm’s first robotic packer helping to increase production speeds and efficiency.

The recent upgrade, which has taken five months to complete, will further speed up manufacturing at the Scottish site. The investment includes a new and better-insulated curing chamber with a modern and improved heating system being installed. Using state-of-the-art technology improves output to help the company continue to meet demand for its products.

The Lochmaben site, which employs approx. 50 staff, is also boosting its workforce locally, increasing shifts to expand capacity and meet the needs of the construction sector.

Bruce Laidlaw, Operations Director, led the project and commented: “The new curing chamber provides us with more capacity which is almost three times larger, which means we can increase our output to meet the growing market demands. The machinery utilises the latest technology to make it more efficient, helping our efforts to save energy and reduce our carbon footprint.”

The Secretary for State for Scotland, Alister Jack, who has visited the site added: “It is great news that Russell Roof Tiles has made a further investment in their Lochmaben site. It’s really good to see such confidence in Scottish manufacturing, and it will be a further boost to the local economy and community. When I visited the company, I saw for myself what an incredibly impressive operation they have. They have a great team who are committed to using the very best technology in their manufacturing processes.”

Investment in its people, the community and new technology are part of Russell Roof Tiles’ long-term capital investment plan to further enhance the business.

In 2022 Russell Roof Tiles announced its ambition to become a Net Zero business by 2040. The manufacturer works hard to source materials locally and were the first UK roof tile manufacturer to have achieved an “Excellent” rating for responsible supplier sourcing.

Russell Roof Tiles is a leading independent pitched roof tile manufacturer supplying products for top housebuilders and high-profile social housing and commercial projects.

The company produces thousands of tiles every week that are used on roofs across the country, by premier housebuilders and developers.