Following the news that Fortune Brands will move to a new HQ in Staffordshire, subsidiary company Shaws of Darwen has announced a move to the new site.
The new 270,000 sq ft facility is located at the i54 Business Park on the South Staffordshire border with Wolverhampton. As a result, it will become the new home of Shaws and the old site in Darwen proposed to close.
Fortune Brands says the new site “represents major investment in British manufacturing”. The US-based owner also says the move will increase Shaws’ production capacity.
The site is the first major new ceramics factory in Britain for over 50 years. The new production line will increase the number of fireclay sinks Shaws can make annually, which Fortune Brands says will “capitalise on strong demand in the UK, United States, Australia and other key international markets.”
The business has proposed that, after a 6-month run-in period, Shaws’ production will fully transfer from Darwen later in 2025. Shaws has been making fireclay sinks in Darwen, Lancashire, since Arthur Shaw established the company in 1897, and it remains the oldest manufacturer of Butler and Belfast sinks still operating.
Fortune Brands also believes the Darwen site, now over a century old, is no longer fit for purpose and cannot provide the base for future growth.
The Shaws owner has stated that there are “many opportunities” for Darwen employees at the new site and Fortune Brands will offer “ongoing support to those who are able to relocate and those who choose not to.”
Jim Platt, VP Fortune Brands Water Innovations – EMEAA, commented: “Our investment at i54 reflects our commitment to the luxury ceramics sector and to UK production. We’re very proud of this brilliant new facility which will allow us to better service our customers and facilitate future growth.
“We’re sad to close the old Shaws site, which has been such a big part of the history of this famous brand, but we’re hoping as many of the team as possible from Darwen will be able to join us at i54.”
The new site is a built-for-purpose EMEA HQ for Fortune Brands’ Innovations portfolio. It includes a customer experience centre and training facility, staff canteen, and on-site gym.
