wienerberger open Smeed Dean concrete tile factory
State-of-the-art, fully electric concrete tile production facility opens in Sittingbourne, Kent
WIENERBERGER UK & Ireland, providers of innovative solutions for the entire building envelope, have opened Smeed Dean, their first concrete tile factory in the South of England. The 7,800m2 state-of-the-art production facility, based in Sittingbourne, Kent, has the capacity to produce 94 million roof tiles annually, enough for 32,000 semi-detached homes.
The new factory marks a significant milestone for wienerberger, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to low-carbon construction, regional investment, and advanced concrete tile production. Manufacturing both Danum TLE large-format concrete tiles and plain concrete tiles on two production lines, the factory will complement existing sites in the North and reduce average transport distance to southern markets by more than 200 miles.
Keith Barker, chief operating officer at wienerberger, said: ‘Launching Smeed Dean is about more than expanding our national manufacturing footprint – it’s about building for what’s next. Increasing our production capacity in the South and investing in decarbonized operations have been key priorities for us, so it is extremely rewarding to see these cutting-edge production lines up and running to deliver products that will support the UK’s evolving housing needs.’
The site is wienerberger’s first fully electrified concrete tile facility, harnessing renewable energy and embedding sustainability into every layer of its operations. This includes smart lighting, heat-recovery systems for energy efficiency, a 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting system, and participation in The Pallet LOOP scheme to minimize pallet wood waste. Situated at wienerberger’s historic Smeed Dean brickworks, the site’s highly skilled team completed extensive training to support advanced and sustainable concrete tile production.
As part of wienerberger’s commitment to social responsibility and their partnership with Emmaus, a proportion of proceeds from sales of the Danum TLE tile manufactured at the company’s Smeed Dean and Sandtoft production sites support the charity in combatting homelessness and social exclusion.
