Investment ensures concrete future for building supplies firm

Last week the company opened two newly-constructed buildings for concrete production and CBS has also just taken delivery of two new lorries.

As an established supplier of concrete and mini mix concrete in Belfast and the surrounding areas, the family-run business, which employs 16 people, invested significantly in the purchase of the two new lorries - an 8.5m concrete lorry and a lorry with a hiab crane for delivering blocks and larger goods, increasing the company’s fleet from five to seven lorries.

CBS’s two new buildings, totalling 1,200 sqm, will boost the company’s manufacturing capacity. It manufactures several thousand metres of concrete per annum and is predicting that the investment will increase its business by 20%.

The company is headed up by John and Shirley Gilliland, and the couple’s sons, Andrew and Richard.

Shirley Gilliland said: “CBS’s growth was fuelled by the demand for smaller loads, primarily for domestic use. Originally, we had a mini-mix lorry that offered the ideal solution for private customers who were building small extensions, gardens, walls etc.

“However, in 2011, we invested in a 6.5m lorry that expanded our customer base, enabling us to deliver larger quantities of concrete. We’ve worked hard to develop excellent relationships with contractors and developers, and our increased capabilities have added to our business considerably. A combination of customer demand and a determination for CBS to continually evolve by offering more services, resulted in our latest investment in the company.”

Carryduff Building Supplies opened its doors in 1984 under the name Farm Feeds and Supplies. In 1997, the company rebranded to Carryduff Building Supplies, as the product range had expanded substantially to include building materials and supplies.

Through expansion, a ready mix concrete plant was installed, followed by an automated pre-cast unit for the mass production of concrete products, and most recently, in 2010, the company opened an allotments’ facility, consisting of 100 plots.