Pitched roof tile manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles handpicked by the UK government and rewarded with a special visit from the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Leading pitched roof tile manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles has been handpicked by the UK Government as a great example of a business ‘building back better’ with a special visit from the Secretary of State for Scotland.

The firm was chosen to welcome Alister Jack MP to the 11-acre Halleaths site in Lochmaben yesterday (9 July) – a year after UK Government published its Plan for Jobs.

Russell Roof Tiles is now the largest independent manufacturer of concrete derivatives in the UK pitched roofing market and employs nearly 60 staff in Lochmaben plus two other sites in Burton on Trent.

This comes at an exciting time for Russell Roof Tiles which has recently launched a major recruitment drive for what is expecting will be a record year for the business. This is due to the firm’s dynamic response to the Covid-19 pandemic that meant it started 2021 with a strong order book and a £1.7 million investment in improvements to its manufacturing plant.

Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland, said: “It was great to visit Russell Roof Tiles, to staff and hear first-hand about its ambitious expansion plans. It is a great example of a business which has benefited from the UK Government’s furlough scheme and is now taking on staff and looking to the future now the economy is reopening.”

Bruce Laidlaw, Production Director at Russell Roof Tiles, added: “We are certainly building back better and investing in our business after the challenge of last year. We’re now focused on looking for new recruits to join our team at this exciting period of growth.”

The company is recruiting for mechanical engineers and operators for its Lochmaben site as well as forklift truck drivers and is also taking on apprentices to nurture youngsters to start a career in manufacturing.