Brick manufacturer Ibstock has joined forces with the Construction Products Association (CPA) to give MP’s an ‘on the ground’ insight into the current state of the construction sector.

Earlier this month, Ibstock hosted site visits at two of its flagship factories in Ashdown in East Sussex and Chailey near Brighton, two of the largest manufacturing employers in either area. MP Greg Barker, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Climate Change, and Liberal Democrat MP, Norman Baker, visited the sites to learn more about the construction industry and how it is fairing during the economic downturn.

Deputy Chief Executive, John Tebbit, and External Affairs Director, Simon Storer, of the CPA were on hand to provide the in-depth briefings, together with Steve Chapman, Ashdown factory manager, Damian Descombes, Chailey factory manager and Andrew Craddock, regional production director at Ibstock.

Commenting on the visits, Andrew Craddock said: “As we all know, the recession has hit everyone hard, in particular the construction industry. This year we will see the worst fall on record in total construction activity, -12%, with a further fall of 3.4% expected in 2010.

“However, as a company, we have worked hard to remain positive and been very proactive in our support for the “Keep Britain Building” campaign, which is designed to lobby Government to support the building industry, one of the country’s biggest employment sectors.

“That’s why visits such as these, which help to educate politicians on the true state of the industry, are crucial to ensure industry and public stakeholders work together to safeguard the sector during this difficult time. It’s great to see MPs such as Greg and Norman showing such an enthusiastic interest in the industry and what we have to say.”

Email: sam.dorney@iasb2b.com