Baggeridge recognise that the skills shortage, both in terms of recruitment and retention, is an issue all brick manufacturers and house builders have to take into account when conducting their day to day work. However, down to the ongoing investment in Corium, the company’s clay cladding system which was developed in direct response to the current skills shortage, the Sedgley-based firm is assisting the country’s leading developers in their quest to rise to the construction challenge.

Kings Oak and Barratt are amongst some of the UK’s leading house builders that are taking advantage of Corium and subsequently benefiting from the using the product which, fitted by qualified and approved installers as opposed to skilled trades such as bricklayers which are in extremely short supply, can cut build programmes by up to a third.

Baggeridge currently supplies Kings Oak and Barratt with Corium for use on their residential developments across the country, including new home schemes in Banbury, Draycott, Redditch and Hall Green. Used predominantly for the construction of gable ends, Corium, famed for being lightweight, is the perfect product for use on King Oak’s and Barratt’s timber-framed properties.

Simon Hughes, product manager, believes Corium more than measures up to the skills shortage and comments: "Developers need to construct as quickly as possible and as the success of Corium goes to prove, they are able to do just that.

“It’s said that necessity is the mother of all invention and these current challenges have certainly forced brick manufacturers, Baggeridge included, to refine their products and the development of Corium has meant we have managed to turn the skills shortage agenda into our competitive advantage.

“The combination of the well documented skills deficit, the ongoing demand for speedier construction techniques and the need to keep downtime to an absolute minimum would all indicate that fast-track products, such as Corium, will become much more widely used over the coming years and will help contribute to the prosperity of the construction industry.”

The success of Corium has seen Baggeridge form a partnership with a major European tile manufacturer which will see improved production capabilities. The Corium colour palette has also been extended meaning the company is now able to offer hundreds of colours including matt and gloss glazed brick tiles suitable for a multitude of applications.

Simon concludes: “Corium is fast carving out a name as the architectural brick cladding system of choice amongst construction industry professionals and now we have an enhanced range, its appeal is sure to broaden further.”

Corium is an innovative brick cladding system developed by Baggeridge Brick in conjunction with Terrapin International Ltd and Corus plc. The revolutionary patented Corium system comprises genuine brick tiles which have been specially designed to fix mechanically to a HPS200 steel backing section which are then mounted in rows onto the backing structure and the tiles are clipped into place.

Combining the aesthetics of traditional natural clay brickwork with the construction benefits of fast track cladding systems, Corium is ideal for refurbishment projects as the cladding is light and can be fixed up to twenty storeys high, yet still maintains its strength and durability.

For further information, please call Baggeridge during office hours on 01902 886000 or visit www.coriumcladding.com

September 2006