Roof Tile Manufacturer Opens First Training and Innovation Hub

RUSSELL Roof Tiles has opened its first Training & Innovation Hub in Burton on Trent.

The pitched roof tile manufacturer has invested £100,000 in developing the brand-new facility, close to its previous training centre and its plastics and accessories manufacturing unit.

The new 3,418 sq. ft space will house both Russell Roof Tiles’ (RRT) expanded technical team, as well as an innovation hub for product development featuring six modular roof rigs, with pitched and vertical options. The custom-made rigs enable course delegates to experience ‘hands-on’ practical sessions with RRT’s range of tiles and fittings, along with dry fix accessories.

The Hub extends the company’s first training facility, opened in 2016, which has been used to train both staff and customers in the full range of RRT roofing products. The training covers how the products are manufactured as well as how they should be correctly installed. Theoretical training in the classroom covers topics including product awareness, roofing systems, correct fixing, British Standards, regulations and roof estimating.

New Training & Innovation Hub

The new facility is headed up by Technical Director Mark Parsons. Mark is well-known within the roofing sector and advises national bodies such as the National Home Building Council (NHBC) and the Roof Tiles Association (RTA) on technical best practices.

As well as investing in the new site, Russell Roof Tiles is bringing its expanding central services team over from the firm’s other facility in the town on Nicolson Way, to make way for enhanced manufacturing as part of a £18.5m site enhancement.

Andrew Hayward, Managing Director of Russell Roof Tiles, said: “This latest investment in the new facility supports our new product development as well as supporting our investment in providing expert tuition on installing all our latest products, both tiles and dry fixing systems.  We’re delighted to be bringing our teams together on one expanded site.”

The acquisition of the site was supported by Rushton Hickman Surveyors. Surveyor Taylor Millington BSc (Hons) commented: “We were pleased to assist Russell Roof Tiles in securing Unit 1 on Wetmore Lane, conveniently located adjacent to their existing Plastics Plant.

“Working on this deal was particularly rewarding, as they kept us well-informed throughout the process, ensuring a swift and efficient transaction.”

Russell Roof Tiles is an independent concrete roof tile manufacturer supplying products for national housebuilders and social housing and commercial projects. The company produces hundreds of thousands of tiles and related fittings and accessories every week that are used on pitched roofs across the UK.

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