Lignacite's new £7 million concrete block manufacturing plant at its Brandon, Suffolk headquarters, opened officially in July. It will do much to fulfil the company's aims to produce its diverse range of products in a discernibly sustainable manner.

Output capability has increased by over 50%; at 100 tonnes per hour, enough blocks can be produced to build an average house every seven minutes. Modern curing chambers conserve energy by using natural heat given off by the exothermic reaction between cement and water, while emissions from gas used to provide kiln heat are pumped in to help seal in lime in blocks.

Sustainability has become an intrinsic element of research and development, with products such the unique Medium Density block which bears the company's name, Lignacite, using graded wood particles as an alternative aggregate.