After overseeing the production of more than 400 million roof tiles and witnessing significant production plant changes, a works manager has today been recognised for 20 years of service.
Paul Erskine has worked at the Burton on Trent production plant of leading UK roof tile manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles since 2006, but has been part of the company for much longer.
He initially started his career in quarrying within the Alexander Russell Group in 1997 (of which tile manufacturing played a part) and after three years working in block manufacturing, Paul moved to Russell Roof Tiles, Lockerbie tile production site in 2002.
Russell Roof Tiles has already expanded into the Midlands with a state-of-the-art plant in Burton on Trent, Staffs built on the then 7-acre site in 1990.
Paul was invited to move 200 miles from Lochmaben to help play a role in growing the Burton on Trent site. Today, nearly 60 members of staff report to him, from across the Health and Safety, production, engineering and quality teams.
“There is no doubt that during my time at Russell Roof Tiles, the company has changed a lot. There has been continual investment in new equipment, there are new facilities and with the expansion of the sites, more people have been employed,” Paul said. “As a business, we have high expectations for delivering the best quality of product for our customers.”
During his 20-year tenure, Paul has seen three significant plant upgrades first-hand, including the development of the £18.5 million factory in Burton on Trent. Most recently, the installation of the new production line which manufactures the revolutionary concrete roof tile Bute3®. With the appearance of three separate plain tiles but installed as one unit, Bute3® can be up to 33 per cent quicker to install than other small-format interlocking tiles.
This state-of-the-art investment in the new Nicolson Way plant has helped double output to help meet the continued need for its roof tiles.
“I just wanted to express my thanks for Paul’s immeasurable hard work spanning more than two decades,” said Bruce Laidlaw, Operations Director at Russell Roof Tiles. “Paul continues to raise a high bar for our customers and demands the very best from his colleagues at Russell Roof Tiles as we continually strive to improve and innovate.”
The occasion was marked with the team coming together at the Burton on Trent site and reminiscing on many stories from the last 20 years.
Alongside his fellow long service team members, Paul also received a dedicated area of woodland in Burroughs Wood, Leicestershire, from The Woodland Trust, donated in his name. In 2022 the firm relaunched its Long Service Programme, so that each long-serving team member could be part of a long-lasting legacy. This supports the firm’s commitment to its local communities, as well as its sustainable values and Net Zero pledge.
The firm has been manufacturing concrete roof tiles for over 60 years, since pioneer John Gibson founded Annandale Tile Company in Lochmaben near Lockerbie in 1965. Russell Roof Tiles has continued to develop and innovate since then and is now one of the leading suppliers of roof tiles. Today, the firm employs almost 200 staff across three sites, two in Burton on Trent and Lochmaben.