THE boom in demand for bricks, which has seen production rise in the Western Cape, has had a positive spin-off for Crammix Bricks, the Brackenfell-based clay brick producer.

Managing director Clive Archer says the company is now producing flat-out with its two crushed coal fired kilns (they were converted from heavy furnace oil during the past couple of years, so the spike in oil prices of recent months has thankfully not impacted too negatively). Working round the clock, the company is now producing 60-million clay bricks a year.

There is a ready demand for brick products, and Crammix has to date captured 8-10% of the total market share, acquiring up to 16% of the clay brick market and as much as 27% of the face and paving brick segment of the market. Crammix' Tableview branch has grown at an average of 25% per annum in the last four years – further highlighting the growing demand for clay brick products in the region. Most of these are sold to specifiers who have come to understand the benefits of clay brick.

Archer says that building with face brick is more economical in the long run. Not only are they good looking, but because they require no plastering or painting – therefore less labour too – they have the edge over other walling products due to minimal maintenance requirements in the long term.

Committed to the drive for quality housing, Crammix is dedicated to generating durable, well-designed and affordable clay brick products, which are SABS approved and conform to ISO 9002 quality standards. The company has adapted to the market's need for low maintenance buildings by producing efficient products like clay face bricks and pavers, especially for areas like the coast where maintenance costs tend to be more severe.

Crammix has also found a new market in Cape Town's central business district, where a number of office blocks are being converted for residential purposes. In many of these, building slabs have been found not strong enough to accommodate the extra weight such conversions require, so Crammix has developed a clay maxi brick that is 10% lighter than the standard to be used in cladding and partitioning. With the growing trend for something different and more fashionable, Crammix identified a niche in the market for special shaped bricks, which are specially manufactured to specific requirements.

These exclusive hand-made products have proved to be popular among architects, landscapers and private homeowners alike. Crammix' special bricks manufacturing facility is the only one of its kind in the Western Cape and has the capacity to produce at least 30 000 square metres of paving materials bricks per annum.

While ensuring that local delivery performance remains top-notch, the company also services overseas markets; doing intermittent exports to the Indian Ocean Islands and other parts of Africa. As bricks for the overseas markets need to be more lightweight, so as to keep shipping costs financially viable, Crammix mostly produces modular clay pavers and cobbles for their foreign clients.

The company has also achieved a strong position in its black empowerment efforts. Of its total staff, no less than 86% are from previously disadvantaged sectors, with some 33% being in senior management. Crammix is also involved in ongoing company training initiatives to improve the standards and living conditions of their staff in the region. Archer says the company is approved on the Western Cape Supplier Data Base, so it gets the nod for both provincial and local government work. Importantly, much of its outsourced work, such as transport, mining and sorting, go to black owned companies.

Aside from meeting employment equity regulations, Crammix has recently undergone management restructuring, which has seen Wayne Burton appointed as operations manager and Alex Woodman and Samuel Joubert selected as factory managers.