York Handmade invests in new technology

The new line will be operational as of March and will enable the British company to produce two new product types.

York Handmade Brick Company has invested £1.5m in brand-new machinery which will transform how the company makes bricks. The new manufacturing line will be operational as of March 2023 and will enable the company to produce three different types of brick: the Handmade Style, as currently produced, water struck bricks and pressed bricks. Water struck bricks are currently very popular in London and are mostly imported as local production is insufficient to meet demand.

“Over the years, we have undertaken significant technological improvements, culminating in this latest project which will speed up production and facilitate two brand-new products,” commented David Armitage, chairman of York Handmade, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. “More generally, this investment will enable us to manufacture high-quality, UK-made bricks for many years to come.”

This investment comes in the wake of a stellar year for York Handmade Brick, culminating in supplying the bricks for the 2022 RIBA Stirling Prize-winning new library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, the highest UK accolade in architecture.