The Construction Products Group (CPG) has completed the second stage of its £20m investment package, designed to bring next-generation manufacturing capability and enhanced customer service to its brands. Part of the global company RPM, CPG UK is one of the largest manufacturers of construction materials in Europe.
The CPG portfolio of construction product brands includes Illbruck, which offers sealing and bonding products for floors, windows, façades, interiors and exteriors. Other brands include Flowcrete, Tremco, Vandex, Nudura, Dryvit and Nullifire.
In the latest stage of CPG’s eight-figure investment programme, commissioning work is now taking place following redevelopment at its Wigan plant, Greater Manchester. Work at the north west site has included new facilities for the manufacture of Tremco products, as well as a new screed plant, where the production of Flowcrete floor screeds will double in capacity. The project follows on from the first stage of CPG’s brand regeneration scheme in the UK, which centred on the creation of a multi-million pound, state-of-the-art distribution centre in Leicester.
Now, with Wigan and Leicester’s projects in progression, work will focus on the programme’s third stage, to create the CPG Academy, intended as a centre of excellence for training and development at its Sandbach site, Cheshire. Work will start in September to convert the old Flowcrete manufacturing facility in Sandbach into the centre of excellence venue, for specifiers and contractors to understand more about CPG’s high-performance Illbruck range, as well as other brands in its portfolio. The academy will link with flooring research and development experts, along with technical and customer service teams, together with the marketing and samples’ departments, all based at Sandbach.
As well as introducing new, state-of-the art facilities across the three sites, the investment package has also included an extensive recruitment drive, to introduce new staff to the current team and build upon CPG’s market-leading position for technical excellence. John Gordon, the CPG UK’s managing director, said: “Despite the pandemic, we are on a growth curve.
“The programme to redevelop our facilities ensures that we are investing in the future of our brands for the long term. That means a commitment to innovation and sustainability, the rollout of pioneering technology and a customer-focused approach, to ensure we can offer the very best from our brands, which has been built-up over multiple decades within very specialised fields.
“As well as new facilities, we’ve also recruited 18 new people to key roles in the last 12 months, to ensure we are well-resourced to meet the opportunities ahead. Feedback from our clients says that one of the things they really value about working with CPG is the emphasis we place on technical support.
“That’s a core part of our business operations and, in recent months, we’ve invested in new talent, bringing new technical experts, as well as sales professionals, to reinforce the existing team and further improve our service to customers.” As well as investing in the long-term success of its business, CPG UK is also taking steps to carefully manage the short-term, global issue of product shortages.
John added: “The sheer demand around the world for building materials is becoming more of a challenge, with many sectors of the construction industry affected. The scope and scale of the CPG business, not just in the UK but around Europe, means we have the ability to manage some of the supply chain factors.
“However, it is clear there are issues with some raw materials and we are working with customers to best manage that situation. This includes how we process orders. At the moment, unless we have visibility of stock, we will not action the order. Instead, we are placing it with our customer service team, to work with the customer to best manage the situation. That includes, where possible, looking at alternative products in our extensive portfolio.
“We are also advising clients to place orders in good time for scheduled works where possible. We are confident that the international situation will soon be resolved, but for now we are focused on managing the issue in the best way possible for our customers.”
