Johnson Tiles has invested £650,000 in two new inkjet machines for its factory in Stoke-on-Trent and reassured retailers it is “open for business” as the Brexit endgame approaches.
The ceramic tile manufacturer, owned by Norcros, said the new machines guarantee faster production, making the company able to produce a world-class, small-format product portfolio more efficiently than rivals worldwide .
Nigel Stannard, commercial director at Johnson Tiles, said: “As a British manufacturer that has stood the test of time for over 100 years, we continue to innovate for the future with our latest investment.”
The announcement comes months after Cheshire-based Norcros reported that Johnson Tiles in the UK had returned to profit following a restructure.
Stannard said that the company had further investment planned and was “exploring all avenues” in terms of different tile formats and structures.
“Being based in Stoke-on-Trent, the world’s ceramic heartland, we are located exactly at the centre of the UK. Therefore, in addition to our high-quality product, when it comes to our warehousing and logistics capabilities, our facilities are second to none.
“This has become particularly important in light of the UK’s impending Brexit. While some manufacturers have struggled with distribution, we are very much ‘open for business’ – operating on a global scale with readily available stock held at our factory. This ensures no change to our customers in the coming months,” Stannard said.
“Our heritage has afforded us a wealth of skill – our team is the best in the UK when it comes to tile manufacturing.
“However, we’re not resting on our laurels. We’re very much a future-facing company, continually pushing forward to enhance our product offering and tighten our operations. And as we approach Brexit, this is unchanged.”
In the last financial results reported by Norcros, which also owns bathroom brands Merlyn, Triton and Vado, it said Kingfisher’s transformation programme had affected trading at the wall-and-floor tile manufacturer and supplier over the six months to the end of September.
The wide-reaching restructure at Kingfisher, which owns B&Q, was blamed for the sudden collapse of Devon-based Rival British Ceramic Tile earlier this month.