Monolith Brick & Stone Ltd received a coveted A1 rating for its cutting-edge BrickPlus Pro brick slips and, as a result, owner Stephen Waring says the potential for job creation at the firm’s base on St Asaph Business Park in Denbighshire is huge.

The new non-combustible building product was developed as a response to the “natural and understandable” concerns raised by the Grenfell Tower tragedy last year. Achieving the A1 fire rating was, he said, a “game-changer” that would “put people’s minds at ease”.

“After the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London there is a huge amount of cautiousness in relation to putting fabrication on buildings and it emphasised the huge importance of having a product with A1 fire rating that everyone can trust,” said Stephen Waring. “Because of the understandable fears and the perceptions about safety following the Grenfell Tower disaster, the availability of this new product will reinforce peace of mind that developers, specifiers and of the course the public are looking for.”

The rigorously tested product comes in panels of 12 brick slips held together by an integrated mesh fused right through the brick slips which give a building a non-combustible façade. BrickPlus Pro can dramatically reduce overall construction costs because the bricks fit together like a jigsaw and are quick to apply. The product can be used in the construction of new buildings or applied to existing properties, replicating almost any brick facade to order.

“If you for example buy normal tiles and they’re a mosaic, sometimes the tiles will actually drop off. But our mesh is actually within the product, so they’re far more robust,” said Stephen. “We’re adding one non-combustible element to another non-combustible element to create something that gives people peace of mind, but in the same instant we’re helping them to save money by speeding up the process, because our brick slip system is very quick in its installation.”

“There’s massive potential with the product and the opportunity for growth in the future is great. The potential in terms of employment is also huge. Once the ball starts rolling we’re going to certainly need more people. The fact that it’s made in Wales is very important to us. I’m very proud of that,” he concluded.