British Ceramic Tile invests £1.5m in Devon production facilities

The UK’s leading ceramic and glass tile manufacturer, British Ceramic Tile, is planning for future growth with substantial investment in its Devon-based factory.

The company, which has three sites in Devon, London and West Yorkshire, is driving forward its strategic plan through increasing production capacity and streamlining process within its manufacturing division.

Part of an ambitious five step blueprint set out by the senior management team and manufacturing director Dave Banton, the business has invested over £1.5million in the factory in 2017 with further plans in place for 2018.

A major focus for the company is developing its best selling HD collection, which continues to prosper across all market sectors. The demand for large format HD ranges is such that the company has purchased its fourth inkjet printing machine.

A dual line high definition printer, the new XD printer provides greater flexibility enabling two lines with two different size formats to run simultaneously, increasing production and delivering faster turnaround times.

Manufacturing director, Dave Banton, explains: “The business has had to adapt to meet increasing demand for large format HD tiles. These ceramic tiles have the same appearance as natural materials such as marble and wood, but offer practical benefits over and above their real counterparts with less labour, installation and maintenance costs. That together with an ever-increasing range of designs means we’ve had to scale up production and increase capacity to deliver for our customers.

“We now have four machines, running five lines, which gives our manufacturing team greater flexibility to produce larger format sizes and new cutting-edge ranges. Our new XD machine has the ability to create interesting visual effects and finishes on tiles with metallic accents, raised effects and shimmers added to specific areas of the tile creating a host of new design possibilities.”

The company’s obsession with tiles is pushing the boundaries of design and manufacture. The HD portfolio continues to expand at a pace offering a wide choice of designs from natural stone and wood through to brick-effects and highly patterned feature floors.

Never satisfied with just OK, the in house design and manufacturing team are testing high definition printing technology to its limits using advanced, finer printing modes to generate the most realistic designs and effects. A progressive manufacturing technique, it delivers an extra dimension when it comes to the finished product. 

The business has also scaled up its workforce with the factory operating 24:7 across all kilns to increase output, and has invested significantly in two new sort and pack lines to allow for more volume through the factory and the same high quality branded packaging. Further plans for development in line with demand have been outlined for 2018, which will again expand capacity within the factory and ensure orders are fulfilled with increased efficiency.

One of the first companies to brand its collection of tiles printed with high definition inkjet technology, British Ceramic Tile has focused on driving consumer awareness, financing high profile marketing campaigns that highlight the benefits of HD tiles. From packaging through to in store POS and advertising, the company’s commitment to educating customers about the possibilities with HD tiles continues. 

Source: An Insight DIY sponsored feature on behalf of British Ceramic Tile.