An Aggregated Approach to Smarter, Simpler Operations

The built environment looks set to be strengthened with a rebrand that will see three giants of industry become one. In a move that typifi es the pragmatism of the UK’s construction industry, Ambition magazine looks at what it takes to lay foundations for a prosperous, sustainable future.

As of 1 May 2022, Whitemountain Quarries Ltd, Lagan Asphalt Ltd, and Lagan Materials Ltd have rebranded as Breedon Ireland.

Since the acquisition in 2018, when the family of Irish companies became part of the Breedon Group, its Irish materials and contracting divisions continued to operate under the brands Lagan in ROI and Whitemountain in NI.

The last decade has seen Breedon deliver a signifi cant contribution in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, housing, and commercial projects for Ireland and GB. The result of which has meant Breedon has grown into a leader in the heavy side building materials industry.

Breedon Group plc, a leading vertically integrated construction materials group in Great Britain and Ireland, delivers essential products and services to the construction sector.

In addition to holding 1bn tonnes of mineral reserves and resources with long reserve life, Breedon supplies value-added products and services, including specialty materials and surfacing and highway maintenance operations, to a broad range of customers through its extensive local network of quarries, ready-mixed concrete, and asphalt plants.

Breedon’s c.3,500 colleagues embody its commitment to ‘Make a Material Difference’ as the Group continues to execute its strategy to create sustainable value for all stakeholders, delivering growth through organic improvement and acquisition in the heavy side construction materials market.

The Group’s two well-invested cement plants are actively engaged in carbon reduction practices, which include utilising alternative raw materials and lower carbon fuels.

Breedon Ireland’s Managing Director Terry Lagan set up the original Lagan Group business in ROI in 1989, which originally comprised an asphalt production & contracting division along with a bitumen emulsion production plant.

In a recent interview, MD Terry Lagan outlined some of the strategic reasons for the rebrand: “We believe that it is now time for a more unifi ed approach to our branding. Our main goal is to provide clearer communication to all our customers and stakeholders. Integrating the brands fully will help us to achieve that and I believe it will also make us stronger.”

The business developed from there to cover the entire island, with operations from Cork to Donegal and Galway to Dublin, becoming the largest independent producer of construction materials in ROI.

A sign of great things to come for the company in the northern region, fi nal phase works are currently being completed at Prince of Wales Avenue, Stormont, Belfast, with upgraded bituminous asphalt fi nished footways, as well as Breedon being the main contractor on the Mealough Road Junction Improvements scheme.

The project involves the realignment of the eastern end of Mealough Road, which includes improvements to the signalised junction with the Saintfi eld Road and Manse Road. Latest progress on site shows the installation of the new 44m long precast culvert along the Carryduff River at Mealough Road. The culvert sections were installed over a three-day period with each unit weighing 18.5 tonnes.

In the central and southern regions, Breedon Ireland has already completed major resurfacing projects on the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin bypass and Cork Airport runways 16-34. The scale of the Cork Airport project, from start to fi nish, cannot be underestimated, and involved detailed planning and logistics, including over 2,350 truckloads of asphalt as well as 200 truckloads of CBGM concrete.

Breedon was also tasked with supplying and placing 65,000 tonnes of bituminous materials as part of the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme. The Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme is a strategically important intersection of several major national routes, located 6km east of Cork City at the mouth of the Jack Lynch Tunnel. The project represents a major investment by the government of €215 million and is anticipated to be completed by Q1 2024.

Breedon Ireland is proud to have been a key sub-contractor on the recent New Ross Bypass project on behalf of BAM contractors. This project included surfacing of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy bridge crossing over the River Barrow. As the use of vibrating rollers was prohibited on the bridge deck, Breedon Ireland placed materials with increased bitumen content to achieve the required air voids.

The brand merger of Lagan and Whitemountain to Breedon Ireland will help to combine the Group’s talent, knowledge, and expertise. More robust governance processes mean Breedon, as a unit, can be resilient against future risk, protect the livelihoods and welfare of its employees, and refi ne its sustainable business model to create more value for all stakeholders.

Breedon places huge signifi cance on and engages with a national network of local relationships, contributing to the communities it serves, with materials donated to local projects, support for local schools, community events, and charity fundraising.

The goal across the entire Breedon Group is to work together as one, all making a material difference.