Tile Mountain has snapped up the former Johnson Tiles site in Stoke-on-Trent – which happens to be right next door to its own premises – after the facility closed its doors just last year.
The 30-acre site in Tunstall currently sits alongside Tile Mountain’s existing 400,000 sq ft warehouse complex, and includes production facilities, offices and warehouses.
Given their proximity, the tiling and bathroom retailer says the acquisition will provide a significant boost to its capacity and operational footprint.
Production at the Johnson Tiles site ceased last year, after the company announced it would outsource its production, describing it as “increasingly unsustainable” to manufacture tiles in the UK. At the time of the facility’s closure, Johnson Tiles said the closure would impact up to 105 members of its production staff.
Tile Mountain says that it has now purchased the site from Norcros, the parent company of Johnson Tiles, which has been actively clearing the premises since last year’s closure.
Mo Iqbal, the chairman of Tile Mountain Group, said he was delighted to acquire the iconic site. He continued: “This marks a key stage in the expansion of our business in the area, which now includes multiple warehouses and showrooms. Securing the Johnsons site gives us the space and flexibility to grow our retail and distribution operations with confidence over the medium and long term.
“It also strengthens our presence in Stoke-on-Trent, a city with a long-standing connection to the tile industry. We’d like to thank Norcros for their support in helping us complete this deal, and we look forward to unlocking the potential of this historic site.”
In related news, Tile Mountain Group recently revealed ambitious plans to significantly increase its showroom presence in the years ahead, after it recently passed £100m in annual turnover for the first time. The company, which currently has 12 showrooms nationwide, recorded turnover of £101.8m in its year-end accounts for 2023, which is an increase of more than 17% over the previous year’s figure.