N E W S U P D AT E
David Armitage celebrates a lifetime in brick
1. David joined the industry in 1961 as an apprentice fitter with his family firm George Armitage & Sons, based at Rothwell, near Leeds. He moved into sales in 1963, eventually becoming sales director and later marketing director when the business boasted a £20m turnover. Twenty-seven years after David joined, the business was sold, so he decided to set up on his o w n a n d b o u g h t t h e Yo r k Handmade Brick Company, based at Alne, near Easingwold, in 1988. David recalled the significant changes he has seen throughout his time in the brick industry.
14
“ T h e t w o n e w f a c to r i e s a t Swillington and Howley Park at Morley, combined with an upturn in trade in the 1970s changed the fortunes of George Armitage & Sons. For the first time, bricks were handled by machine, improving quality and reducing waste, thereby increasing productivity and the value of our output”.
He explained: “Moving to York Handmade was a dramatic change for me, as I went from a mass market brick producer supplying large scale schemes to a small niche supplier with a selective market. But we haven’t stood still at York Handmade and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved here with a loyal and dedicated staff.
“It is fair to say that York Handmade’s market is extremely varied but on a generally smaller scale. Conservation is an important area for York Handmade along with high-quality one off selfbuild homes which have been the mainstay of our operation when we first started. More recently we have been involved in highprofile schemes away from the housing sector. These have included Chetham Music School in Manchester, St Albans Cathedral and London Bridge Station and the Shard in London.
