Its a good feeling to be back lagan brick workers
Seamus Enright
“It was a great day and I think a great moment for the staff to see bricks
being made here again.”
Those were the words of the general manager at Lagan Brick, formerly Kingscourt Brick, at the recommissioned plant in Kingscourt on Monday, as the first brick for over three and a half years came off the production line.
Jody Guilfoyle told The Anglo-Celt in an exclusive interview that the company, which laid off 29 workers and ceased production at the plant in December 2011, is now back in production in Kingscourt and optimistic for the future.
The reopening of the plant was announced last March and the recommissioning process complete a fortnight ago. Monday of this week saw the first bricks produced.
Referring to the 2011 redundancies, which saw workers left out in the cold on Christmas week, Mr Guilfoyle says that the team has consigned such hurt to the past and is now looking forward.
Twenty jobs
Twenty jobs have been initially created at the plant with 16 of those filled by former staff.
“The past is the past, we can’t change it. But the Lagans have moved on and the staff have as well. What’s important now is we continue forward together. Thankfully we’ve a team as eager as ever to get things back on track and committed to making a success of things here once again,” said Mr Guilfoyle.
The Tipperary native credits the combined wealth of experience of the staff - adding up to over 200 years - as having played a crucial role in getting the Enterprise Ireland supported venture back on its feet.
Aiming to capitalise on renewed buoyancy in the Irish and UK construction market, Lagan now plans to produce 12 million bricks per annum.
With one kiln in operation, the company has further ambition to have two lines running, capable of producing a further eight million bricks if forecasts are met.
Mr Guilfoyle explained that Lagan has invested significantly in the plant. “Everything, except for two things, was sourced locally, and that was purely because of unavailability in this country. The burners on the kiln were brought from Germany, the same company used back in 1988, and the new stack we brought in from the UK because no Irish company could install one quick enough for us. The wait time would have been next November. We wanted to get things back up and started as soon as possible.”
That investment Mr Guilfoyle believes is a sign of “real commitment” from the owners in making the Kingscourt operation as successful as it ever was.
‘Good feeling’
The first brick fired was greeted by happy workers treated to a cake in the form of a pallet of bricks. For Gerry White, who worked at the plant for 23 years before the 2011 closure, it was a “good feeling”.
Having never thought he’d see the inside of the factory again, Mr White summed up the general feeling, saying: “This place played a big part in the lives of a lot of the workers. It helped put food on the table, kids through college.
“I couldn’t find work when this place closed. I’m 53-years-old. I didn’t have the skills or the education to move on. No employer wanted to know when I came knocking. Brick is what I know, and I’m the same as a dozen other lads working here. It’s a good feeling to be back,” he said.
‘Significant interest’
While no bricks have yet been sold, Mr Guilfoyle assures there has been widespread interest and they will sell Kingscourt Country Manor Brick via their Dublin-based outlet, outHaus.
“We’re not ready for market yet. We’re still very much in the commissioning phase, waiting recertification, but to have brick coming through the process has been a massive step. We now have to ramp up our production over July and August to get to a stage where we can confidently go to market,” Mr Guilfoyle said.