Brick colouring firm beats recession blues with expansion plans

A PIONEERING brick colouring firm has transformed a shopping centre – and now plans to expand into the domestic market.

Bebbington Brick Services has found fame changing how buildings look since its founder George Bebbington invented a tinting technique in 1968.

The Threapwood-based business has worked on projects ranging from the O2 Arena – when it perfected entrance pillars – to an Oxfordshire retail park, which it has just turned from red to blue.

Its work has also featured on television architecture programme Grand Designs.

Now the experts have turned their attention to smaller scale properties and re-launched a weathering tint which homeowners can apply themselves.

The mixture, when coated on the same make of brick, should make extensions fit seamlessly in with the original structure.

Success in the new market could see bosses add to their nine-strong workforce.

Business development manager Simon Morley said: "For 40 years we have traded on good word of mouth, after all it was a Bebbington who invented the brick-tinting technique.

"But our competition is moving on and we need to make sure we don't get left behind.

"We are always looking to expand and we have now opened up a huge new market. Hopefully we will be able to take on extra workers within the next 12 months."

Bebbington was called in to work at the Banbury Cross retail park last year when contractors Thomas Vale Construction chose to replicate the unusual texture of Staffordshire Blue brick.

Mr Morley, aged 47, said: "There are only two or three companies in the country who could take on a project such as this.

"It's a very complicated procedure because Staffordshire Blue has a very smooth texture, so merely painting over the red base colour wouldn't work."

The 6,000 sq ft Banbury contract was the latest in a long line of eye-catching jobs for the company, which has its headquarters at a farm off Ashbourne Road.

In 2008, workers found themselves thrust in front of the camera when a former violin factory, in Waterloo, fell foul of protests from neighbours and the local council.

Developers building luxury apartments, followed by Kevin McCloud's Channel 4 team, were told to dismantle pink Fletton bricks used to extend a party wall.

But Bebbington came to the rescue, dying the masonry a less objectionable colour. McCloud said the result had left him "utterly seduced".

Mr Morley said: "Seeing something completely transform can be very satisfying.

"Times are tough but we have some exciting projects on the horizon."