2019 has been an exciting year for Sahtas. With a rapidly growing market share in the handmade plain clay roof tile sector and a growing network of stockists across the UK, the company has invested heavily in a programme of growth which will see an expansion of its operations at its Northampton base to support its brand new, state-of-the-art factory.
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ahtas was established in 1979 and remains an independent, family owned and managed company in the year of its 40th anniversary. Its production processes are unique in the heavy clay and terracotta industry with its raw, excavated clay undergoing ‘clay washing’ before being introduced into its multiple production lines. Clay washing mixes the raw clay with water into a slurry before being sieved to remove coarse particles then forced at high pressure into ‘filter cake’, a malleable soft clay, prior to production. This process removes the coarse particles and deleterious soluble salts present in the clay leaving a pure, finegrained raw material which, after drying and firing, produces an extremely durable finished product.
RRNews - Issue 41
Sahtas has distribution agents in the USA, Russia, Europe and Australia but its largest market is the UK where it is predominantly known for its Brookhurst range of hand-made plain tiles.
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The new factory gives Sahtas a fantastic opportunity to significantly increase the output of its traditional hand-made roof tiles and bricks but also to introduce new products to the market including the Southdown handcrafted plain tile and a new clay pantile, both of which will be available early in 2020. The Southdown and the clay pantile are the latest editions to Sahtas core range of the highest quality roof tiles, but the growth