Sandtoft started life in 1904 as a small clay brick manufacturer on the south
bank of the Humber estuary. In 1934, under the leadership of its founder, Alec
Oldridge, the company made its first move into roof tile making with a clay tile factory in Goxhill. In 1956, Sandtoft made
the transition into concrete tiles with a new concrete roof tile plant at Goxhill,
followed by another at the Sandtoft site in 1961. The family business grew, and
by 1980 was producing from eight production lines at three locations across Yorkshire
and Lincolnshire.
In that same year, Sandtoft moved into large-scale clay tile production with
the acquisition of a clay factory at Broomfleet on the north bank of the Humber.
The investment provided the company with additional ceramic tile making expertise
and extensive reserves of natural clay. These resources enabled Sandtoft to embark
on a long term strategy to develop more affordable natural materials, one that
continues to this day.
In the early 1990’s the portfolio was expanded further with the development of
a range of slate products made from 80% recycled slate waste. This was followed
by the launching of the (Sandtoft) Heritage Service which provided bespoke clay
tiles for conservation projects around the country. Sandtoft now had the unique
ability to be able to offer a roof tile solution for just about every need, something
which helped the company become recognised nationwide as a major force in roofing.
In 2006 Sandtoft made its most significant and ground breaking investment yet,
with the commissioning of the largest new clay tile plant ever built in the UK.
The new plant was designed to manufacture a new generation of clay tiles that
offered substantial labour savings over traditional natural materials such as
slate, and to close the gap between clay and concrete tiles. These products proved
to be very effective when the recession began in 2008, as specifiers sought cost
saving solutions that would still satisfy most planning requirements.
January 2008 saw Sandtoft join the Wienerberger group with the Oldridge family
retaining a minority stake in the business. Wienerberger were chosen as a partner
for their entrepreneurial spirit and world class production expertise – a partner
who shared in Sandtoft’s vision of the future.
Like Sandtoft, Wienerberger also had a long and successful history. Founded in
1819 in Vienna, the company started out in bricks and grew to become the world’s
largest brick and tile manufacturer. Today, Wienerberger operate from 236 plants,
manufacturing bricks, blocks, pavers and roof tiles in 26 countries across Europe
and America. This global perspective and knowledge helps ensure that Sandtoft
can continue to offer highly innovative products manufactured by the most efficient
and sustainable means possible.
The integration with Wienerberger has also given Sandtoft access to the Koramic
clay roof tile brand, which had been growing successfully in the UK prior to the
acquisition. Part of the Wienerberger group, Koramic is one of the leading clay
tile brands in the world, with 18 state-of-the-art factories in 6 European countries.
The addition of the Koramic brand has significantly enhanced Sandtoft’s product
range, making it by far the largest in the UK roof tile industry. This is particularly
the case in clay tiles where Sandtoft now offers a market leading range of plain
tiles.
