Roofing Manufacturer Gets Secretary of State Visit

ROOF TILE manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles has been picked by the UK government as an example of a business ‘building back better’ with a visit from the Secretary of State for Scotland.

The firm was chosen for a visit by Alister Jack MP to the 11-acre Halleaths site in Lochmaben on 8 July – a year since UK Government published its Plan for Jobs.

Russell Roof Tiles is now the largest independent manufacturer of concrete derivatives in the UK pitched roofing market and employs almost 60 staff in Lochmaben plus two other sites in Burton on Trent.

The visit comes as Russell Roof Tiles is expecting to report a record year this year and has launched a recruitment drive. The company says it strong performance is due to its dynamic response to the pandemic that meant the company started 2021 with a strong order book, and a £1.7m investment in improvements to its manufacturing plant.

Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland said: “It was great to visit Russell Roof Tiles, to meet their staff and hear first-hand about their ambitious expansion plans. They are a great example of a business which has benefited from the UK Government’s furlough scheme and are now taking on staff and looking to the future now the economy is reopening.”

Bruce Laidlaw, Production Director, Russell Roof Tiles

Bruce Laidlaw, Production Director at Russell Roof Tiles added: “We are certainly building back better and investing in our business after the challenge of last year.  We’re now focused on looking for new recruits to join our team at this exciting period of growth.”

The company is recruiting for mechanical engineers and operators for its Lochmaben site as well as forklift truck drivers and is also taking on apprentices in manufacturing.

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