Wykamol has created new jobs through a multi-million pound investment designed to improve its environmental performance and ensure product supply post-Brexit.
The Lancashire-based manufacturer, which produces a wide range of building repair and renovation products, invited the British Board of Agrément (BBA) to officially open its new cavity drain membrane extrusion plant, said to be the first of its kind in the UK. The company has also invested in equipment to recycle manufacturing waste back in to the extrusion process.
The new facility, which can produce 4.8 million sq. m of BBA Certificated membranes per year (CM3, CM3 Mesh, CM8, CM8 Mesh and CM20 products), was commissioned following Wykamol’s concerns that Brexit would create a supply shortage given that, historically, all cavity drain membranes purchased in the UK were manufactured in Europe.
“We identified Brexit as an opportunity for investment in, and support of, our industry,” said Managing Director Tony Street. “It is an important step forward for us and our customers, who are now assured of supply continuity once we depart the EU. Environmentally it is also a significant move. By purchasing British-made membranes our customers are reducing road miles and the overall carbon footprint of their projects given that more than 70% of our re-ground waste is incorporated back into the manufacturing process. Clients have surety of supply and the reassurance of Wykamol’s ongoing commitment to environmental excellence,” added Tony.
Wykamol has achieved British Board of Agrément (BBA) Certification for its range of five cavity drain membranes, an important step in allowing it to launch the products with confidence, as Tony explained: “As the foremost authority in product certifications, we always look to the BBA’s rigorous testing and inspection regime to tell us that our products are of as high a quality as we believe them to be, in a non-bias capacity. Continuing to work with the BBA is not only a benefit to us but also to our customers, who have peace of mind that our products perform to the highest standards.”
Richard Beale, BBA Sales Director, officially opened the new facility. He said: “Wykamol’s new plant is an important boost to the local economy, a hugely positive step for the company’s environmental credentials and a major reassurance of supply certainty for its customers. It was a pleasure and honour to have been asked to formally open the facility. Clearly the business is focused on investing for the future and supporting its customer base by producing high quality products. It is always pleasing to see a British manufacturer reaping the rewards of its investments. I wish Tony and his colleagues success for the future.”
UKAS-accredited BBA is the leading authority on building product certification, a position it has held for more than 50 years. It works with manufacturers worldwide to evaluate new, innovative and leading-edge products and solutions. Its experts subject systems to rigorous test regimes and close scrutiny before a certificate can be issued.
The BBA has worked closely with Wykamol for a number years: “Over that time Wykamol has seen, as a leading brand, the value of working with us to gain BBA Certification and the commercial benefits of this, both in specification and revenue opportunity terms. We will continue to work closely with the organisation on all future developments,” added Richard.
