Michelmersh Brick Holdings
| Industry | Building materials |
|---|---|
| Founded | 3 November 1997[1] |
| Fate | Trading |
| Headquarters | UK |
Michelmersh Brick Holdings plc is a manufacturer of bricks. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
History
Michelmersh was incorporated in November 1997.[1][2] In March 2000, the company acquired both Blockleys Bricks and New Acres in a single transaction for £11.75 million.[3]
In May 2004, Michelmersh was floated on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange; this move, which valued the company at £21.3 million, funded a series of modernisation works across its four manufacturing sites that reportedly cost £13 million.[4][5] As a result of this modernisation effort, by 2006, it was the fourth biggest brick manufacturer in Britain.[6][7]
During 2007, Michelmersh competed with Austrian brick manufacturer Wienerberger AG over the ownership of Baggeridge Brick, which was concluded when Wienerberger increased its offer to 247p per share and bought the majority of the shares in the firm.[8][9]
In April 2009, following the start of the Great Recession, Michelmersh recorded a loss of £2.9 million.[10][11] In 2010, the company stated its intention to pursue expansion by completing acquisitions while disposing of surplus assets such as unneeded land;[12] that same year, it bought Freshfield Lane Brickworks for £10 million.[13] In September 2011, the firm reported that it had returned to profitability amid the recovery of the wider construction market.[14]
In late 2013, the company observed that sales had increased by 10 percent.[15] In response, it raised £10 million via the issuing of shares; this measure financed manufacturing improvements that expanded production by six million units per year.[16] In 2017, Michelmersh purchased the South Yorkshire-based firm Carlton for £31.2 million; this acquisition increased the company's annual brick production rate beyond 100 million.[17][18]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, a three-week production stoppage was enacted on 30 March 2020; a period of weak demand across the construction sector for months following the resumption.[19][20] By November of that year, the company declared that trading had returned to nominal levels;[21] in March 2022, it was reported that Michelmersh's performance had surpassed its pre-pandemic peak.[22][23] That same year, in response to escalating energy prices, the firm had accelerated its alternative energy programme, rolling out solar panels across its factories.[24] During the early 2020s, Michelmersh produced the world's first hydrogen-fired brick.[25]
In November 2022, Michelmersh purchased the prefabricated specialist FabSpeed in exchange for roughly £6.25 million.[26] In March 2023, the firm recorded a profit of £11.4 million while maintaining a margin of 40 per cent.[27][28] In March 2025, it reported a pre-tax profit of £8 million, attributing this result to intense competition.[29] In March 2026, the company launched a programme of works to improve its production locations.[30] Two months later, in response to a nationwide construction slowdown, Michelmersh elected to discontinue production at its Charnwood site.[31]
References
- 1 2 "MICHELMERSH BRICK HOLDINGS PLC: Company number 03462378". Companies House. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ "Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC: Our story". London Stock Exchange. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ "Brick sell-off". constructionnews.co.uk. 2 March 2000.
- ↑ "Brick producer and house builder target AIM in search for growth". constructionnews.co.uk. 20 May 2004.
- ↑ "Michelmersh stays upbeat". constructionnews.co.uk. 2 September 2004.
- ↑ "Company spotlight: Michelmershlmersh". constructionnews.co.uk. 8 September 2005.
- ↑ "He's not just horsing around". constructionnews.co.uk. 7 September 2006.
- ↑ "Brick firm takeover". building.co.uk. 22 June 2007.
- ↑ "Michelmersh considers stake in Baggeridge Brick". building.co.uk. 16 February 2007.
- ↑ Whitten, Nick (21 April 2009). "Brick firm Michelmersh reports £2.9m loss". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Richardson, Sarah (23 July 2008). "Michelmersh warns of escalating costs as brick demand falls". building.co.uk.
- ↑ Hankinson, Andrew (20 May 2010). "Michelmersh looks to grow business through acquisitions". building.co.uk.
- ↑ Kennett, Stephen (12 April 2010). "Michelmersh completes Freshfield Lane Brickworks buyout". building.co.uk.
- ↑ Fitzpatrick, Tom (19 September 2011). "Michelmersh Bricks see market signs of improvement". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Stothart, Chloe (2 September 2013). "Michelmersh sees brick sales increase". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Wilson, Robyn (19 November 2013). "Michelmersh to boost brick production after £10m share placing". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Champ, Hamish (19 March 2018). "Carlton acquisition boosts brickmaker Michelmersh". building.co.uk.
- ↑ Mann, Will (26 June 2017). "Michelmersh buys Barnsley brick maker for £31.2m". building.co.uk.
- ↑ Kelly, Megan (26 March 2020). "Materials firms suspend deliveries to sites". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Kelly, Megan (1 May 2020). "Breedon and Selco reopen facilities as merchants monitor product demand". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Price, David (27 November 2020). "Builders merchants report September sales surge". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Rogers, Dave (30 March 2022). "Michelmersh turnover back above pre-pandemic number". building.co.uk.
- ↑ Rogers, Dave (31 March 2022). "Brick firm Michelmersh says another price hike coming this summer". building.co.uk.
- ↑ Rogers, Dave (6 September 2022). "Brick firm ramps up solar power at factories to combat escalating energy costs". building.co.uk.
- ↑ "World's first hydrogen brick marks new milestone for sustainable building". pbctoday.co.uk. 25 April 2024.
- ↑ Lorimer, Kerry (24 November 2022). "Michelmersh acquires prefab firm FabSpeed for £6.25m". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Ing, Will (30 March 2023). "Michelmersh boss defends 40% margin on brick manufacturing". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Gayne, Daniel (5 September 2023). "Profit and revenue boost for Michelmersh". building.co.uk.
- ↑ Harley, Nicola (26 March 2025). "Michelmersh pre-tax profit plunges despite 'increased' market share". constructionnews.co.uk.
- ↑ Fahy, Michael (24 March 2026). "Michelmersh focuses on self-improvement". investorschronicle.co.uk.
- ↑ Metcalf, Sam (22 May 2026). "Michelmersh to shut Charnwood brick factory amid construction slowdown". thebusinessdesk.com.
