History

1927

The company was established by John Shields, great grandfather of current Group Chairman, Robert Shields DL.

Since then, we have built our name as one of the finest and largest suppliers of calcium carbonate powders and aggregates. Brassington Moor Quarry, which started in 1927, remains an integral part of our operations.

1945

We began producing industrial limes for the agricultural industry. Our limes are still used, to this day, in agricultural applications to help neutralise soil acidity and improve crop growth

1953 – 1974

Our processing capabilities expanded. We invested in new equipment to aid our growth. Firstly, we installed an ultrafine ball mill and Rayco classifier and not long after, commissioned the installation of a fluid bed dryer which enhanced our ability to dry material. In 1967 we purchased our first front-end loading shovel and in 1974, installed an Ambuco plant for the production of high purity limestone for the glass industry.

1978

We were in need of new reserves and installed a tunnel under the road adjacent to our existing operations to access further limestone deposits.

1979

As the size of the quarry continued to expand, we invested in more equipment including a Pyro drying and milling plant.

1981

We invested in a Fine Aggregates Plant which enhanced our ability to service fine aggregate and aglime partners.

1991

We invested in a new Baioni crusher which reduced our energy consumption and allowed better primary crushing and attrition of mineral.

2000 onwards

Since 2000 we have continued to significantly invest in our business with major highlights including:

  • 2010 - the purchase of Ryder Point Quarry enabled us to produce a range of ‘dolomite aggregates’ for the decorative, concrete and construction markets.
  • 2013 – we relocated our garage facility to Curzon Lodge Transport Depot. This £2million, newly built state of the art garage has five HGV and one light vehicle servicing bays, along with new welfare facilities and hardstanding for our fleet of vehicles.  This enables us to service and maintain all our own road and mobile plant fleet in-house.
  • 2016 - as a company committed to sustainability, we took the decision to install two wind turbines near our sites, providing the grid with a reliable supply of renewable energy.
  • 2017 – we replaced the primary crusher to increase the throughput of stone which is critically in supplying all the downstream processing plants that make all the Longcliffe products.
  • 2018 – we launched the liquid flooring screed brand Longfloor, bringing a new product range and market to the Longcliffe portfolio.
  • 2021 – we completed the installation of a £3.5 million state-of-the-art washing plant at Brassington Moor Quarry. This equipment enables us to utilize more of our quarried stone for the production of aggregates and sand products. In turn this enables us to recover key products from material that used to be discarded, maximising the value of available reserves and improving efficiency.
  • 2022 – this year saw the completion of the ‘Pyro’ plant refurbishment and installation of four new final product silos. This allowed us to increase production capacity for the Longcal granular range of products and increase our stock holding by an additional 1000 tonnes of finished product. We also benefit by lowering our energy use and reducing the carbon footprint of these products.
  • 2023 – developments on site allowed us access to a significantly larger warehouse significantly increasing our stock holding of bagged products. We now hold in excess of 1500 tonnes of bagged products to ensure timely deliveries and improved customer service.
  • 2024 – we invested over £2 million in two new air swept horizontal 14-tonne mills to enhance our ability to supply the exacting requirements needed of high purity calcium carbonate powder products, improve energy efficiency and increase the sustainability of our operation.

 

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History

1927

The company was established by John Shields, great grandfather of current Group Chairman, Robert Shields DL.

Since then, we have built our name as one of the finest and largest suppliers of calcium carbonate powders and aggregates. Brassington Moor Quarry, which started in 1927, remains an integral part of our operations.

1945

We began producing industrial limes for the agricultural industry. Our limes are still used, to this day, in agricultural applications to help neutralise soil acidity and improve crop growth

1953 – 1974

Our processing capabilities expanded. We invested in new equipment to aid our growth. Firstly, we installed an ultrafine ball mill and Rayco classifier and not long after, commissioned the installation of a fluid bed dryer which enhanced our ability to dry material. In 1967 we purchased our first front-end loading shovel and in 1974, installed an Ambuco plant for the production of high purity limestone for the glass industry.

1978

We were in need of new reserves and installed a tunnel under the road adjacent to our existing operations to access further limestone deposits.

1979

As the size of the quarry continued to expand, we invested in more equipment including a Pyro drying and milling plant.

1981

We invested in a Fine Aggregates Plant which enhanced our ability to service fine aggregate and aglime partners.

1991

We invested in a new Baioni crusher which reduced our energy consumption and allowed better primary crushing and attrition of mineral.

2000 onwards

Since 2000 we have continued to significantly invest in our business with major highlights including:

  • 2010 - the purchase of Ryder Point Quarry enabled us to produce a range of ‘dolomite aggregates’ for the decorative, concrete and construction markets.
  • 2013 – we relocated our garage facility to Curzon Lodge Transport Depot. This £2million, newly built state of the art garage has five HGV and one light vehicle servicing bays, along with new welfare facilities and hardstanding for our fleet of vehicles.  This enables us to service and maintain all our own road and mobile plant fleet in-house.
  • 2016 - as a company committed to sustainability, we took the decision to install two wind turbines near our sites, providing the grid with a reliable supply of renewable energy.
  • 2017 – we replaced the primary crusher to increase the throughput of stone which is critically in supplying all the downstream processing plants that make all the Longcliffe products.
  • 2018 – we launched the liquid flooring screed brand Longfloor, bringing a new product range and market to the Longcliffe portfolio.
  • 2021 – we completed the installation of a £3.5 million state-of-the-art washing plant at Brassington Moor Quarry. This equipment enables us to utilize more of our quarried stone for the production of aggregates and sand products. In turn this enables us to recover key products from material that used to be discarded, maximising the value of available reserves and improving efficiency.
  • 2022 – this year saw the completion of the ‘Pyro’ plant refurbishment and installation of four new final product silos. This allowed us to increase production capacity for the Longcal granular range of products and increase our stock holding by an additional 1000 tonnes of finished product. We also benefit by lowering our energy use and reducing the carbon footprint of these products.
  • 2023 – developments on site allowed us access to a significantly larger warehouse significantly increasing our stock holding of bagged products. We now hold in excess of 1500 tonnes of bagged products to ensure timely deliveries and improved customer service.
  • 2024 – we invested over £2 million in two new air swept horizontal 14-tonne mills to enhance our ability to supply the exacting requirements needed of high purity calcium carbonate powder products, improve energy efficiency and increase the sustainability of our operation.

 

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