IKO PLC held a ‘Spade in the Ground’ event on Friday 10th March to mark the start of construction of its 470,000ft² PIR insulation factory at the Alconbury Weald development in Cambridgeshire.
The new factory is a real ‘good news’ story for the UK’s energy savings, business and manufacturing. It represents a £30 million investment by UK manufacturer IKO and will make a significant contribution to the construction industry and the local community — creating up to 160 jobs in the area.
Tim Leathes, of commercial developer Urban&Civic, says: “IKO is a great addition to the growing community of Alconbury Weald, and we are pleased this incredible location can provide their first UK insulation manufacturing base. We will continue to work with the IKO team to support their commitment to bringing low carbon construction materials into the UK market. This ground-breaking ceremony marks the second largest footprint-building within the Alconbury Weald Campus.”
Jonathan Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon, together with councillors and media representatives, also attended the event.
Andy Williamson, IKO UK Group Managing Director added: “I’m delighted to mark the start of construction of the new IKO enertherm insulation factory with an event which involves key members of the local community. The development of this plant is a great example of UK manufacturing.”
When fully operational, the Alconbury plant will produce insulation for around 40,000 homes a year in the UK. This will have a major impact on helping the Government achieve the Climate Change Act’s current target to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. By manufacturing the insulation boards in the UK, the factory will also help reduce the environmental impact and cost of importing materials from abroad.
Andy continues: “IKO has achieved the highest standards for environmental management (ISO 14001) and BES 6001 for responsible sourcing of construction products on three of our existing UK factories. The new factory will operate to these standards too, an excellent example of how the construction industry is taking a lead on environmentally-friendly manufacturing.”
Construction of the factory is due to be completed in September 2017 and its official opening is planned for March 2018.
