Brickworks, the byword for brick in Australia

Brickworks, the largest brick producer in Australia, is a dynamic group based in Sydney with operations spanning the timber, concrete roof tile and precast panel sectors, as well as real estate and investments.

Its history dates back to the 1930s when a group of brick producers in the Sydney area joined forces to revive the local brick industry. This challenge was soon won thanks to the intelligence and vision of the management, which has pursued a continuous acquisition, diversification and investment programme ever since the 1950s.

As a result, the company now dominates the Australian construction materials industry. Publicly listed since 1962, Brickworks now has a market capitalisation of approximately A$2.3 billion with around 8,300 shareholders and 1,470 employees. It was added to the S&P ASX 300 Index in September 2015. 

Building Products Group brings together six companies operating in the construction materials sector: Austral Bricks, Austral Masonry, Bristile Roofing, Austral Precast, Auswest Timbers and Specialised Building Systems – says Mike Newitt, National Materials and Product Development Manager - The Group has grown steadily over the last 4 years. Since the cyclical low in financial year 2012 (A$548 million), its revenue has grown to A$701 million in 2015. In the same period EBIT has almost doubled (from A$28.5 million to A$56.4 million). Consolidated 2015 turnover reached A$723.6 million (8% up on 2014), of which more than A$700 million was generated by the Building Products Group (+10%)".

Technological innovation for Brickworks is an essential part of doing business in the highly competitive world of building products. In 2015 the company installed a Multiglaze spraying system and MAS sandblasting units on the brick production line at Rochedale (Queensland).

“Our collaboration with Smac dates from the 1990s. This technology, developed and adapted from the ceramic tile industry, enables us to supply a range of increasingly sophisticated products with unique finishes and surfaces. This is quite a novelty in Australia as the majority of face brick decoration in the industry is done using flood and spread techniques combined with texture rollers and dry applied materials”.

Read the complete interview published on Brick World Review 1/2016