It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to David Armitage, chairman of York Handmade Brick, the independent brickmaker.
These are challenging times but I am confident we can maintain the progress we made last year, despite inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, in 2023. We are flourishing in commercial property and education sectors, whilst residential housing, which has been our staple for a number of years, remains strong. In these testing times, it is vital to spread our work across as many different markets as possible.
It is also important to be optimistic. I have been in the brick industry for many years and have seen the peaks and troughs. I am hopeful that the economy will recover towards the end of next year, once inflation is under control, and, when it does, I trust that the housing, construction and manufacturing sectors will be in the vanguard of this recovery.
High-profile contracts that we have completed during the past 12 months include Mount Row, a mixed-use development in the heart of Mayfair; a prestigious residential housing development at Kings Cross; the new library of Magdalene College, Cambridge, which helped the architects Niall McLaughlin win the coveted RIBA Stirling Prize; and two superb residential projects in Yorkshire, at Felixkirk and Easingwold. Looking ahead, we are currently working on a magnificent house in East Lothian and two landmark commercial projects in Baker Street in London and in Oxford.
We have also invested £1.5 million in a complete overhaul and renewal of our manufacturing process, which will speed up production, facilitate new products and increase efficiency. This is one of the most important investments in the company’s 34-year history.
Looking ahead more generally, it is encouraging to report that brick remains the building material of choice for many architects and specifiers across the UK. We particularly value the contacts we have built up over the years with architects, planners, self-builders and developers. We look forward to continuing those relationships in the years to come.
