TRADITIONAL METHODS OF MANUFACTURE
Our employees are our greatest resource. Skills passed down through generations are used to manufacture bricks, just as they were produced, over 100 years ago.
FOUR GENERATIONS
Furness Brick stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of craftsmanship and family dedication, with James Collinge serving as the Managing Director, Nick Collinge as the Sales Director, and Mark Collinge as the Production Director. Founded several generations ago, this esteemed company is currently led by these three brothers who proudly represent the fourth generation of their family in the business.
The Collinge brothers bring a unique blend of traditional values and modern innovation to the helm. James, Nick, and Mark's leadership is characterised by a deep-rooted commitment to quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. Together, they blend their individual expertise to navigate the challenges of the industry, ensuring that Furness Brick continues to thrive as a trusted name in the industry.
Furness Brick & Tile Co Ltd - Sustainability Statement - 2022
Furness Brick & Tile Co Ltd is a small, traditional, family run brick manufacturer whose operations are based just south of the Lake District National Park. Shale for brickmaking is excavated from the adjacent quarry resulting in zero “clay miles”. Furness Brick produces 5.5 million bricks per year: Clamp, Old Victorian Pressed, Buff and genuine Handmades. We apply continuous improvement techniques to all our processes. working towards a sustainable future. Brick has existed for thousands of years and is one of the strongest and long lasting building materials available.
Despite their longevity they are still considered to have strong green credentials with the lifespan of an average brick calculated at approximately 500 - 700 years. Recent research has found that the embodied energy of clay bricks in a modern semi detached home equates to just 1.87% of the overall heating requirement for the home over its lifetime of 150 years. Brick structures have an A+ rating awarded by the building research establishments - Green Guide, which demonstrates that sustainability is not just about the use of carbon free materials but about the total impact of a product over its lifetime. Entire bricks can be reused to suit changing requirements. Bricks have been given an Ecopoint rating of just 1.07, cradle to gate .
Furness Brick successfully complies with its Citizens climate lobby agreement to reduce CO2 footprint. Regularly audited and inspected by the CCL. We also have an agreed Environmental permit with our local council with regular inspections. We have zero landfill waste, as all brick packaging is now 100% recyclable. We have zero waste from our production materials as any brick that does meet a specific standard is crushed and used in the production process once again. This reduces the amount of clay that needs excavating and the amount of energy used to fire the bricks.
We are constantly monitoring total particulate emissions with bi annual third party independent testing also submitted to the local Environmental health department.
