Building materials producer Forterra was planning to temporarily shut down its Wilnecote brick factory at the end of June for refurbishment works.
However it is now putting back the shut-down and project start to the end of September, a three-month delay.
The company said that delaying by three months would “de-risk” the refurbishment project, given the global supply chain issues limiting the availability of semi-conductors and chips used in the factory’s robotic equipment.
The duration of the project remains unchanged, with the factory closing for 12 months.
However, construction of Forterra’s new £95m brick factory in Desford, near Leicester, remains on course for commissioning by the end of the year – on time and on budget, the company said. The new Desford plant is expected to add £25m to annual Ebitda by 2025.
Forterra also reports strong trading over the past four months, with group revenue 25% ahead of 2021 and 18% ahead of 2019. Brick volumes are 6% ahead of both last year and 2019.
While energy costs have gone up, this burden is being passed on to customers. Forterra brick prices went up 16% at the start of the year and another 12% last year.
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