BLOG | In-house Manufacturing Drives Quality and Efficiency

 

With brick facades as popular today as they have ever been, building designers and specifiers need to be confident the products they specify will achieve the same exceptional finish each and every time. Taking the construction of complex brick features offsite into factory-controlled conditions, how do offsite manufactured solutions fulfil complex and creative requirements in buildings whilst hitting the mark on quality and meeting regulatory compliance?

 At IG Masonry Support, we are committed to delivering the highest quality brick slip and masonry support solutions for our customers. Quality is at the heart of everything we do, from our innovative product design to our rigorous manufacturing processes.  This commitment is backed by internationally recognised certifications for our facilities including ISO 9001, along with BBA product approval, reinforcing our focus on robust quality management and environmental responsibility.

The company goes further by using UKAS-accredited equipment from Queen’s University Belfast and partnering with respected independent testing facilities such as Warrington fire, Lucideon, Efectis, and SGS, rigorously verifying hygrothermal performance, fire resistance, deflection, and adhesion. This comprehensive approach to product validation underpins the confidence that designers, contractors, and regulators place in our solutions.

 At the heart of this is IG’s B.O.S.S. A1 (Brick on Soffit System), the first brick soffit system on the market to comply with and exceed the new A1 fire regulations. By combining adhesives with mechanical fixing, B.O.S.S. A1 delivers the exacting performance and safety standards demanded, while being the first product of its kind to be carbon neutral. Its impressive credentials, all of which are BBA certified, offer a technically advanced solution that meets the required aesthetics by hiding structural steelwork to give the illusion of unsupported brickwork.

 

Precision brick matching

Ensuring a seamless, authentic look is crucial for our brick slip solutions. That’s why we manufacture all our products, including B.O.S.S. systems, in our in-house Brick Fabrication Facility in Overseal, Derbyshire. Our design engineers work closely with customers to identify the exact brick type, shape, and bond pattern required, using free-issue bricks from the live site. This meticulous process allows us to achieve a perfect match and integration with the surrounding brickwork.

To support our dedication to quality, we have invested heavily in our Swadlincote and Overseal production facilities. These state-of-the-art factories utilise the global 5S system to optimise productivity and reduce waste, while being home to cutting-edge machinery, including robotic lasers, press brakes, and stacking machines.

Brick remains a timeless material that future generations will continue to rediscover, ensuring its enduring place across our built environment. Moving the construction of complex brick features offsite into factory-controlled settings means, we can achieve the level of quality and consistency that excellence demands. This is due in part to companies such as ours and a commitment to developing solutions that enable brick, a cornerstone of construction, to be used in ways that inspire the imagination of architects and builders alike.

 

GUEST BLOG | Building Safety Act: Why Competence, Testing and Trust Are Non-Negotiable

An interview with Richard Harral, Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)

As the construction industry continues its journey towards safer, more accountable practices, the message from regulatory bodies and professional institutes is increasingly clear: compliance alone is no longer enough.

In a recent conversation with IG Masonry Support, Richard Harral, Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE), shared his perspective on how the industry must evolve to meet the expectations of the Building Safety Act — and why this shift demands a fundamental rethinking of how we define and demonstrate competence.

CABE, a global professional engineering body, is championing a culture of lifelong learning and accountability. With the introduction of frameworks like BS 8670-1 and 8670-2, there’s now a sharper focus on the specific skills and understanding required to correctly specify, install, and manage construction products — from brick support systems to full envelope solutions.

Richard also highlights the critical importance of manufacturers in this process. By providing independently tested and clearly documented solutions, manufacturers help close the trust gap and enable designers, specifiers, and contractors to make confident, compliant decisions.

At IG Masonry Support, we’re proud to play our part. From our TITAN and B.O.S.S. products to our technical support and CPD offerings, we help ensure that performance, testing, and compliance are not afterthoughts — but core to specification decisions from the outset. We’re proud to be part of a safer, more competent built environment.

Watch the full interview with Richard Harral to explore how safety, trust, and responsibility are reshaping the future of construction.

NEWS | Prestigious BIM ISO 19650 Certification Achieved

IG Masonry Support has officially been awarded a Certificate of Conformity to BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018, recognising our company’s excellence in Building Information Modelling (BIM) processes and information management.

The internationally recognised certification, awarded by the British Standards Institution (BSI), confirms that we meet the highest standards for managing information over the lifecycle of a built asset using BIM – from project inception through to completion.

This achievement reflects our long-standing commitment to digital transformation, precision design, and collaborative construction. By adopting and integrating structured BIM methodologies into our operations, we continue to drive innovation and deliver enhanced value to clients across the construction industry.

Andy Neal, Managing Director of IG Masonry Support, commented:

“We’re extremely proud to have our BIM processes officially recognised by BSI. Having delivered digitally enabled construction solutions for several years, this certification reinforces our commitment to managing project information with precision and integrity from concept through to completion. It demonstrates our continued focus on adding tangible value to design, quality, and efficiency across every project as part of our standard approach.

“BIM represents a significant opportunity for the construction sector to evolve and innovate. At IG Masonry Support, we believe collaboration is key to unlocking the full potential of digital construction and driving positive change across the industry.”

The BS EN ISO 19650-2:2018 standard is a globally adopted framework that defines best practices for information management using BIM within the context of the built environment. By achieving this certification, we not only enhance our competitive advantage but also support the broader construction industry’s shift towards more collaborative, data-driven delivery models.